Chapter 17: The Cooking Lessons

The apartment exposed how few practical skills the family possessed.

At Oakridge, groceries appeared in the refrigerator according to a weekly plan. Meals were prepared in advance or arranged through a service. Cleaning supplies remained stocked, towels were replace

Chapter 18: The Golden Child’s Plea

Rain began shortly before midnight.

By then, Maya had already been examined by a paramedic and released. She had mild smoke exposure but required no hospital treatment. The emergency responders confirmed that she was physically safe.

Evelyn’s driver arrived wit

Chapter 19: The Breakdown

Three weeks later, Richard stood in Aisle 4 of SuperMart Depot.

He wore a blue polyester vest over a white shirt and dark trousers. A yellow badge displayed his first name in block letters.

RICHARD

The job was temporary, arranged through an employment agency while he se