Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 238 Childhood

As soon as the rainy season hit, the rain started pouring out of nowhere. It was sunny one minute, and then right after school let out, it just started dumping rain.

I was biking to the intersection, and when the light turned green, I headed in the opposite direction from home. After a few turns and passing Sunshine Elementary, the rain got even heavier, so I picked up the pace.

At the next intersection, I spotted someone familiar-Emily. She was hurrying along, using her backpack as a makeshift umbrella since she didn't have one. Suddenly, a group of boys blocked her path.

One of them said, "Hey, why are you in such a rush?"

Emily kept her head down, looking a bit scared, and tried to dodge around them. But they weren't having it and pulled her back. In the scuffle, her backpack fell into a puddle.

"Trying to run away? You don't have any family to care about you. Come hang with us," one of the boys taunted.

Emily picked up her backpack and said, "I'm not going."

One of the boys grabbed her hair, saying, "Don't be ungrateful."

As they were dragging her away, I pedaled hard and skidded to a stop in front of them, blocking their path.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" I leaned on my bike handle, giving them a lazy look.

"Ethan," one of the boys exclaimed.

They recognized me. It looked like they went to the same middle school. Most kids at school knew me. I wasn't one to start trouble, but I sure wasn't afraid of it. They stuck out their tongues, and one scratched his nose, saying, "Ethan, we were just messing around with her. We're heading home now."

With that, they took off. Emily stood there, head down, her toes wiggling in her wet sandals.

"Thanks," she said softly.

She was always so timid; I'd noticed that a while ago. Just like now, she thanked me but couldn't bring herself to look up. I stared at her face. She was small and thin, looking a bit underfed. But her long, fluttering eyelashes were the most striking feature. I found myself wanting to see the eyes behind those lashes, but Emily wouldn't look up.

rain's getting worse. Let me take you home,"

put her

just up

she disappeared into Broadway Alley. I stopped at the entrance, seeing her run

head down, looking timid. Now, two years later, she still got picked on, but there was a kind of strength in the way

was no umbrella, Emily couldn't just stand there and cry; she had to keep moving. She kept wiping her eyes as she ran. Was she crying? Those boys must have really upset her. I wanted to comfort her, but I felt like I was the

was different. The best comfort for her would have been to bring Victor back to life and wake her mom up. But that was impossible; what was done was done and couldn't

away. Not far ahead, I saw my cousin. He was also carrying a backpack and riding a bike. My cousin, Jason, had just transferred schools. He used to live in that Broadway Alley, but not anymore. "Ethan, what are you doing

and said,

laughed and said, "You really have a good mood, wandering around on a

We rode side by side until we parted ways at an intersection, and I kept going. Passing a mall, my eyes unconsciously looked towards the entrance. My fingers tightened on the brake, and I stopped. The man walking out of the mall was my father, Victor, and the woman beside him was probably his mistress, Linda. She was carrying shopping bags in one hand

woman was no secret, but seeing them together still hurt. They were chatting and laughing, looking like a happy family. Even when they got into the car, Victor didn't notice me standing in the

then, not many families had private cars, and Victor was one of the few who did. However, the number

health and rarely went

the stone factory. He spent most of his time there, staying in the dormitory, so it wasn't unusual for him to be away

hand and holding an umbrella

rushed up to

your cough is getting worse. How

see me and quickly tilted the umbrella

told you to always carry an umbrella, but you didn't listen. Now

scolded me, there wasn't a hint of harshness; every

of medication hadn't helped. Victor used to show some concern at first,

wasn't congenital. When Victor first started the stone factory, the conditions were quite rudimentary, and he hadn't bought a car yet. Cindy was worried that Victor wouldn't eat well at the factory, so she delivered meals to him every day,

when it was snowing heavily. Cindy went to deliver a meal to Victor, but he wasn't at the factory. She waited in the snow for a long

ill with a high fever and a

pushed the umbrella back

I don't mind getting wet, but your health isn't