5
But soon reality hit me hard, telling me that determination alone couldn't sustain a living.
After returning home, Beckett and I took stock of all the assets we had.
We were just an ordinary family; Beckett and Tammy were both wage earners, making hard-earned money.
Over the years, we had saved up five hundred thousand dollars by scrimping and saving.
But this amount was still far from enough for Tammy's subsequent treatment and rehabilitation.
If we sold the house, it might barely be enough.
"Kathie, we owe you an apology. Originally, this money was saved for you, but now it's all gone."
Looking at Beckett's graying temples, I felt like crying.
After returning to my room, I punched myself hard twice.
If I hadn't insisted on competing with a philandering man, I wouldn't have squandered all my savings.
Now we have to sell the house to afford Tammy's treatment, leaving Beckett and Tammy homeless.
I've also lost my job, and the most urgent thing now is to quickly find a job to support the family.
The next morning, I started sending out resumes en masse, but after half a day, the emails I received were mostly rejections.
I rubbed my head in frustration. This won't do; I can't rest any longer. I need to start making money quickly.
In the end, I decided to take a part-time job as a waitress at a nearby restaurant to tide me over while I continued to send out resumes.
To be honest, since I was Beckett and Tammy's only daughter, I grew up pampered by them.
The first time I worked as a waitress, I was a bit concerned about my pride.
When it came time to check out, I was scolded badly by a customer for being too slow.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I could only bow my head and apologize repeatedly.
After barely finishing the day, I hurried home to pack some clean clothes for Tammy before visiting hours ended.
When I got home, the house was dark, with no lights on.
I tried calling out for Dad, but there was no response.
A sense of unease filled my heart. I turned on the lights and searched inside and out, but there was no sign of Beckett.
This was very unusual. Beckett had told me he would come home after work. He usually finished work at five, so he should have been home by now.
I took out my phone and called Beckett several times, but no one answered.
My intuition told me that something had happened to Beckett!
I didn't bother putting on shoes and ran out of the house barefoot, following Beckett's usual route home from work.
At the entrance of an alley about 900 feet from home, I saw a crowd gathered, and an ambulance had arrived.
Through the crowd, I could vaguely see a middle-aged man lying on the ground, motionless, seemingly seriously injured.
I felt the blood in my body running cold as I walked dazedly towards the alley entrance.
"Hey, ma'am, the doctor is treating the patient. Please stop!"
A nurse stopped me. I opened my mouth and mustered all my strength to speak.
"Can I take a look? This is the route my dad takes to get home, but he hasn't come back yet today."
The nurse looked behind her, and seeing the doctor nod, she let me through.
I walked up to the man lying on the ground, squatted down, and looked at his face with trembling hands.
Everything around me seemed to freeze. I felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard to breathe.