Chapter 105
My mind was a mess, not knowing where to go.
I hailed a cab and told the driver, “Take me to the old foster home in the suburbs p>
The driver hesitated before responding, “Isn’t that place torn down and turned into an amusement park p>
His words left me speechless. I was totally choked up, like someone had just grabbed my throat.
The foster home was gone, too? Well, it made sense. One company owned it, and it had been over a decade since I last saw it. Its demolition was inevitable. It was as though I no longer had a hometown or the feeling of having a home. My soul felt as if it were drifting away.
As we arrived at the site of the foster home, the driver was still talking, “The Hilton Group always owned this place. They took in many kids back in the day. The Hilton Group made it one of the best foster homes and poured much money into it. Even the education resources were top-notch. But after the head matron passed away, the place went through several hands and never quite recovered. This year, the Hilton Group decided to reclaim it and turn it into an amusement park. They’ve expanded it quite a bit.” From the car window, I could no longer recognize the place. Cranes and bulldozers were at work, and the Hilton Group’s logo was everywhere. So, the Hilton Group was shaping many destinies, including, indirectly, mine. “What happened to the kids from the foster home?” I asked.
The driver shook his head. “Who knows p>
I got out of the car, standing there with nowhere to belong. It was no wonder that even in death, my spirit wouldn’t find rest.
Approaching the construction site, I encountered a security gate that required facial recognition for entry, which I obviously couldn’t bypass.
The guard looked out at me. “What do you want p>
“I used to live in the foster home. I just wanted to have a look,” I said.
He glanced at the site with a mocking smile, “What’s there to see now? The foundation’s already laid out. It doesn’t look anything like your foster home now p>
“I still want to go in,” I insisted, even if I could only take a handful of dirt away.
That place was my hometown, the place of my dreams.
“This site isn’t open to just anyone. Best you leave,” the guard said, somewhat apologetically, as he started to shoo me away. I knew I was putting him in a difficult position, so I turned to leave.
But as I did, I saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom near the site. It was the same one I had seen at my apartment building, with the same driver waiting outside, presumably for his wealthy employer.
It was the Hilton family. The gap between people could be so vast. They had everything. Yet, I was even unable to take a handful of dirt… I wanted to keep my parents’ ashes, but having to consider their dignity.
Turning around, I watched my shadow stretch out under the setting sun, feeling utterly desolate. When I got back to my apartment, it was already evening.
Max was getting to his apartment door, about to use the fingerprint scanner. That was when it hit me
that my door lock was the same as Max’s. But I couldn’t afford to pay him for it. Still, the least I could do was thank him.
I approached him with eyes downcast. “Thanks for the door lock. But I don’t have much money to give you p>
I wasn’t even sure what I was living for anymore. It felt like I’d been reborn into a world of sadness, not joy.
“Why so gloomy?” Max’s voice was light yet commanding, reminiscent of the person who had carried me away the previous night. I hadn’t seen his face then, but something about him felt familiar.
I leaned in closer, catching his scent. “You smell like the person from last night p>
I smiled bitterly and continued, “I
don’t know why I’m still here. Max, you’re not from the Hiltons or anything, right? You mentioned you don’t have any family, no parents. So, you’re an orphan like me What’s keeping you going p>