Levi shook his head under my and Byron's expectant gazes.
"It's not coming from this stage of production," he said. "There are some traces of heavy metals in the garment production line, but compared to the levels in those dresses, it's negligible."
Upon hearing this, Byron finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. If this had been my factory's fault, no amount of explanation could have cleared my name."
Now that the tension had lifted, Byron finally spoke more candidly. "If my factory was really responsible for this, it wouldn't just be me in trouble. My workers would lose their jobs too."
Byrno was all smiles and even treated us to a meal as a token of his appreciation.
Moved by his honesty and sense of responsibility, Levi and I quickly made a decision that we would sign a long-term contract with him.
By the time we wrapped things up and left Byron's factory, the sun was already beginning to set. I had planned to catch a ride back with Levi, but my phone rang just then. I didn't even need to look to know what this call was about.
"Jae, come home for dinner tonight." Mom's gentle voice came through the receiver. "It's been a while since you visited. Your dad and I miss you. I know you've been going through a lot lately. Come home, and we'll talk about it as a family."
The warmth in her voice made it hard to refuse. I swallowed the words I had been about to say and agreed.
…
When I arrived home and pushed open the door, I didn't see my parents right away. Instead, I first saw Elsa sitting on the couch, pouting like a spoiled child.
Beside her, Jack looked at her with obvious adoration as he carefully peeled an orange for her. He even took the time to remove every last bit of the white pith, making sure it was perfectly clean before handing it to her.
I cleared my throat loudly, cutting through the intimate atmosphere.
Elsa flinched so hard she nearly toppled straight into Jack's arms.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Revenge is best served cold