Chapter 2

"Don't make me repeat myself," Serene warned the elderly man standing before her.

The old man remained unfazed, his chin held high as he stared back at her without the slightest hint of fear.

Her mother had been tugging at her arm the whole time, repeatedly whispering for her to stop, but Serene refused to back down.

Who did this man think he was?

He had the audacity to march into their home, threaten her parents, and demand they sign a document—or else he'd call the police.

After several long seconds of silently locking eyes with her, the old man handed the document to one of the men standing beside him.

"I'll make sure your father rots in prison," he declared before turning on his heel and walking toward the gate.

Just before leaving their yard, he stopped without looking back.

"You were being given a chance to avoid disgrace and hardship, yet you're still acting so boldly." He clicked his tongue in disappointment before continuing on his way.

Serene clenched her fists.

She had no idea what the man was talking about.

That old man must have lost his mind.

As soon as he was gone, she turned to face her parents.

Her mother had sunk to her knees, clutching them tightly while keeping her head bowed.

Her father wasn't any different.

He sat in silence, staring blankly at the ground.

"Mom..." Serene whispered as she hurried over and knelt beside her.

She reached out to help her up but froze when she realized her mother was crying.

Soft sobs escaped her lips before she suddenly wrapped Serene in a tight embrace.

"Serene..." she cried, holding her daughter as though she were her only source of strength.

"They're going to send your father to prison..."

Her voice trembled with unbearable sorrow.

Serene slowly lifted her gaze toward her father.

To her surprise, tears were already streaming down his face.

Her chest tightened.

What exactly is going on?

Why did it feel as though they were admitting the old man's accusation instead of denying it?

Why weren't they defending themselves?

Were they really at fault?

"W-What's happening, Mom?" she asked, her voice shaking.

She gently pulled away from the embrace and held her mother's shoulders.

She needed answers.

Watching her parents cry while knowing absolutely nothing was unbearable.

Her mother closed her eyes.

"Someone broke into Del Fuego Ranch last night..." she began before lowering her head again as another sob escaped her lips.

Serene's heartbeat quickened.

A dreadful feeling settled in her chest.

She suddenly didn't want to hear what came next.

"They caught the intruders and..."

Her mother's voice cracked.

"...your father was the only one they managed to capture. The others escaped."

The words hit Serene like an explosion.

Her father...

Had broken into Del Fuego Ranch.

And he'd been caught.

She slowly turned toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"W-Why?" she whispered.

Why would her father do something like that?

She didn't know how she was supposed to react.

Just moments ago, she'd fearlessly defended him in front of that old man, completely unaware that her father had actually done what he was being accused of.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her.

"Serene..."

Her mother held both of her hands.

"Your father did it because..." she whispered between sobs. "...he wanted to earn enough money to buy your internship uniform."

Tears instantly blurred Serene's vision.

She wanted to be angry.

She wanted to scold him.

She wanted to tell him how wrong he had been.

But her body refused to move.

Her father had always been an honest man.

Despite their poverty, he had never taken advantage of anyone.

He treated everyone with kindness and humility.

He was one of the most respected men in their community.

Only then did everything from the previous night begin to make sense.

His bruised face...

His torn clothes...

The swollen eye...

They must have beaten him after catching him.

Everyone in town knew the owner of Del Fuego Ranch.

He was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the province.

People often said the family living there looked down on the poor.

Desperation had driven her father to commit something he never would have imagined doing.

Life in their town was painfully difficult.

Yet despite everything, Serene couldn't bring herself to hate him.

He had done it...

For her.

For her dreams.

Her heart felt as though it were being squeezed mercilessly.

She knew what he had done was wrong.

But she also knew she couldn't bear to watch him spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Life was already hard enough.

Prison would be far worse.

As long as they stayed together, she believed they could survive anything.

Closing her eyes, she finally let the tears she'd been holding back spill freely down her cheeks.

"What was that document the old man wanted you to sign?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady despite the storm raging inside her.

Her mother slowly shook her head.

"Please tell me, Mom. What was written in that paper?"

She gently held her mother's shoulders once more.

Only then did she notice how much weight her mother had lost.

Years of endless laundry work had taken their toll.

She never allowed herself to rest because every day she didn't work meant there would be no rice to cook.

Her mother bit her lip before another sob escaped.

Her lips trembled so violently that she could barely speak.

"They said... if we don't want them to file charges..."

She paused.

"...the condition is..."

"...you have to work at Del Fuego Ranch, Serene."

She tightly clasped her daughter's hands.

They had always believed Serene would be the one to lift their family out of poverty.

She was only months away from graduating, which was why they had worked so tirelessly to support her education.

Serene silently wiped away her tears.

"We refused," her mother sobbed.

"We couldn't destroy your future."

At that moment, her father slowly approached them.

The bruises on his face were still painfully visible.

Even from where she stood, Serene could see the pain flickering in his eyes as he knelt before her.

"I'm sorry, Serene," he whispered before pulling her into a trembling embrace.

"I only wanted to help your mother."

She felt his shoulders shake.

In all the years they had lived together, she had never once seen her father cry.

Not once.

But now...

The strongest man she knew had broken down before her.

Her heart shattered.

There was nothing more painful than seeing the pillar of the family in tears.

"Please... fulfill your dream," he whispered.

"And I hope... someday... you can forgive your father."

Her chest felt like it would burst.

Her throat tightened until she could barely breathe.

Why...

Why does it have to be this way?

She hugged him tightly.

No child ever wanted to see their parents cry.

Especially not their father.

She slowly pulled away, forcing a smile through her tears.

"Don't worry, Dad."

She embraced him once more.

"Everything will be alright."

"And... I'm not angry with you."

She whispered those words as she tightened her embrace.

Closing her eyes, Serene finally made her decision.