Chapter 3
1681 Words
The first rays of sunlight slipped through the cracks in the bamboo walls as Grey slowly opened his eyes.
He quietly got out of bed.
Laura and the two children were still asleep.
Careful not to wake them, he walked into the small kitchen and searched for something to cook.
The result made his heart sink.
There were only two cups of rice, a handful of jute leaves, and a few spinach leaves.
Nothing else.
He searched the shelves again, hoping to find dried fish, vinegar, or even a few vegetables.
Nothing.
The only seasoning left was a small pinch of salt.
"...This is all they have?"
Grey sighed.
It wasn't much, but it was better than going hungry.
He washed the rice and placed it over the fire to cook. Then he chopped the jute leaves and spinach before making a simple vegetable soup seasoned with nothing but salt.
The smell wasn't particularly inviting.
Still...
It was food.
A few minutes later, Laura slowly woke up.
She frowned when she noticed the empty space beside her.
As she stepped out of the bedroom, she froze.
Grey was cooking.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
In all the years they had been married, Grey had never once stepped into the kitchen unless he was demanding food.
"What are you doing?" she asked cautiously.
Grey turned and gave her a small smile.
"Oh, you're awake."
"Breakfast is almost ready. Could you wake the children?"
Laura stared at him silently.
*What's gotten into him?*
Her mind drifted back to the words he had whispered the night before.
*"Don't worry... I'll change everything."*
She had heard every single word.
She had only pretended to be asleep.
To her, they were nothing more than empty promises.
She walked toward the stove.
"I'll do it."
Grey gently shook his head.
"No. Please wake the children. I'll finish this."
Laura's expression immediately turned cold.
"What kind of game are you playing now?"
Grey's smile disappeared.
She took another step closer, her eyes filled with anger and years of resentment.
"I already told you."
"No matter what you do..."
"I will never sell our children."
"So stop pretending."
Her words struck him like a hammer.
At that moment, another memory surfaced.
It belonged to the original Grey.
He saw everything.
After losing badly in a gambling den, the original Grey had been so desperate to pay his debt that he offered his own children as payment.
Even worse...
The man he intended to hand them over to was infamous throughout the nearby villages for abusing children.
Grey felt his stomach twist.
Fortunately, Laura had returned home early that day.
She arrived just in time to stop him.
If she had been only a few minutes later...
Their son and daughter would have disappeared forever.
"..."
A heavy sigh escaped Grey's lips.
No wonder Laura couldn't believe him.
No wonder she looked at him with nothing but fear and hatred.
The original Grey hadn't simply failed as a husband.
He had nearly become the monster who destroyed his own family.
Laura's words cut deeper than any blade.
" I Promise you, I will never do it again"
"You always say that!"
Tears slowly welled up in her eyes.
She looked at the man standing before her, and all she could see was the person she had once loved... and the man who had shattered her heart.
She was exhausted.
Exhausted from believing.
Exhausted from forgiving.
Exhausted from hoping that one day he would change.
Once upon a time, she had dreamed of a bright future.
She had been a university student, living in the city with a loving family waiting for her to graduate.
She had dreams.
She had ambitions.
But she had been blinded by love.
One wrong decision had changed the course of her entire life.
Now, all those dreams were gone.
The only reason she kept moving forward...
The only reason she continued living...
Was because of her two children.
Grey lowered his head.
"No," he said softly. "It will never happen again."
He took a careful step forward but stopped when Laura instinctively stepped back.
"Laura... I'm sorry."
"I know my apology can't erase everything I've done."
"But I promise you..."
"I'll change."
"I'll make up for everything."
"For you..."
"And for our children."
Before Laura could answer, a small voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Mom... are you okay?"
A seven-year-old boy hurried over and stood in front of his mother, spreading his arms as if trying to shield her.
He glared at Grey with eyes far older than his age.
"What did you do to Mom this time?"
"Did you hurt her again?"
The boy's small fists were tightly clenched.
Grey's chest tightened.
Even his own son...
His own son believed his father would only bring pain.
Laura quickly wiped the tears from her face and forced a gentle smile.
"Milo, no. Nothing happened."
She gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Go wake your little sister, May."
"It's time for breakfast."
Milo nodded obediently.
"Okay, Mom."
But before turning away, he shot Grey one last cold glare.
It wasn't the look a child should ever give his father.
It was the look of someone protecting the only person he trusted.
Grey remained silent as Milo walked toward the bedroom.
His heart grew heavier with every passing second.
The original Grey hadn't only lost his wife's love.
He had also lost the respect and trust of his own son.
Rebuilding this family...
He realized it would be far more difficult than he had imagined.
*******
"Let's eat."
The four of them gathered around the small round wooden table.
A bowl of rice and a pot of simple jute leaf and spinach soup sat in the center.
No one reached for their spoon.
The silence stretched on.
Grey looked at his family in confusion.
"What are you waiting for?" he asked gently. "Go ahead and eat."
The little girl looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.
"Dad..." four-year-old May said softly, "Aren't we only allowed to eat after you're full?"
Grey froze.
His grip on the spoon tightened.
He slowly looked at the little girl.
She was so small.
Far too small for a child her age.
Her thin arms and fragile frame spoke of years of hunger and malnutrition.
His heart ached.
The original Grey had always eaten first. Only after he was satisfied were Laura and the children allowed to eat whatever little food remained.
Sometimes...
There was barely anything left for them.
Grey forced a gentle smile.
"No."
"From now on, we'll eat together."
He scooped a little soup into May's bowl and smiled warmly.
"So please, baby... eat your food."
May didn't touch her spoon.
Instead, she turned to look at her mother, silently asking for permission.
Laura met her daughter's eyes.
After a brief moment, she gave a small nod.
"It's okay, May."
"You can eat."
Only then did the little girl pick up her spoon.
A bright smile spread across her face as she happily took her first bite.
Grey watched quietly.
Such a simple moment...
Yet it made his chest tighten.
No child should need permission to eat in her own home.
Not because she was afraid of her father.
Milo hesitated as he stared at the simple meal in front of him.
But hunger eventually won.
He quietly picked up his spoon and began eating.
After taking a few bites, he looked at Grey with guarded eyes.
"Just because we're eating the food you cooked..." he said, "...doesn't mean we've forgiven you."
The words were blunt.
Honest.
Grey met his son's gaze and gave a small nod.
"I know."
"It's okay."
He didn't blame Milo.
A seven-year-old boy shouldn't have to protect his mother and little sister from his own father.
If anything, Milo had every right to hate him.
Grey had never been a father before.
Never imagining that one day he would suddenly have a wife and two children.
Grey had always dreamed of having a family of his own, but he never believed he was capable of building one. He was afraid that if he ever had a wife and children, they would suffer because of his debts, just as he had suffered because of his father's gambling and drinking.
It was a dream he had buried deep within his heart, one he had long since given up on.
He didn't know how to be a good husband.
He didn't know how to be a good father.
But he did know one thing.
He would learn.
No matter how long it took.
*******
After breakfast, the family quietly stood from the table.
Grey reached for the bowls.
"I'll wash the dishes."
Before he could pick them up, Laura had already gathered everything into her arms.
"I'll do it," she said flatly.
Without waiting for a response, she walked toward the kitchen.
Grey watched her in silence.
Even the smallest chance to help was being pushed away.
He couldn't blame her.
Trust wasn't something he could rebuild in a single morning.
After a moment, he spoke.
"I'm going up the mountain."
"I'll see if I can find something in the forest."
Laura didn't answer.
She simply continued washing the dishes as though she hadn't heard him.
In her mind, she already knew what he would do.
He would find a shady tree.
Lie down.
Sleep.
Or waste the day wandering around until sunset.
That was what Grey had always done.
When the dishes were clean, Laura changed into her worn work clothes and prepared a woven basket for the day's work.
"Milo," she called softly.
"Call your sister. We're going to the fields."
"Yes, Mom."
The little boy nodded and gently helped May get ready.
Laura didn't spare Grey another glance.
She had already stopped expecting anything from him.
If her children were going to eat...
If they were going to survive...
Then she would do it herself.
She would keep working.
Not for her husband.
But for the two little lives who depended on her.
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