Chapter 3

When we reached school, a boy pointed at me and shouted, "Are you the fat slob who's abandoned by your parents? You're so ugly and fat. How come you didn't just kill yourself already?"

I bit my lip, feeling utterly humiliated.

But Estelle marched right up and smacked that boy hard on the head.

Then, I watched as the usually quiet Estelle unleashed a furious tirade.

She snapped, "You've got parents who care about you and taught you manners, so how come you're such a punk? Is it fun to insult others? You think mouthing off makes you better than them?

"What does it matter to you if she's fat? Who cares if she's ugly? You gonna marry her or something? Mind your own damn business.

"You say she stinks—well, your mouth stinks even more.

"If someone like you gets to strut around despite being so rude, why should Leona kill herself?

"If you ever say another bad word about Leona, I'll stand at the town entrance every single day with a megaphone. I'll announce to everyone that your mom's a whore and your dad's a moron for raising a hopeless loser like you.

"Anyone can trash-talk. You think you're special just because you can? If you wanna keep playing the school bully, one night I'll sneak into your place, yank your pants off, hang them up a tree, and let the whole school laugh at you."

Estelle said stuff so outrageous that I stood there, shell-shocked.

That boy was so freaked out by Estelle's tirade that he peed his pants.

Word about Estelle being nuts spread through the town in no time.

Needless to say, nobody dared mess with me at school after that.

That was when I finally learned about Estelle's past.

Not long after she married Uncle Henry, Uncle Henry was killed in an accident.

My mom seized Uncle Henry's compensation money. Furthermore, she also forced Estelle to marry an old guy who was already sixty, and got cash from the match.

Within two years, the old man fell gravely ill.

Estelle spent over a decade by his bedside, taking care of him. The old man had meant to leave Estelle some money, but when he passed away, his long-absent children swooped back in, accused her of abusing their father, and kicked her out with nothing.

So Estelle was left homeless, drifting around from place to place until she eventually came to this struggling town.

People said, "Estelle was caught several times about to jump into a well, but we always managed to haul her back out."

"Yeah, her whole life's full of misery. Honestly, she's got nothing to live for."

"But ever since you've been here, Estelle hasn't tried to commit suicide again."

That made me think about the snapped beam in my room and the deep scars covering Estelle's wrists.

My heart clenched up hard, a sharp ache twisting inside me.

I wandered back home, still spaced out.

Estelle was cooking, so I went over and asked, "Estelle, is there anything you wish for?"

If there was something she wanted, I'd be willing to make some sacrifices for her.

After all, she'd poured so much of her heart into me these past two years—she deserved that much from me.

I wanted her to feel a little happier.

Estelle continued to sort through the vegetables, her voice cool. "I don't wish for anything, but if I had to pick one..."

She met my eyes with a steady gaze. "I'd like to see you get into university someday."

I hesitated for a second.

Her voice was so soft, I almost missed it.

But somehow, those quiet words hit me like a ton of bricks.

I felt totally overwhelmed.

She returned to the vegetables, sighing. "But honestly, it's not the end of the world if you don't get into university. It's good to live quietly and simply too. There's no need to set goals. Sometimes, the more one hopes for something, the more life will take from them."

She dropped her voice even lower, and added, "But even so, I still wish you could have a little more in life. At least, more than I ever got.

"That you'll be healthier, prettier and smarter. And hopefully, you'll suffer less, cry less, and everyone will be more accepting of you."

My eyes welled up as I listened.

Warmth flooded my heart.

It felt like some empty space inside me had finally been filled.

I'd always been starved for love, a lot of it.

Estelle didn't have much love.

Yet with just a few quiet words, she gave her love all to me.

Even though she was flat broke, Estelle still went to the town mayor, Finn Maddox for help, borrowing money just so she could buy me some new clothes.

No matter how sick she felt or how frail she was, she still worked the fields and kept things going—for my sake.

She'd gone through so much misery her whole life, but she refused to give up on me. Instead, she just kept soldiering on.

She'd lost hope ages ago, but she hung on for me.

And yet, we weren't even related by blood.

When I turned fourteen, I received my first gift.

Estelle gave me a desk and chair so I could study.