?Chapter 1436:


    Brenna listened in silence. Isabe hadn’t mentioned any of this, so it came as news to her. Still, Brenna knew Ruby’s hardship was of her own making. She didn’t deserve any sympathy.


    “So, you are here to ask me for money?” Brenna asked, her tone cold and t.


    Ruby’s chest tightened, panic shing in her eyes. She could tell Brenna had no intention of helping her. Yet she also dared not show impatience or direct herints at Brenna.


    Her sobs deepened. “No, I’m not here for money. The property and heating fees don’t matter anymore. Mack—my useless son—sold my house. I don’t even have a roof over my head now. Brenna, please, have mercy. I only want a ce to stay, so I won’t be left sleeping on the street.”


    Brenna’s brow lifted in surprise. “Mack sold your house?”


    Ruby nodded. “Yes. I cared for him so much before, and look how he treats me now? He spent all his money on drugs and even resorted to robbery. Yesterday, he sold my house. I tried desperately to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen and even beat me up. Brenna, if I weren’t at my wits’ end, I wouldn’t havee to you. Please, find me a ce to live. I don’t need anything fancy; any ce will do.”


    Though her tears seemed genuine, Brenna remained unmoved, unwilling to lift a hand to help.


    When Ruby sensed that cold indifference from Brenna, unease crept into her chest. She circled the desk and dropped to her knees in front of Brenna.


    “Brenna, I know Alex and I wronged you when you lived with us. We kept you from school, forced you to sketch designs, cook meals, and scrub floors. We were cruel, and we used you shamelessly. I’vee to beg for your forgiveness.”


    She broke down in tears as she continued, “You see, your father got what he deserved, didn’t he? He suffered endlessly before he died. And Mack—that scoundrel—he once bullied you, yet look at him now. I watched him stagger home beaten, ribs broken, unable to move for days. He couldn’t even go to a hospital because he had no money. We’ve all paid for our sins. I make a living by collecting garbage and selling it. Isn’t that punishment enough? Brenna, have mercy. Even if you let me live in the shabbiest corner of the city, I’d be grateful.”


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    Her tearful eyes clung to Brenna, full of desperate hope.<fn6a8a> Fresh chapters posted on FindN()vel</fn6a8a>


    For a moment, Brenna felt her bitterness of years begin to ease. “So you finally admit how unfair you were to me? You ept that this is your retribution?”


    “Yes,” Ruby answered without hesitation. “Everything we’ve endured is karma. We were never good people. We never deserved riches. Brenna, please don’t hold a grudge against us. You survived. Your real parents cherish you, and you’ve found an extraordinary fiancé. I truly wish you happiness. All I ask is a ce to stay until I die. I don’t need your money; I can keep selling scraps to live. Now, I can’t afford a house or to pay rent…”


    Brenna studied Ruby closely. She was weeping uncontrobly, dressed in threadbare clothes that spoke of poverty. Up close, her face bore the marks of hardship, and her hands—once soft—now looked rough.


    There was no denying she had suffered. Her manner today was also far humbler than Mack’s had been when he came here.


    “So you’re saying you don’t care about the house itself, only that it keeps you from being homeless?” Brenna asked, wary that Ruby might be feigning misery to ask for a better house.


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