Chương 12 - Echoes from the Past
While Natalie’s life blossomed, the remnants of the Carter family's world continued to crumble in quiet desperation. Across town, in a cramped two-bedroom apartment that smelled faintly of old carpet and cheap instant noodles, Ethan stared blankly at his computer screen.
At thirty-four, he looked ten years older. The tailored Italian suits had long been sold off to pay down immediate grocery debts; now, he wore faded thrift-store flannels and spent his days managing inventory data for a mid-level logistics warehouse—a grueling job that paid hourly and offered zero prestige.
His phone rang, snapping him out of his misery. It was his mother, Helen.
"Ethan, did you talk to Olivia yet?" Helen’s voice crackled through the speaker, tight with panic. "Her landlord is threatening eviction again. She needs another twelve hundred dollars by Friday, or her car is going to get repossessed."
Ethan rubbed his temples, feeling a dull, persistent migraine throbbing behind his eyes. "Mom, I don't have twelve hundred dollars. I barely have twelve dollars left until payday on Friday. My entire paycheck went toward paying off the back taxes from the dissolved LLC."
"Well, you have to do something!" Helen hissed, her tone carrying the unmistakable sting of disappointment. "You're her brother! You brought us into this mess by losing everything!"
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Ethan closed his eyes, the irony cutting deeper than any blade. For years, his mother and sister had praised him as a visionary genius, treating him like the golden goose while Natalie was treated as invisible background noise. The moment the gold-plated illusion vanished, they turned on him with the exact same ruthless self-preservation they had once directed at the world.
"I can't help her, Mom," Ethan whispered hoarsely, before abruptly ending the call and tossing his phone onto the worn-out sofa. For the first time, he realized the true cost of his arrogance: he had traded a woman who loved him unconditionally for people who only loved what he could provide.
