Joseph frowned and earnestly said, “Angela, now is not the time to act impulsively. Where will you go after leaving the Kins Family? Besides, it’s dangerous for a girl like you to be out there. If something happens, what will we do?” Avoiding the question. He wants to avoid discussing this sensitive topic. I already know what his answer is. Angela chuckled lightly and replied, “You don’t need to worry, Joseph. Rest assured, I will live well and won’t do anything foolish.” Although she already knew the answer, Angela still felt a bit sad in her heart, but it didn’t matter. She walked past Joseph and left the Kins Residence. In the military zone stood ancient buildings that, although renovated, still exuded a strong sense of history.
When Angela first returned to the Kins Family, she couldn’t fit in. She had lived with her grandmother since she was young and stayed here. From the age of 10 to 16, her teenage years were spent here. Looking at the familiar house from her memories, tears welled up in Angela’s eyes as she continued walking inside. Angela had never seen her grandfather. She only heard her grandmother say that her grandfather sacrificed himself while catching thieves and was a towering hero. Her grandmother, Charlotte, used to march with her grandfather and worked as a military doctor. After her grandfather retired, she opened a small clinic next to the compound. Angela learned her medical skills from her grandmother. Zacharias had poor health, so she diligently learned medical skills from her grandmother at that time, largely for the sake of Zacharias. Unfortunately, her efforts couldn’t compare to a few caring words from Fanny. She lived with her grandmother here, and George rarely came by throughout the year. He only visited a few times during the holidays. But for some reason, her grandmother didn’t get along with George.
They would argue as soon as they saw each other, and her grandmother even chased George away with a broom. Even though George had a good temper, he was eventually worn down and became irritable. After that, he never came to visit the elderly again. After her grandmother passed away, she inherited the house and a red passbook from Angela. That was her grandmother’s lifelong savings, and Angela had never touched it, nor was she willing to use that money. The house was on the second floor of the third building. Angela opened the door with the key. It was a two-bedroom apartment, and the furniture was still of the old-fashioned kind. It was still the same here, but because no one had lived here for a long time, the windows were covered in spider webs, and there was a thick layer of dust on the chest of drawers. Angela rolled up her sleeves and quickly cleaned everything inside and out, feeling much more comfortable afterward. Her stomach started growling, so Angela took out a stack of money from the hidden compartment of her wallet, which contained the money she had saved for a year. Originally, she had planned to buy a birthday gift for Fanny next month, but now she could use it for emergencies.
There were some pennies and quarters, and the biggest one was the dollar bill. She counted them, and there was a total of 37 dollars, enough for her to use for a while. There was a small shop at the entrance of the courtyard, so Angela went to the convenience store and bought a pack of instant ramen, some eggs, and other necessities. A bowl of steaming hot instant ramen was ready, although Angela had only added salt and no other seasonings. Angela found it especially delicious. She didn’t have to please her family members anymore, nor did she have to serve them like a nanny, and she didn’t have to listen to their insults. She could live however she wanted. After completely letting go, Angela felt comfortable. Late at night, when she was half asleep, her phone next to her vibrated. Angela rubbed her eyes and irritably picked it up, glancing at the caller ID. Is this person crazy? Don’t they know it’s rude to disturb someone’s sweet dreams so late at night?
Annoyed, she pressed the hang-up button and threw the phone aside. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the phone rang again. Impatiently, she pressed the answer button. On the other end of the line, Christopher’s voice came through with anger, “Angela, you have some nerve hanging up on my call.” Angela rubbed her ear and moved the phone away from her, then shouted into the receiver, “Christopher, are you out of your mind? Do you realize it’s impolite to call at this hour? Speak up or be quiet.” As soon as she said that, even through the phone, Angela could sense Christopher’s anger. He was breathing heavily, and his tone was filled with a strong scent of hostility. “Angela, you’re returning to school tomorrow. It’s better if you inform the teacher yourself that you’re voluntarily giving up your spot. Otherwise, I have ways to transfer it to Fanny.”
After saying that, he abruptly ended the call. Staring at the dark screen of her phone, Angela’s previously drowsy mind suddenly became clear. If it weren’t for Christopher’s call reminding her, she would have completely forgotten about this matter. Seeing how eager they were to take her spot and trying to pressure her into giving it to Fanny, Angela was determined not to let them have their way.
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