A BILLIONAIRE’S PLIGHT

EMBE

itute neighbourhood. If anyone had foretold that his life would take such a turn, he would have dismissed it as an absurd not

st the hardships, there was a glimmer of light in his life: Cici. Each day, Cici would visit him in his humble room, and they would spend

ld enough to embark on a romantic relationship. They didn't want to rush into anything; instead, they chose to savour their connection as close

the challenges they faced individually. Together, they found comf

usually eats , they always found a way to make time for each other. After school, Cici would

nd her mother shivering on the couch. Concerned, she knelt down beside her mom and anxiously inquired

es the gentle lines that speak of wisdom and resilience, a testament to a life filled with challenges. Though the sparkle in her eyes had dulled under the

ance, Agnes possesses an enduring grace and inner strength that cannot

er, and Cici was overwhelmed with fear. "Mom, what's h

ve four more weeks to live. The cancer has taken hold of me, and my b

s coughing. She hurried into their small kitchen, fetched a glass of water

ifted off to sleep. Overwhelmed with emotions, Cici couldn't hold back her tears. How cou

God, Cici found solace in her faith. "I know that if I pray for

urch. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran with a

er to come back home. But now, I want to pray to you. Please don't bring my dad back home. Instead, I ask for you to heal my mom. I don't mind if I don't receive anything else for myself. All I want is for you to heal my mom be

to taking care of her mom. Slowly, her mother's health began to improve, but she still couldn't return to work. Her employers had discover

difficult decision to pause her education and find a job. She took on

meet the needs of her family. The most challenging part was not being able to see Jack for three long weeks. She missed him dearly and knew he would be worried about her too. Cici had warne

out her mother's well-being, Cici asked, "How do you feel, Mum?" To her surprise, her mother responded with newfound strength, saying, "I am feeling very strong now. In fact, I am amazed to still be alive. The doctor ha

Before she could continue, the sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation. Cici got up to answer the door, only to find Jack standin

d I do something wrong?" Cici, overwhelmed by the situation, replied, "Oh no, Jack! It's a long story, and I promise to explain it to you when I see you. Let's talk about it later." She attempted to dismiss him, hoping to avoi

en helping me with my studies, and when I didn’t hear from her, I was worried and decided to come and check if she was okay." Jack spo

asked, "What's your name

n DC. I work in a restaurant, and I live down

quite a bit. It's nice to finally meet you." She then asked him about his age,

ma'am, it's a tough situation. The orphanage I used to live in was demolished, and all the kids were separated. The older ones, like me, had

glad Cici has someone like you looking out for her." She turned to Cici and asked, "Why haven't

ing to know each other better. Eventually, it was time for Jack to head back home. H

Agnes nodded in agreement, and they both walked out

Jack couldn't help but ask, "Why

only four weeks to live. It was a devastating time for us. I had to sell my phone and find a job

you tell me? I would have done everything I could to

o burden you. I knew you were already facing your own struggles, trying to take c

l felt that she should have confided in him. After all, they wer

had to head back home to her mum. They said

ks and then left a note by her mum's bedside, ensuring she wouldn't have to search for her. The note read, "I went to clean Mr

door, a sense of unease washed over her. Something felt off. She quickly realized that h

d her pleas, but her mother remained motionless, peacefully lying there. Panic set in as Cici desperately s

't wake up. She anxiously checked for signs of breathing,

she reached for her mom's phone and dialled Jack'

ing up," she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear. Jack, unsure of th

other call, this time to emergency services. Th

ly, Cici couldn't accompany her to the hospital as she was still a minor. The medical team assure

ly and guided her back inside their home. He did everything in his power to

er heart. "Is my mom... is she gone?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and sorrow.

upport. He held her close, assuring her that she was not alone in this journey of grief. Throughout