Seeing the Family Part 2

Teresa gasped, covering her mouth. "You… you did?"

His father, however, stiffened. "We don't need your handouts."

"Can you please drop your pride for one moment dad?" Matthew continued, his voice sharp yet controlled. His patience had limits, and he wasn't about to let his father's pride rob his mother of a better life.

His father scoffed, shaking his head. "You think money fixes everything? That just because you throw a few million pesos at a problem, suddenly everything is fine?"

Matthew's jaw tightened. "No, I don't think money fixes everything. But it does fix this." He gestured around the cramped, rundown apartment. "You're living in a place that's falling apart. You can barely afford rent. Mom is exhausted. Marco is working extra shifts just to keep food on the table. And you're telling me you'd rather suffer than accept help?"