Chapter 5
Kathy was still little, but she understood everything. All the way there, she clung to me tightly and said, “Mommy, wherever you go, I want to go with you.”
I kissed her on the cheek, eyes stinging with tears. Hugging her back, I whispered, “Okay. No matter where I go, I will always take you with me.”
After a full day and night on the train, we arrived in Shaylon City.
My company director had already contacted the local unit here and let them know I’d be coming. He said someone from the Shaylon City office would be picking me up—a man with the last name Remington.
Just outside the train station, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw
a man.
Tentatively, I asked, “Mr. Remington?”
He nodded, then pulled out a handful of candy and dropped it into Kathy’s hand. His smile was warm. “No need to be so formal. Just call me Rowan when we’re not at work.”
I looked him over. I had expected someone older, maybe a middle–aged man with a bit of a belly–someone who’d worked their way up over many years. But the man in front of me was young, refined, with a scholarly gentleness that made people instinctively feel at ease.
He looked about my age, maybe a little older. But he was already in a leadership position, which meant he had to be exceptionally capable.
“You must be exhausted from the trip. Let me carry the little one,” he said with a smile, holding his arms out to Kathy.
I froze for a second, unsure how to react. He was so friendly–so naturally warm–it caught me off guard.
“That’s okay… Rowan,” I mumbled, stumbling a bit over his name.
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But Kathy giggled and threw herself into his arms. “Mommy, I want Uncle Rowan to carry
me!”
I couldn’t help laughing. “This is the first time I’ve seen Kathy willingly get close to
someone.”
Rowan took us to visit the workplace in Shaylon City, then told me, “The office knows you’ve brought your daughter along, so they’ve assigned you housing. It’s not huge, but it should be comfortable for the two of you.”
When I saw the place, it didn’t feel small at all. Compared to the cramped living space we had in the countryside, it was spacious—more than enough for me and Kathy.
“How much is the rent for this place?” I asked, a bit embarrassed.
Shaylon City’s cost of living was much higher than back home. I had some savings, but only
just enough to get by. If the rent was too expensive, I figured we could find something more
modest.
Rowan smiled and shook his head. “No rent. You already made a big sacrifice by agreeing to
be transferred to Shaylon City. You can stay here as long as you want.”
He was thoughtful enough to take us shopping afterward, helping us buy everything we
needed for daily life before we headed home.
That night, lying on the bed in our new place, Kathy was all smiles, her voice brimming with joy.
“Mommy, do we have a home now?”
I pinched her cheek and nodded with a smile. “Yeah. From now on, life is only going to get
better for us.”
Kathy nodded earnestly, then sat up with her lips pursed in a little pout. “Mommy, I don’t like Daddy anymore. Let’s not like him. He only likes Felicia and Auntie Jennifer.”
My chest tightened. I had hoped to keep the truth between me and Zach from her, to spare
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Chapter 5
her from a childhood soaked in bitterness. But some things couldn’t be hidden.
I held her tightly, tears falling in silence.
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She was only four. Four years old–and yet she already understood what favoritism and rejection felt like.
I didn’t let go until there were no more tears left in me. I smiled through the ache and
promised her, “Okay. From now on, we won’t like him anymore.”
I enrolled Kathy in a daycare and began settling down in Shaylon City!
The new job was similar to the one I’d had back in my old village. With a bit of help and guidance from Rowan, both Kathy and I adjusted quickly to our new life.
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