Eddie glanced at the guy, seeing him all banged up, kneeling on the ground and shaking.
Two weeks ago, Angela suddenly came home covered in bruises, hiding in her room to tend to the bruises.
Eddie did some digging and found out Angela's boss had tried to force himself on her. When she fought back, he beat her up. To cover his tracks, he fired her and even took back her unemployment insurance without her knowing.
What a jerk!
Eddie coldly stated, "What gives you the right to touch Angela? You're not even close to being worthy!"
The man was terrified, crying out, "I won't do it again! I promise, I won't do it again!"
Eddie looked at the man's face with disgust, emotionless, and ordered, "Take him away, deal with him."
"Yes, sir!" The bodyguard dragged the man away.
Eddie looked down at his shoes, noticing a bit of blood staining them, and he frowned immediately.
Beside him, the bodyguard approached, crouching next to him, carefully wiping the blood off with a handkerchief.
Eddie asked, "Did you get the things?"
The bodyguard replied, "All set."
Eddie said, "Take me to the apartment."
The bodyguard nodded, "Yes, sir."
The Ashcroft Apartments. A six-story residential building. The kitchen light was on.
Angela stared at the food in the pot, feeling worried, when suddenly she heard the sound of the fingerprint lock.
Her son, Eddie, was back!
She walked to the door and saw Eddie standing at the entrance with grocery bags, changing shoes.
"Eddie!" Angela rushed towards him, looking as if she had found hope.
Eddie put down the bags, kissed her cheek, and caught a whiff of something burnt, frowning as he glanced at Angela, "What got burnt?"
Angela, feeling guilty, watched as Eddie elegantly entered the kitchen. Seeing him staring blankly at the food in the pot, she chuckled nervously and said, "Eddie, do you think my cooking skills need some work?"
Eddie sighed lightly, showing a mix of indulgence and helplessness in his eyes, gently patting Angela's head, "Mom, didn't I tell you to stay out of the kitchen?"
With that, he put on a small bear apron and dumped all the food Angela had made into the trash can.
Watching this, Angela felt ashamed.
At only seven years old, Eddie took on all the household chores, including cooking.
She stood at the kitchen door, watching Eddie cook skillfully, poking her fingers embarrassingly, "Eddie, I don't seem to have a talent for cooking."
Eddie replied, "Mom, having a smart son like me is the best talent."
Angela chuckled.
"Mommies are responsible for being pretty," Eddie said, "what's the point of having such a cute and smart son like me?"
Angela nodded with a smile. "Yes, you’re always right."
The more she looked at Eddie, the more she liked him. Eddie was like a mirror image of her, and she could easily imagine what a handsome young man he would grow into!
Just like his father, both of them were so handsome.
But the thought of Carlos, and then of Eddie, as the future heir to a billionaire, living in such a poor and remote place made Angela feel extremely guilty and sorry for her child.
As Eddie cooked and pretended to complain, "Maybe you shouldn't cook anymore. I'm afraid one day you'll destroy the kitchen, and we'll be kicked out by the landlord."
In reality, Eddie was worried about Angela suffering. He had a hidden identity that allowed him to provide well for her without her needing to work, but he currently lacked a suitable explanation.
Upon hearing Eddie's words, Angela awkwardly changed the subject, "I applied to a few jobs today and have an interview at a company tomorrow."
Her former boss had engaged in workplace violence against her and spread rumors, making many companies hesitant to hire her. If the interview tomorrow was unsuccessful, she didn't know what she would do.
Eddie gave Angela a sweet look and suddenly strolled over to her, pulling out a bunch of cash from his pocket.
Wide-eyed, Angela blurted out, "Where'd you get this cash from?"
Eddie coolly replied, "Won it in a lottery."
Excitedly, Angela hugged him tight, giving his little cheek a rub.
"Sweetie, you're something else! How do you keep hitting the jackpot every day?"
Eddie pursed his lips, staying quiet with a shrug.
Only Angela would fall for such a tall tale.
Angela said, "Eddie, I'll hustle hard to make money to help us out."
Eddie asked, "Mom, how much cash do you need for me?"
Angela mentioned, "I'm aiming for $100,000 first."
Eddie suggested, "Mom, why stress? I’m got your back."
Looking at her innocent boy, Angela, even though she knew it was all in fun, was touched by Eddie's words.
Angela planted a kiss on his cheek and teased, "You're just a kid, how will you support me?"
Eddie pondered for a sec, his eyes lighting up, "I'll buy a lottery ticket every day. What if I hit five million one day?"
Angela playfully tapped his nose, "Then I'll be waiting for that jackpot!"
Angela figured Eddie was just pulling her leg.
MomMom
Late at night. After tucking Eddie in, Angela took out the trash and headed downstairs.
For seven years, she and Eddie had relied on each other. Eddie was sensible, well-behaved, and was the most precious treasure given to her by fate.
During her pregnancy, due to malnutrition, she gave birth prematurely. Eddie had a twin brother, but sadly, the poor little guy didn't make it upon birth, and the nurses hurriedly took him away for burial.
Eddie was the younger brother, always fragile in health, with a poorly functioning heart valve. To treat Eddie's illness, Angela had accrued a lot of debt, which she only managed to pay off in the past two years.
It wasn't until Eddie was three years old that his health recovered to the level of his peers.
To support Eddie, she took on multiple jobs. However, having been forced to drop out of school by her father, marrying into The Murphy Group, and having her education interrupted, she lacked a good degree, couldn't find better employment, and couldn't provide Eddie with the best life.
Eddie was often ridiculed for not having a father, with assumptions that his father was a tramp, causing him much distress.
Yet, Eddie rarely asked about his father; he was a very sensitive child.
Angela was burdened with heavy thoughts as she stepped out of the building. Two shadows rushed towards her before she could make out their features, covering her mouth and nose, dragging her into a car.