Marcus’s POV
I crouched down in front of her, feeling the weight of her question. Everything had felt solid, stable… until it wasn’t. “We’ll figure it out,” I murmured, gripping her hands tightly.
Her face crumpled as she tried to pull herself together. “You don’t understand,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. “I left everything for your father. My practice, my career, everything. I’ve been out of medicine for so long, Marcus. I don’t even know where to begin again. And my father, your grandfather, he’d hate me for giving up on this marriage. I just… I feel so lost.”
I felt a surge of protectiveness, seeing her like this—seeing her stripped of the strength she’d always shown, the composure she’d worn like armor. “Mom, you don’t have to do this alone,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I’ll find a way to make this work for us.”
She let out a shaky breath, looking down at me with a sad smile. “Marcus, I never wanted you to carry this weight. You have your own future to think about.”
I shook my head. “We’re in this together, Mom. I’m not going to let him take everything from us. I’ll apply for the scholarship. They’ve been offering it to me, and I’ve turned it down every time because he wanted to pay. But now… it’s time.”
She looked at me, surprised. “Marcus, are you sure? You don’t have to do that.”
“I am. This will free up some of our expenses, and… well, I want to help. However I can. We’re going to get through this.”
She stared at me, her eyes softening with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. “You’re so much stronger than I ever thought, Marcus,” she whispered, her hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my forehead. “I just wish… I wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
“We’ll manage, Mom. And maybe… this will be a chance for you to find yourself again. To go back to being who you were before him.”
She looked away. “I don’t know if I even remember who that person is.”
I reached out, pulling her into a hug. She held onto me tightly, her tears soaking into my shoulder as she finally let herself break down. This time, I didn’t try to stop her. I made a silent promise: no matter what it took, I would protect her.
Tomorrow, I would go to the university, apply for the scholarship, and find a way to make sure we stayed afloat. I would do it—for her.