It was instantly evident how much things had changed in the area, with the dismantlement of most of the houses. Antonette looked around at the place she had once called home. The building Jenny's apartment was in stood alone in the rubble, making it rather eye-catching.

As Antonette walked up to her mother's apartment, she ran into a neighbor.

The woman looked at her and greeted her warmly.

"Antonette! I haven't seen you for such a long time!"

Antonette smiled awkwardly. She didn't know what to say.

"Antonette dear, can you please persuade your mother?"

Antonette was confused. "What's wrong with her?" she asked.

"She is refusing to move, so our building hasn't been torn down. We would have received the compensation already if she had agreed to move. Is that fair on us?" The neighbor complained bitterly. "I am waiting for the money. I need it to pay for my son's wedding. Antonette, do something! Please!"

Having said her piece, the woman continued on downstairs.

Antonette wondered about her mother. She didn't know why she would refuse to move. Wasn't it better to get the compensation?

She walked to the familiar apartment. The door was open. Upon entering, a strong smell invaded Antonette's senses, and she covered her nose instinctively.

Suddenly, a small, skinny woman rushed to her from within the darkness.

"Damn it! You were raised here! And now are you sick of it?"

Jenny stared at Antonette with a maniacal look in her eyes. She was rather pale and looked unwell.

"Mum, why don't you move out?" Antonette demanded.

"It's none of your business. This is my house!" Jenny shouted.

"Don't mess with my mother. I need that compensation money!"

"The compensation is for me. It is mine! What the f.u.c.k were you expecting?" Jenny screamed hysterically. She was shocked by Antonette's behavior.

Antonette sneered at her. "Look at you! You don't even look like a real person!"

Jenny saw clearly the disgust in Antonette's eyes. She was surprised at how much it affected her.

"Why did you come back?"

Antonette waved her hand impatiently. "I will leave soon. I just want to know why Simon won't accept me as his daughter," Antonette asked angrily.

Jenny was angry now. She shouted at Antonette, "I told you not to go to see him! You didn't listen! You just didn't listen!"

"Why shouldn't I? Why does he hate me so much?" Antonette said angrily.

She grabbed hold of Jenny's shoulders.

"Oh God… he didn't accept you because he didn't believe you are his daughter," Jenny murmured.

"Why?" Antonette asked confusedly.

"Because I was with another man at the same time. He was asking me to marry him," Jenny said slowly.

Antonette squinted. Simon didn't accept her because he didn't believe her. So, if she could prove that the little girl was Brian's daughter, Simon would definitely take action!

This was all the information she needed. She said impatiently to Jenny before leaving, "You'd better move out of this horrible house. I'm going to get that compensation!"

"Money! Money! You only care about money! It is my money!" Jenny shouted in anger. The emotion made her frail face look more terrifying.

Antonette smiled coldly. "Once you die, the money is mine anyway."

Antonette's words seemed to hit Jenny hard. She began coughing crazily, and her face turned red. But Antonette didn't make any effort to check she was ok; instead, she walked out with her hands covering her nose.

Jenny slid down to the floor in despair. She couldn't help thinking she deserved all this. When Antonette was still a little girl, Jenny hated her because of how things ended with Simon. And so she beat her and yelled at her every day. Now, understandably, Antonette despised her.

Jenny stood up slowly and stumbled to the table near her bed, trembling. She picked up several white pills. But she was shaking so much that she couldn't hold onto them and dropped them on the floor.

Jenny slowly collapsed down on the floor beside the bed. She was panting heavily. She was only in her forties, but she looked like an old woman.

She picked up a piece of paper from the bedside table; it resulted from a recent hospital visit. The doctor told her that she had liver cancer, and there was nothing they could do to save her.

***

Outside, Antonette was planning her next move. She thought for a while and then made a call.

"Hello, Carl?" Antonette said sweetly.

"What is it?" Carl replied impatiently.

"I need you to do me a favor," Antonette said.

After dropping Abby off at kindergarten, Diana was back home watching TV.

Suddenly, she heard the doorbell ring. Diana wondered whether it was Brian. Had he forgotten to bring his key with him?

The bell rang again and again, the shrill tone disturbing Diana's peace. She stood up to go and see who it was.

The man at the door was wearing a hat, so Diana couldn't see his face clearly.

"Who are you?" Diana frowned at him.

The man glanced at Diana and said, "I am here to collect the apartment management fee."

Straightaway, Diana thought this was very weird; the fee was never collected like this.

"I have paid for it already."

"Oh, okay, sorry, Miss" The man offered no further comment and walked away.

Although it was clearly strange, Diana didn't think too much of it and closed the door.

The man continued on around the corner of the street, where Carl was waiting for him.

"She is in there," he reported.

"I found her."

Antonette was elated. She got Carl to dictate to her the address and scribbled it down eagerly.