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.

me take you home,"

her head and put her

My place is just up ahead. I'll be

and dashed off, her backpack over her head. I trailed behind on my bike, watching her until she disappeared into Broadway Alley. I stopped at the entrance, seeing her run deeper

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

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 last person who

back to life and wake her

that I pedaled away. Not far ahead, I saw my cousin. He was also carrying a backpack and riding a bike. My cousin, Jason,

shrugged and said,

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

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

affair with that woman was no secret, but seeing them together still hurt. They were chatting and laughing, looking like a happy family. Even when they

did. However, the number of times I had ridden in

mom, Cindy Windsor, never got the chance to ride in it because she was always in poor health and rarely went out. As for me, I preferred my bike, even if it

of his time there, staying in the dormitory, so it wasn't unusual for him to be away for

of the farmers' market with groceries. She was carrying bags in one hand and holding an umbrella in the other, coughing so hard her back was bent. Seeing her like

up to

cough is getting worse. How about going to

me and quickly tilted the umbrella towards me to

always carry an umbrella, but you didn't

very gentle woman. Even when she scolded me, there wasn't a hint of harshness; every word was filled

years of medication hadn't helped. Victor used to show some concern at first, but later he got annoyed by her coughing and even told her to go far away to cough.

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, rain or

meal to Victor, but he wasn't at the factory. She waited in the

bringing back the cold meal, Cindy fell seriously ill with a high fever and a cough. That was when her chronic cough started, and it

umbrella

mind getting wet, but your