Chapter 5

Liam looked surprised for a second, but then a warm, proud smile broke across his face.

"Alright," he said. "Let's pack."

We threw a few essentials into an overnight bag, changed our clothes, and headed straight out the door.

As we walked down to the garage, my phone rang again.

I glanced at the screen—Mom. Without hesitation, I powered the phone completely off.

In the car, Liam started the engine and pulled out of the complex.

"What's on your mind?" he asked softly.

I turned to look at him. "Wondering if I'm being too cruel."

He chuckled. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," I admitted honestly. "All I know is that if I show up at that station, nurse him, and hand over my savings, I will hate myself for the rest of my life."

"Then you made the right call. Never do something that tears you apart inside."

An hour and a half later, we pulled up to his parents' house in the suburbs.

His mom opened the door, blinking in surprise as she looked between the two of us. "Liam? Nicole? Why are you here so late? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Mom. We just wanted to spend a couple of days with you."

Helen looked at her son, then at me. She clearly sensed something was off, but she didn't pry.

"Have you eaten? I can warm up some stew."

"We ate, we ate," Liam said, gently steering her back toward the living room. "Don't fuss, Mom. We can handle ourselves."

Helen nodded, casting another gentle, worried glance my way, but kept quiet.

The next morning, I woke up early. Dawn was just beginning to break outside the window.

Liam was still fast asleep. I slipped out of bed quietly, brushed my teeth, and stepped out into the hallway.

Helen was already in the kitchen, bustling over the stove.

"Up already?" she asked, turning with a warm smile. "Hungry? Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Helen." I walked over and stood quietly beside her.

"Nicole," she said softly, turning the flame down, "did something happen with your family?"

I froze, not knowing how to answer.

She turned around completely, wiping her hands on an apron.

"Liam has always been a quiet boy. Ever since he was little, he kept everything bottled up inside. But the way he looks at you... I know how deeply he loves you. If you're carrying something heavy, you don't have to hide it from me."

I looked down at the floor. Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before the dam broke.

I told her everything that had happened yesterday.

By the time I finished, my voice was shaking violently.

"I'm not trying to be a bad daughter... I just..."

Helen didn't offer empty platitudes. She simply stepped forward and pulled me into a tight, warm hug.

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, gently patting my back. "You have been more than a good daughter."

A knot in my throat tightened, and tears burned the corners of my eyes.

"I know how unfair it’s been," she said softly, pulling back to look at me. "Your parents' favoritism is on them, not you. You've done everything you were supposed to do, and far more than you ever should have. If you need to stop now, you stop. You have a family here."

I looked at her, completely at a loss for words.

In the thirty years my parents raised me, neither of them had ever held me and said anything like that.

After breakfast, I finally powered on my phone.

Instantly, a barrage of notifications exploded across the screen.

Over a dozen missed calls from Mom, followed by a wall of texts accusing me of being heartless, ungrateful, and cruel.

Ethan had sent several messages too, his tone growing more aggressive with each one.

The last text was sent ten minutes ago:

"Nicole, you're unbelievable. Turning off your phone and hiding like a coward? Aren't you ashamed of yourself leaving Mom and Dad hanging like this?"

I looked down at the screen and let out a cold, quiet laugh.

At ten in the morning, Mom called again.

This time, I swiped to answer.

"Hello."

"Nicole!"

Her voice tore through the speaker, hysterical and furious.

"Where the hell are you?! Your father is sitting in the hospital waiting room! Where are you?!"