Chapter 34

"You won't believe it, but the kids at that orphanage barely get enough to eat. It's crazy, right? You'd think things would be better these days."

Lally looked up at me and said, "It felt like we were stuck in some old-timey prison. The place was dark and creepy, and the kids there were more like little troublemakers. Even at such a young age, they'd sneak out at night to steal, rob, and even set fires for revenge. One winter, a whole family died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Turns out, it was those kids who did it... But in front of others, they acted all innocent and pitiful."

"I tried to report it, but the staff said I was lying and punished me by not giving me food for a day. When I got back, those kids beat me up for being a snitch. The staff said I was fighting and locked me in a tiny room. In winter, with just a thin shirt, I was freezing and starving."

"I was so scared and desperate. Can you imagine an eight-year-old thinking about suicide?"

"But then, my savior showed up. He gave me his clothes, and there was a piece of bread wrapped inside. It was so warm... I cried while eating, and he stood outside the door, shivering in the cold."

"Was it... Duke?" I asked, feeling sad.

Lally smiled and nodded, her face lighting up with happiness as tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

"The next day, he got locked up too. He fought with other kids to get food for me and got caught by the staff. When he came in, he was all bruised and battered. I panicked and cried non-stop. He smiled and said, 'Two people are not afraid.' He pulled out a piece of bread from his pocket. I was so hungry, I ate half and saved the other half for him. He said he wasn't hungry and that he was full. It was freezing at night, so he hugged me to keep me warm. For two whole days and nights, when I finally got out, he was burning up with a fever."

"Do you know what happens when an orphanage kid gets sick?" Lally asked.

I shook my head, feeling numb. This wasn't an orphanage; it was a prison!

"They give you some medicine, and if that doesn't work, they leave it to fate. If you die, they secretly take you out at night and bury you somewhere... I saw it once. When they picked up the child, he was limp, his head drooping. The staff said he was asleep, but I knew he was dead."

"Duke almost died then. His body was cold, and I couldn't wake him no matter how hard I tried. When the staff picked him up, I held on tight, not letting them take him away. I knew if they took him, we'd never see each other again. But just then, Duke mumbled my name, Lally."

"That's how he wasn't taken away. He often mentioned it later, saying I saved him. If he hadn't known me, he wouldn't have called my name. I said he saved me."

Hearing this, I let out a long sigh. The Duke in the story and the one I met in real life were completely different. According to Lally, Duke was a kind and righteous kid. How did he end up like this?

I didn't interrupt Lally's memories.

"A few years later, the kids at the orphanage were in their teens, their bodies starting to develop..."

I frowned, sensing something was wrong. According to her, those bad kids at that age...

Lally gave a bitter smile and said, "I was first assaulted at 14, just after graduating from elementary school. I didn't dare tell the staff or the teachers at the orphanage. They wouldn't care or believe me."

"That night, Duke told me we should leave the orphanage. I wanted to study, and he said he did too. We planned to go to school during the day and work after school. If anyone asked, we'd say our parents weren't home, and we were siblings. Every few years, we'd move to avoid being found. So, we left the orphanage. The teachers didn't ask, and the orphanage didn't bring it up. Somehow, we managed to survive."

I frowned. Twenty years ago, two fourteen-year-olds in the developing Silverlight City, what kind of challenges would they face? Going to school during the day and working at night seemed impossible, but they made it work.

"The house was small, but it was our happiest place. Duke said he wanted to earn money to support my education, buy a house, and live our lives. I said, why should he? I wanted to earn money to support his education too. We couldn't give up on each other."

At this point, Lally closed her eyes, a faint smile on her lips, lost in her memories.

"And then?" I asked.

"Then, I got into Silverlight University, but Duke didn't. He started working. In my sophomore year, I dropped out," Lally said.

Benjamin had told me that both Lally and Duke had high school diplomas. I didn't expect Lally to have gotten into college, and the best one in Silverlight City. It was the best chance to change her fate. Why did she drop out?

Thinking of Duke, I had a vague answer. From then on, Duke gradually fell into decline, and Lally was dragged down with him.

"Nancy, you can probably guess the reason I dropped out." Lally nodded tiredly. "He got addicted to drugs and owed a lot of money. From then on, he changed. When he was normal, he was the same as before, but when he wasn't, he was paranoid, angry, and irritable."

"Nancy, if it were you, would you cut ties and let him fend for himself?" Lally asked. I had no answer.

"Fate is like that. After giving you enough gifts, it starts to demand repayment, perhaps even more than you can give..." Lally said sadly. "Yes, I could have taken the easy way out, cut ties. When he came to me, I could have pretended not to know him, even called the police. The law doesn't care about personal feelings. Black is black, white is white."

"After graduation, I could have moved to another city, found a good job, and burned the past like it was a previous life. I could have married a normal man and lived a normal life. All of that would have been very good. Even if the truth came out, I don't think people would blame me. After all, self-preservation is human's nature, right?"

I nodded. When Lally said she dropped out, I thought the same. To an outsider, the process of the story didn't seem that important. It was like reading a book; as long as the ending was good, it was fine. Besides, Duke was indeed beyond saving.

"Yes, all of that would have been very good, but I just didn't want it." Lally touched the scar on her forehead. "Without him, I would have committed suicide long ago. Without me, he wouldn't be alive now. We have long been each other's salvation."

"Nancy, later I watched short videos and saw many people talking about love and family. I didn't understand what they were saying. I don't know what the relationship between Duke and me is."

"But... it's very good and irreplaceable." As she spoke, Lally shed tears of happiness.