Chapter 11

When I walked out of the building, it was raining. It wasn't heavy, just a light drizzle—exactly like the day Pops passed away.

I stood by the entrance for a while and took out his letter. The attorney had read the first half out loud to the room, but the second half was for my eyes only.

"Elias. Pops is sorry.

"When you were little, I really did favor Arthur and Beatrice. Back then, I thought the eldest son needed to keep up the family's appearances, and the beautiful eldest daughter needed to marry into a good family. You were the youngest, the most obedient, and the least troublesome, so I felt I didn't need to worry about you.

"Only later did I realize that a quiet child isn't one who doesn't feel pain. They just don't say it when it hurts.

"You earned your own college tuition, and you never asked the family for a single cent after you started working. Arthur asked Pops for a hundred and fifty thousand to buy a car. Beatrice asked Pops for two hundred thousand when she got married. You never asked for anything.

"The day Pops had the stroke, you were the first to arrive, and you were the only one who stayed. Pops knew right then. Out of the three children, only you were genuine."

Raindrops hit the paper, blurring the handwriting a little. I folded the letter, tucked it into my pocket, and crouched there by the entrance, crying for a long time.

I wasn't crying out of bitterness or anger. It was just that, finally, someone had said it. Finally, someone had seen it. Finally, someone knew my sacrifices weren't just because I "had nothing better to do," and they understood it wasn't just "my obligation."

I crouched in the rain, crying like a child as three years of unshed tears finally poured out.

A while later, my phone rang. It was Arthur. I didn't answer. It rang again—Beatrice this time—and I ignored that one, too. After it rang seven or eight times in a row, I simply powered off the device.

I stood up and wiped away my tears. The rain was still falling, and I had no umbrella. But as I walked away, my steps were perfectly steady.