Seeing Samuel behave obediently, no longer yelling orshing out like before, Sierra knew their conversation had made an impact. Just like she used to, she reached out and patted his head.


    "Go on home. I need to head back too. Text me when you get back, just to let me know you''re safe."


    "Alright, I will. You too-let me know when you''re home." Samuel smiled, the tension in his expression clearly easing. "Sierra, I''m heading off then."


    "Yeah. See youter."


    "See youter."


    After the cab pulled away, Sierra stood by the curb for a long while before turning and heading home. The moment she walked through the door, Jonathan and Melissa came rushing over and pulled her down onto the couch, one sitting on either side of her.


    "Cee, did Samuel give you a hard time? Did he say anything awful to you again?" What they feared most was seeing Sierra being mistreated.


    Sierra shook her head. "No, we talked calmly. Dad, Mom, I''ve decided to give Samuel another chance."


    "Are you sure?" Jonathan and Melissa spoke in unison. "Cee, whatever decision you make, we''ll always support you."


    Sierra linked arms with them. "I''ve made up my mind. We''re moving to Causeway Bayter. Samuel has a ce there."


    "Sierra, you guys are moving out?" Samantha walked out of her room, and the moment she heard Sierra''s words, her expression changed. She rushed forward, her eyes turning red before tears began to fall.


    "Sierra, did you listen to what Samuel said? Do you believe I didn''t fight hard enough back then, and that''s why you were sent abroad? That''s why Sophia ended up like this?


    "But what could I have done at the time? I really did try. I did everything I could."


    "Ms. ir, don''t be like this. No one''s ming you." Sierra tried tofort her, though she didn''t fully believe it herself. Neither she nor Sophia med her, but Samuel''s words had clearly been full of resentment.


    "What''s done is done. Let''s not dwell on the past. What matters is the present and future." She took a breath. "Samuel and I grew up together. We were childhood sweethearts, relied on each other, and married when we were of age.


    "I''vee to realize that I made mistakes as well. I was too impulsive before. Years of love can''t just be tossed aside. After talking things through, we realized we still love each other. In a lifetime of several decades, no matter how deep the love, there will always be fights.


    "But after the fights, people make up and move forward. Samuel didn''t cheat, and he doesn''t have any bad habits. He just says hurtful things without thinking. Truth be told, some of what he said wasn''tpletely unreasonable.


    "Mom, Dad, I still love him, and he still loves me. We''ve decided to work on things and try again. If we can avoid separating, we should."


    "But Sierra....." Jonathan frowned. "Samuel''s got his eye on the assets your mom and I are leaving you. If he''s no good, we can just find someone else. But if the assets are gone, we won''t have anything to stand on."


    "Samuel doesn''t want the money. He only brought it up because he doesn''t want a divorce."


    Sierra sighed. "Let''s just go. When we''re there, you can talk to him or call Mr. Watson over. Whatever agreements need to be signed, we''ll get them all signed properly. That way, you''ll feel assured, and so will I."


    "That''s a good idea." Jonathan nodded. "Back when Samuel first brought you home to meet us, I was happy with everything about him. You can tell when someone truly loves another.


    "The way Samuel looks at you-he can''t fake that."


    "Yeah." Sierra''s eyes turned slightly red. "I shouldn''t have projected other people''s issues onto my own rtionship. I definitely shouldn''t have lied to him about things that never even happened.


    "Mom, Dad, let''s pack up and move to Causeway Bay."


    Sierra stood up. Seeing Samantha''s red eyes, she hesitated, then spoke. "Ms. ir, don''t overthink it. We''re moving out, not because we''re upset with you, and certainly not because of what Samuel said.


    "It''s just that Samuel and I grew up together. We''re husband and wife. It''s inappropriate for me to stay at your ce with my parents.


    "Sophia''s married now too. She and Zachary live right across the hallway. You won''t be lonely. I''ll talk to Samuel and get him to change his attitude, then we''ll visit you together."


    "In the end, you''re still leaving." Samantha turned away. "If you want to leave, just go. All these years, I really haven''t been a good mother, I''ve been useless. Samuel''s right. A big part of this whole mess is my failure as a mother.  s


    "But what could I have done back then?"


    Samantha broke down in tears. "Ivan screamed at me, and Julia harassed me. My son and daughter were still so young. I didn''t have a powerful family to support me. What options did I have?


    "Samuel talks about what I should''ve done. But back then, Julia made it clear-if I divorced Ivan, she''d ensure I''d never find work in Dithoria and that I couldn''t survive.


    "I could survive the streets myself. But what about my son and daughter? They had to live."


    Samantha cried as she continued to voice her pain. "Ivan and Julia locked me in the convent. What was it all for? It was so that I''d have enough money to send to Samuel monthly.


    "Now, he''s grown and is sessful, but has returned to me it all on me. Has he ever thought about how, when he was a child, everything I did was to protect and care for him?


    "I could''ve sent Sophia abroad. But I chose to send him. Has he ever asked himself why?"


    "Samantha, don''t cry." Melissa


    rushed over tofort her. "Samuel


    just says things without thinking, but


    he''s not a bad kid. He''s your son How could there ever besting resentment between a mother and son?  s


    "Don''t cry. It''s not worth risking your health over this." "Melissa, if Jonathan had another woman out there, brought her home, and


    threatened you with Sierra, what would you do?"


    Samantha sobbed, clinging to Melissa''s hand. The words spilled out without hesitation.


    Melissa paused and looked at Jonathan, who quickly shook his head. "Honey, you know me. I''d never do that."


    Melissan nodded. She knew that perfectly well.


    Back when they lost their child, and Melissa''s mental health crumbled, plenty of people told Jonathan to divorce her and remarry to conceive another child.<fne646> This update is avable on Find[?]ovel</fne646>


    But he always refused. Every time, Jonathanshed out at anyone who dared to suggest it.


    All these years, he had never given up on her and never stopped searching for their daughter.


    So Samantha''s question didn''t even make sense.


    "Jon''s not that kind of man." Melissa gave an awkward smile. "I honestly can''t


    answer you."


    Samantha pressed on. "I''m just saying-what if he did all that?"


    Melissa thought about it and


    answered her seriously. "If that really happened, would never let Sierra leave me, no matter what


    meant going hungry,


    even if t


    if it..


    couldn''t find a job, even if I had to coffect garbage or sell scrap or run a little roadside stall-I''d do anything to stay with my daughter.  s


    "Hardship is bearable, but I can''t take being separated from my own child."


    Melissa''s words were sincere, straight from the heart. If she couldn''t find work, so what? As long as she was alive, she wouldn''t be driven to a dead end.


    She could set up a street stall or scavenge for recybles. It would be hard, but she could still raise a child that way.


    Even if they had to live on the streets, it would still be better than letting her child grow up with a father who had changed and a stepmother who didn''t love her.