Chapter 1

In order to scrape together the sky-high medical bills for my mother, who had leukemia, and also to train the healthiest possible bone marrow so I could donate it to her.

I went to the construction site without hesitation.

I ate the hardest bread, lived in a prefab shack that leaked from every side, and sent every last cent of my blood-and-sweat money to her.

For three years, I finally saved up that “life-saving money,” and I also built myself a solid body.

I thought the hard days were finally over, so I rushed home full of excitement, only to hear my stepfather’s voice outside the door.

“The money’s been tricked out of her, and her body’s been trained up too. Why aren’t you hurrying up and getting her tested?”

My mom sneered. “What’s the rush? I haven’t used up my poor, sick person act yet!”

“If we don’t squeeze every last bit of value out of her, how else is she supposed to willingly become Thompson’s free bone marrow bank?”

At that, Thompson on the side let out a scream.

“Mom! I don’t care! If you don’t let Alice donate bone marrow to me, I’m telling her we have several villas and that you’re not even sick!”

The cold wind outside cut like a knife, and when I looked down at my own hands, covered in thick calluses and scars, all the blood in my body seemed to freeze.

The next second, I dialed the number I had kept hidden for more than ten years.

“This time, I’m willing to come home.”