Chapter 135 The Trouble with the Original Family
Having been in the city for only a few days, Tobias already had no desire to return to their old life. The burden of his eldest son's medical expenses had crushed him over the years.
Now someone else was available to share the burden, and that meant clinging to Magnus and not letting go.
Riley hesitated to speak, but Tobias said coldly, "Think about Jett. Who will look after him when we're old? And think about Serenity. What money can we earn? We're sickly; we'll have to depend on Magnus. He makes good money in the big city, and it's much easier for him. We brought him into this world; he's supposed to take care of us."
Riley thought of her eldest son and said no more.
Downstairs.
Magnus had already smoked several cigarettes. He couldn't seem to tamp down the restlessness within him without the smoke.
His work had also been difficult recently, and today he had even been reprimanded by his boss.
"Ophelia, you can head back, don't worry about me, I’m doing fine," Magnus forced a smile and said, "It's not a big deal, money can be made again. My parents and my older brother are visiting the city for the first time; I can't just send them away. I’ve got it all under control."
Ophelia wasn’t a cold person; she was just concerned about Magnus.
She pulled out her phone from her bag and said, "I'll transfer you twenty thousand dollars, use it for now, Magnus. If you run into trouble, don’t be shy with me. We’re friends and family, don’t hesitate to ask for my help."
Helping Magnus financially was what she could offer.
Magnus wanted to refuse, but he was indeed in a tough financial situation. He said, "Ophelia, thank you."
"Don’t say that again." Ophelia asked, "How did the checkup go for your brother? What did the doctor say?"
"The chances of recovery aren’t high," Magnus replied. "Mom and Dad still want to give it a shot. My brother's still young, there's hope, and we’ve got to try everything we can."
Ophelia couldn’t help but ask another question, "Your parents must be over sixty by now, right? So how old is your brother?"
"My dad's sixty-five this year, my mom's sixty-two, and my brother's forty," Magnus explained. "Back in those days, people in our hometown married early. My mom had my brother when she was twenty."
"Magnus, you’re only twenty-six. You and your brother are so far apart in age?" Ophelia was curious. "Does that mean your dad was nearly forty when you were born? Do you have any other siblings? Your brother’s forty and his daughter is only five?"
Something didn’t seem quite right to Ophelia.
"I’ve got three older sisters and two older brothers, but there have been accidents, now only my eldest brother is left," Magnus said. "His daughter is from his second marriage; he didn’t have kids with his first wife, but after my brother had his accident, his second wife left too."
"All of them had accidents?" Ophelia was surprised. "Five siblings? All gone? What’s the name of your hometown?"
"A small town in the south, called Apex Village," Magnus explained. "Two of my sisters drowned, another sister was knocked out by a cow while tending to them, and my two brothers died of illness. That’s what my dad told me."
After learning the basic situation, Ophelia felt that there was something more to the story.
However, she didn’t pursue it; after all, it was just speculation.
"Ophelia, why don't you head on back now? I won't keep you for dinner today," Magnus said, feeling quite embarrassed. The house was a mess, and then there was the matter of the paralyzed family member.
"Sure," Ophelia replied. "Just call me if you need anything."
"Alright." Magnus watched Ophelia leave, crushed his cigarette beneath his shoe, and then stood to head upstairs.
As he turned, he found himself face to face with Seraphina.
Seraphina was baffled. "Things are so tough, why won’t you just ask her for help? We grew up together, promised to share the good times and the bad. She went off to enjoy the good life..."
"Do you really think it's easy to just ask for help?" Magnus retorted with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Ophelia's is fortunate to have such a happy life. We can't help her with anything; let's not hold her back."
"Magnus, you really can be so stubborn," Seraphina snapped, frustration seeping into her voice. "I found a job at a clothing store. I have to start tomorrow. The loan interest is due on the third of next month. We owe twelve thousand eight hundred..."
But Seraphina hadn't really found a job; she concocted the story to have an excuse to get out of the house and the burden of caring for the family.
"I'll figure something out. Just focus on your job. It'll all work out," Magnus replied, not suspecting a thing.
Seraphina felt a twinge of guilt, but her selfishness won out as she prioritized her own needs.
"I'm broke. I need money for living expenses, food, and I have to buy a uniform for work," Seraphina said, indirectly asking for money.
Magnus took out his phone. "I'll transfer you... a thousand dollars for now, Seraphina. Use it wisely; don’t overspend."
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