Chapter 3

My husband hesitated for a moment before returning to the bedroom.

I hadn't slept long when I was awakened by someone shaking me. Opening my eyes, I saw my son already dressed in his school uniform, standing before me with an unhappy expression.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late. And where's breakfast? You didn't make that either?"

Every day, I would wake my son on time and prepare a table full of hot, delicious breakfast for him, sacrificing my own sleep.

Due to lack of sleep, I had thick dark circles under my eyes, and my skin was sallow and dull. At forty, I looked more like fifty.

"From now on, just set your own alarm. Eat breakfast outside. Do you have money? I'll transfer you some."

My son stared at me wide-eyed, clearly not expecting the formerly selfless mother to become so "irresponsible."

"I don't need your money. Aunt Westwood would never be this lazy..."

He muttered the last part softly, but I still heard it.

However, it didn't stir up even a ripple in my heart.

Angry, my son slammed the door as he left. The impact caused something small to fall out of the shoe cabinet in the entryway.I walked over and picked it up, discovering it was a toy car. But this was no ordinary toy - it was one I had modified. It could transform into a robot and play theme songs from various anime.

My son had been sickly since birth. When he was ill, he was always gloomy and depressed. But when he saw this little car, he would giggle with delight.

Seeing his smiling face, I submitted a proposal to my company to produce more toy robots that could provide emotional value.

However, my husband opposed this idea. He believed robots should serve humans and have more functions, not just be decorative like a vase that could only transform or play a few songs.

Later, the proposal was abandoned. As my son grew older, he began to look down on this childish toy.

I went over and picked up the robot, pressing its button. It still worked normally. Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I decided to give it to the neighbor's child.

The kid's nickname was Timmy. His parents were divorced and had dumped him with his grandmother. He had no friends and always played alone with sand in the courtyard below our building.

When he received this little toy, he examined it from all angles. His small face lit up with joy as he played with it enthusiastically.Seeing him in this state, I couldn't help but think of my son when he was little, and that proposal from years ago.

Almost instinctively, I picked up my phone and called my former boss. By the time I realized what I was doing and wanted to hang up, he had already answered.

"Rainey? Why the sudden call?"

"Oh? It's nothing... I just wanted to ask if you're still hiring?"

I nervously rubbed my nose, knowing that for a housewife who had been out of the workforce for nearly a decade, trying to return to the high-tech industry was nothing short of a pipe dream.

To my surprise, my former boss was thrilled.

"Really? It's wonderful that you've changed your mind! Someone with your talents is exactly what my new company needs. However, since you've been away from the industry for so long, you'll have to start from the bottom."

"I can do that! I'll give it my all!"

After hanging up, I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I played with Timmy until evening.

"Aunt Rainey, you're so nice. I wish you were my mom," Timmy said, blinking up at me, his eyes full of longing.

I didn't know what to say, so I just patted his head.

Just then, the front door was kicked open, and a drunk man stumbled in.

"Who are you? Where's my mom?"The man had barely finished speaking when Timmy's grandmother came running out, shouting warily at him:

"What are you doing back here? I won't give you another cent!"

"Damn it! You're my mother, who else should you give your money to if not me? If you don't, I'll chop up this little brat!"

With that, the man suddenly pulled out a knife and swung it at Timmy.

In that split second, I could only throw myself in front of Timmy, taking the blow meant for him.

In an instant, blood pooled on the ground.