Chapter 698
Sienna couldn’t hold back her tears as she covered her mouth. She felt intense pain in her heart and was unable to speak a single word.
Felix kneeled on the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. “Sienna, I don’t want to live either. I’m so sorry to you and Mom. It’s my greed that brought us this tragedy.”
Sienna knew that despite Felix’s greed, it stemmed from his desire to give Shelly a more comfortable life.
“Why did you have to tell Mom about the gambling debt?” Sienna’s voice quivered as she choked back sobs.
Felix buried his face in his hands, crying out, “Sienna, I promise I didn’t do it. When I came back, Mom was already crying uncontrollably, and then she climbed out the balcony.”
Sniffling and fighting back tears, Sienna made her way toward the balcony. “Mom, I know I messed up. Can you please come back inside? Let’s talk this through. If you leave like this, what will happen to Felix and me? We’ll be haunted by guilt forever. Please…”
Sienna’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her face. “Mom, please. I admit I was wrong. I’ll listen to you.”
Shelly’s emotions were overwhelming. She cried uncontrollably, feeling completely devastated as she exclaimed, “Sienna, I can’t bear to go on. My life has been filled with hardship and exhaustion.
“I was born into poverty, struggling to even afford necessities like food and warm clothing. Growing up in a large family with many siblings, we often went hungry. Poverty was a constant fear.
“Then, I married your father, and we lived a very frugal life. When you and Felix came along, life became even more challenging. We took on debt to buy this old house, striving to give you a stable home, but the burden of a mortgage weighed heavily on us.
“I’m always trapped in debt. After raising you both, your father fell ill with cancer… We drained our finances completely, left with nothing but debt. At that point, I didn’t even want to continue living… “Sienna, thankfully, you stepped in! You took on your father’s medical debts and paid them off in just two years. When your father passed away, we received generous donations for his funeral expenses.
“I thought I finally had some money to save for retirement, but it all went to Felix for his car, leaving us burdened with even more debt…”
Shelly cried uncontrollably, her heart
feeling like it was shattering. With
one hand off the railing, she continued in despair, “The money make from my corner store isn’t enough to cover our expenses, and now Felix brought back two million dollars in gambling debt
“Sienna, I’ve never even heard of such a huge amount. I’m terrified… I’m in my 50s, and my entire life has been a struggle to pay off debts, one after another after another…” Overwhelmed with tears, Sienna couldn’t utter a word.
As Shelly appeared on the verge of letting go, Sienna acted swiftly. She lunged forward, her stomach colliding with the railing, but she ignored the pain.
She desperately seized Shelly’s wrist and yelled, “Felix, help! Hurry!”
Felix immediately sprang into action. Without even wiping away his tears, he rushed over to catch Shelly, who was dangling in midair.
Beneath the balcony stretched a narrow alley, empty in the late hour. Meanwhile, people from nearby buildings gathered at their windows, worriedly observing the scene but unable to lend a hand.
Felix clenched his teeth, summoning
all his might with Sienna to pull Shelly back from the clutches of death. Once they rescued Shelly, they shut the balcony door and drew the curtains.
Sienna sank onto the couch, utterly exhausted. Her eyes brimmed with sorrow, and her complexion drained of color. She sat quietly, gazing at Shelly, who had lost all will to live on. Shelly lay on the couch with her eyes shut.
Sienna’s heart twisted with pain. Losing her father had shattered her world. She couldn’t bear the thought of enduring such agony again.