Chapter 39

Melissa listened to Emily's upbeat attitude and hugged her arm tightly.

She couldn't help but wonder why someone as amazing as Emily always seemed to face so many challenges. Do hardships really come before good things?

Melissa, full of enthusiasm, insisted on giving a housewarming gift and helped move the furniture. Emily felt warm inside and gladly accepted the help.

They lay hand in hand on the still-wrapped mattress, feeling secure in the new home. Melissa asked, "Emily, when you came to Silverbrook to find me, I thought you were moving far away. I didn't expect you'd come back to Pearl Peak City. By the way,how's Gordon doing? Can he come home to recover?"

Emily's eyes lit up at the mention of her brother. She pulled out her phone to show Melissa. "Gordon's doctor messaged today, saying he can communicate a bit now and isn't as withdrawn as before. I'm planning to bring him home in a week. The rehab center has a special school, and Gordon's almost ten. He needs to grow up."

Talking about Gordon softened Emily's heart. Years ago, Lisa had worked in a bar to make ends meet and accidentally drank a spiked drink, becoming addicted to drugs. She was already four months pregnant with Gordon when she found out, thinking her missed periods were due to the addiction.

Lisa had considered an abortion, but the doctor warned that her health was too poor, and she might never be able to have children again if she went through with it.

Emily was just over two years old then, a well-behaved and understanding child. Lisa knew the dangers of drugs and feared that if something happened to her. Emily would be left alone. Having a brother would give her a family connection and support, so she decided to have Gordon despite the opposition.

Others didn't understand, but Emily knew her mother's intentions.

They laughed and rolled around on the bed, not noticing Emily's phone screen flashing with different names.

The phone was on silent, cutting off her connection to the outside world. If it weren't for basic manners, Emily would have deleted those contacts long ago.

At Crystal Heights Residences. Emily and Melissa stood at the door of the new home, exhausted but full of hope for the future. Emily's eyes were determined, with a hint of anticipation. "Let's go, we need to finish packing and move in as soon as possible."

Melissa nodded, and they headed to Emily's old place.

The place looked the same, with weathered walls full of history. As soon as they stepped into the yard, the noise hit their ears.

Emily frowned. She never liked such noisy environments, especially dealing with neighbors arguing over trivial matters.

But she had lived here for many years, with memories and connections.

She pulled Melissa, wanting to quickly pass through the crowd.

Unexpectedly, the neighbors seemed to have planned it. sopping her.A middle-aged woman named Zola approached enthusiastically.her face exaggeratedly warm. "Emily.you're back! You've got some luck.don't you?"

Emily was puzzled and stopped. politely asking. "Zola. what do you mean by luck?"

She was eager to pack and didn't want to stay long. but the neighbor s words piqued her curiosity, making her stop to listen.

Emily's brow furrowed, feeling uneasy. not knowing what had happened.

A woman in pajamas holding a bucket quickly added, "Someone poured oil on the stairs. Rob and John fell down the stairs. John died on the spot. and Rob couldn't even crawl up."

The woman's eyes showed fear, mixed with excitement.

Emily's heart tightened as she pictured the dark stairwell and the two old men falling. She felt a chill down her spine and looked at the neighbors, wanting to know more.

Zola vividly described, "It was in your building, the stairwell was covered in oil!"

"What kind of oil?" Melissa asked, curious.

"Just regular cooking oil," another woman chimed in. "Luckily, it wasn't gasoline, or it would have been a disaster."

She added, "At first, everyone thought some careless kid spilled cooking oil, and it flowed down the stairs. But then John's son came back and saw his dad had fallen. The young man, being educated.immediately thought, what kind of oil could flow from the 7th floor to the 1st floor? It would take several buckets, so he suspected someone did it on purpose."

Melissa's exaggerated reaction fueled Zola's storytelling, and she continued, "Exactly! I went up to see, and the oil flowed from the 7th floor to the 1st floor, covering the stairwell. The smell wasn't strong.as it's common cooking oil, so no one noticed. Plus, the building is old, with no sensor lights, making the stairwell pitch dark."

Zola complained about the building's condition, trying to get everyone to agree.

The woman in pajamas continued, "Last night, I was playing cards in the hallway, and there was no oil then. This morning, the accident happened. I suspect someone poured it on purpose in the early hours!