I wasn't big on talking, especially about the past.
Three people shaped my life: Marion, Drake, and Theda. The first two gave me a second chance at life. Theda gave me a new one.
At first, I stuck with Theda to survive. I played on her soft side, securing a spot in the countryside to heal.
Those tough days showed me how much grit it took for her to keep me around. But she wasn't one to whine about hardships.
Theda was cold and calculating. She was a natural-born capitalist.
Her motto? Suffer to rise. If she got wet, she'd tear everyone else's umbrella.
She didn't care about others' pain. It wasn't her problem.
She saved me not out of pity, but because I was a useful labor.
Later, I learned she lied.
She didn't want kids because she feared pain. I thought it was fine, even imagining that men could conceive, since my only perks were taking pain and being tough.
We didn't marry at first because I had no ID.
I'd wandered overseas as a kid and remained nameless in Wrastow City.
We only held a simple dinner, inviting the few people we knew. In the end, we barely filled one table.
Marion, Debra, and others all showed up.
It wasn't grand, but for me, it was perfect.
Debra suggested Theda split it like she'd done with the Frazier Group to form the McKinney Group.
The two became tight, like sisters.
Sometimes, I thought they were cut from the same cloth. They were both stubborn and never backed down.
We settled in Wrastow City. Seamar City was nice, but it wasn't home.
We filled our yard with cats and dogs and adopted a kid.
Every day felt full.
My past days were like a fleeting nightmare, never haunting me again. Our future stretched long ahead.
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