Chapter 48 A Shattered Dream
Evelyn laid out her plan to Bill in careful detail.
At first, he was struck by the sharp logic behind it.
But what surprised him more was how steady and thoughtful she had become.
Just six months ago, she had been a naive young girl, blind to the risks of the world.
Now, it felt as if she had grown up overnight-like someone else was living inside her.
Much of that change had come under the pressure of Yvonne and the others.
They had forced her to fight back.
Finished
The pain and tears behind it all were something Evelyn could sum up in a minute or two.
But when she lived through it, it was night after night of exhaustion and heartache.
Bill didn’t know the full story, and honestly, he didn’t dare ask.
He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop his tears.
At last, he steadied himself. Then he raised a hand and patted Evelyn on the shoulder. “Go ahead with your plan,” he said firmly. “No matter what you decide, I will always back you up.”
Evelyn gave a small nod. “I’ll be counting on you.”
Once they composed themselves, the two of them walked out of the bedroom together.
As they stepped into the hallway, Evelyn made sure that the edge of her pocket was showing. Several 50 dollar bills peeked out.
Sitting in the living room corner, Yvonne had a clear view of the door and spotted the money right away.
Her mind turned quickly, and she almost stood up to approach Evelyn. But Evelyn, as if by instinct, pressed her hand over her pocket and hurried off toward the back porch.
That little act of covering up worked.
Yvonne assumed Evelyn and Bill had only gone into the room to grab some pocket money.
That was nothing unusual.
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Finished
Back when Alice was still around, both girls would be handed the same amount in public. But behind closed doors, Evelyn often received a little extra.
Yvonne had always thought that was unfair.
What she never considered was why Bill did it. Each time Evelyn came by, she was dressed in worn-out clothes, looking thin and malnourished. Bill couldn’t stand seeing her that way-so he slipped her more whenever he could.
While Yvonne was still upset, Irene had already finished making the birthday cake.
She brought it out and offered it to Bill.
Bill played along politely. He picked up a piece, put it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.
After swallowing, he gave Irene a thumbs-up. “This is really good, Irene. Your baking skill is as fine as ever.”
The praise filled Irene with confidence.
With more people gathered around, she rubbed her hands nervously and said, “As long as it tastes good, that’s what matters. I was worried that having something on my mind would affect the flavor.”
At those words, Bill’s eyes flickered. He glanced around the crowd but didn’t see Evelyn.
He lowered his eyes and acted ignorant.
“Thinking of a birthday speech while you bake must have made it taste even better. Irene, that’s very thoughtful of you. Since you remembered my birthday, when yours comes around, I’ll go out to the country myself and bake you some cupcakes. That’ll make us even.”
Cupcakes? Who wants that kind of payback?
Irene almost panicked.
In her plan, once she mentioned having something on her mind, Bill was supposed to ask what it was.
Then, with a bit of pretending and hesitation, she could bring up the favor about the state ID.
With so many people watching, how could Bill refuse her?
She had it all figured out-but Bill wasn’t following her script.
As the cake disappeared quickly from the plate, Irene worried the moment was slipping
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Chapter 48 A Shattered Dream
away. If she didn’t speak up now, the crowd might scatter, and she’d lose her chance.
Finished
For her precious son’s sake, she clenched her teeth, stomped her foot inwardly, and decided to throw shame aside. “Bill,” she blurted, “the truth is, I wasn’t only thinking about a birthday speech. There’s something I’d like to ask your help with.”
Now Bill looked mildly interested. “What is it?”
Finally, an opening!
Irene leaned forward eagerly and said, “It’s not exactly a big deal. It’s about Victor-you know him, Yvonne’s younger brother. He wants to get a job in the city, but he needs a state ID. Bill, you have such wide connections; maybe you could help us out?”
She hadn’t even finished when Bill set down his fork. His tone was half-serious, half-playful. “Irene, this cake of yours is way too expensive for me. If eating it means I have to get someone a state ID, who could afford that?”
Before this, Bill might have agreed right away.
But after what he’d just heard from Evelyn, his opinion of the Fosters had sunk. Why would he do favors for people who treated his granddaughter so poorly?
Anyone who picked on his precious granddaughter couldn’t be considered decent. In his eyes, they were wicked.
Irene was deeply humiliated.
People around her were whispering and pointing, and she wanted to sink into the floor.
Her face went through every shade-pale one moment, flushed red the next, and finally ashen.
After stammering for a while, she tried again. “Of course, that’s not what I meant. I was just anxious. Victor has wanted to move into the city for a long time, and now his child is about to start elementary school. Having a state ID would make things much easier for him. He’s only thinking about his child’s education.”
That explanation saved her pride, maybe just a little, but Bill still wasn’t letting her off easy.
“So, this city job you’re talking about-is it already lined up?”
“Yes, it has. All that’s left is the state ID,” Irene said quickly, nodding like a woodpecker.
Bill frowned, puzzled.
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Finished
“That doesn’t make sense. If you already had a job in the city, they would have promised you the state ID. At the very least, they’d make sure the child could get into school. Irene, even if someone works in a factory, their kids get assigned to the school. What kind of job gives you nothing? Sounds like someone is pulling a scam.”
In 1983, everything depended on assignments and distribution. Normally, there was no need to worry about those things at all.
Irene couldn’t answer-because there wasn’t any real job.
Her plan had been simple: get a state ID, then slip Victor into the city with Zaid’s help, hopefully into some easy desk job at a work unit.
A steady paycheck, lifetime security, and city status-what could be better?
She never expected Bill to crush her dream so quickly.
A few sharp questions, and she was exposed.
She stood there speechless, unable to say a word.
The guests began murmuring among themselves, convinced she was just using Bill’s birthday party as an excuse to pressure him.
Finally, Bill sighed and offered her a way out. It was his birthday, after all, and he would rather not embarrass her too badly.
“Irene, how about this-have Victor work hard where he is. When his transfer to the city actually comes through, I’ll personally help run whatever paperwork he needs. Alright?”
Irene mumbled her agreement, her face burning with shame. With nothing else to say, she returned to the kitchen.
Victor was in there, sneaking food.
When he saw her, Victor raised his greasy face and asked, “So? How’d it go? When do I get to be a city guy?”
Looking at him, something inside Irene snapped.
For the first time, she truly lost her temper. She smacked the back of his head hard. “All you ever do is eat! A city man? You won’t even make it in your next life!”
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Reborn for Love and Revenge
