Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 186

Quinlan said, "Traveling, bungee jumping, paragliding, diving into local cultures, surfing, and swimming with sea creatures, exploring... so many things. It feels thrilling and different, maybe I'll discover new meanings of life!"

I listened, full of admiration. "You've got some awesome ideas. Just work hard for it. You can't go now, but don't worry, life's not even a third over yet. You've got plenty of time to earn money, save up, and then experience it all. What's the meaning of life? Maybe it's just about the journey!"

Seeing that I agreed with her, Quinlan seemed to come alive, her eyes sparkling.

But then she seemed to remember something, and her mood dropped again. "Actually, I really like Starlight City. With you, Melinda, life is how I like it. But I have to leave soon."

She seemed to have made up her mind, though she couldn't hide her sadness. "I offended Marlowe. She's the type to hold a grudge and follow through on her threats."

"Melinda, you might have seen a bit of my parents, but that's because they were pretending in front of you, hoping to get something from you. But those who live with them know, without any pretense, they're more terrifying than demons, suffocating, making life worse than death."

I had seen suffocating families before.

Like Lawrence's.

Cold, heartless, rotten to the core.

That was why Lawrence was so selfish and ruthless.

So, for Quinlan to grow up in such a family and still be the kind, strong girl she was today, breaking free from her toxic family, she was truly amazing.

I didn't interrupt Quinlan as she shared her pain.

"My brother is already grown up. When I was his age, I was already earning my own money, paying for my tuition and living expenses through part-time jobs."

"But my brother does nothing but eat and sleep. He's almost at the age to get married, and my parents are thinking of ways to get money from me to find him a wife. But they don't realize, even if we had money, no girl would want to marry someone like him."

"He's lazy, addicted to video games, spends a lot on them, and even has several 'little sisters' in the game, acting like a big spender, buying them game items and sending them money, enjoying being called 'big brother.'"

"But he has no money, so he drained my parents' savings. When that ran out, he turned to high-interest loan platforms online, borrowing a lot. The interest was so high, he couldn't pay it back, so he kept borrowing more, and the debt kept growing."

"Eventually, he couldn't pay anymore, and debt collectors came to our door, smashing things. My parents were desperate, and I became their only hope. If they knew where I was, they'd find a way to catch me and make me pay, maybe even sell me for money!"

Quinlan's parents would definitely do that.

As for her brother, I said, "If he gets married, he'll just ruin some poor girl's life. He's better off alone!"

Quinlan gave a bitter smile. "If my parents heard that, they'd lose it! My brother is their golden child, the only one they had after so many failed attempts."

Quinlan's parents' preference for boys over girls was deeply rooted in their rural upbringing, influenced by our grandmother.

Our grandmother spoiled Quinlan's father and brother, but called Quinlan a burden.

In my family, I was an only child, but my grandmother had that old-fashioned preference for boys, spoiling Quinlan's brother endlessly.

My dad once felt sorry for Quinlan and thought about taking her in, but with her parents and grandmother, we knew they'd drag us down, so we had to give up.

"Let's not talk about them anymore!" Quinlan noticed my somber expression, thinking of my parents.

She changed the subject, her eyes falling on the books and models on my wall. "His place is a bit like yours, filled with books and models."

"His?" I was curious.

"Marlowe's brother."

Mentioning Marlowe, I saw Quinlan shiver, pain in her eyes.

I remembered Marlowe saying at the police station that her brother's mind was different, but I didn't know the details. "Do you know what's up with her brother?"

Quinlan seemed lost in thought, then replied, "He's about my age, but his mind is like a child's. He loves those models..."

She pointed to the models on my wall. "The first time I met him, he was on the street, his model broken. He didn't seem to notice the danger, just crouched there, mumbling, 'Gone, gone...'"

"He kept holding the broken pieces, lost in his own world, ignoring everything around him. I saw the danger and tried to call him away, but he didn't respond, and the light was about to change."

"I was worried, so I told him, 'Let's pick up the pieces, I can help you fix it.' That got his attention. Maybe he only hears things related to what he cares about. So I helped him gather the pieces and got him off the street."

Even after all she had been through, Quinlan still had a kind heart.

Marlowe, on the other hand, didn't understand, and instead of being grateful, she lashed out at Quinlan.

Quinlan added, "After that, he kept coming to me, wanting me to fix it. He believed I could, so I couldn't just ignore him. It was a delicate job, and I spent an entire afternoon fixing just a quarter of it. So we had several more meetings, and he started to trust and rely on me."

I asked, "Did you know he was Marlowe's brother?"

Quinlan shook her head. "At first, I didn't. Sometimes I think, if I had known, I might still have helped him on the street, but I would have avoided further contact."

"I knew he was different, and I was busy with work, so I tried to limit our interactions. But he trusted me, and he could sense my mood. When I was busy or upset, he wouldn't bother me."

So, Marlowe's brother was actually a good person. It was just Marlowe who was a pain.