I, Who Was Betrayed By The People I Loved Most - Chapter 22

— From Rufus’s point of view

• • ───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•

President Leticia gently took my hand.

Her hand was warm, kind, and smelled just a little sweet.

We walked through the big building. Up a grand staircase, and then we stopped in front of a large door with beautiful carvings.

The door opened quietly, and President Leticia stepped inside.

I followed, but almost froze as I stepped through.

The ceiling was high, and the floor sparkled. Soft sunlight shone through colorful curtains, casting a gentle glow.
The desks and chairs looked heavy and polished to a perfect shine.

But I knew I shouldn’t gawk, so I kept my eyes down and quietly followed her.

“This is my office. Go ahead, have a seat.”

Her voice was kind, so I sat down carefully in one of the big chairs.
My feet dangled off the floor—I felt a little embarrassed.

I held out the letter I’d been gripping tightly in my hand.

“Here… Father told me to give this to you…”

President Leticia took the letter and opened it slowly, reading the contents.

I kept my head down. I didn’t look up at all.
I didn’t know what the letter said—but I silently prayed it wouldn’t make her angry.

A warm cup was quietly placed in front of me.

It smelled sweet. I wrapped my hands around it and held it gently.

“…Thank you very much.”

I stood up right away and gave a deep bow—just like I was taught.

Marie always told me:

“You were never supposed to be born. So when someone does something for you, you stand and bow at a perfect ninety-degree angle.”

I didn’t really understand what it meant, but I always did it.

The lady who brought the cup looked at me with surprise.
Even President Leticia looked at me curiously.

“Um… Did I do something wrong…?”

“You don’t have to stand up and bow like that,” she said softly.
“Why did you do it?”

“Marie said someone like me has to bow properly… Because… I was a child who shouldn’t have been born…”

“…Marie said that…?”

When I nodded, the lady who had brought the warm drink suddenly covered her face and began to cry.

Even President Leticia’s eyes turned red.

Did I do something bad?

That lady’s name was Miss Vicky, and she was President Leticia’s secretary.

She told me her husband worked at the company too.

They both started asking me all kinds of questions, and I told them everything about what had happened to me.

Then, Miss Vicky suddenly stood up, looked straight at President Leticia, and said:

“Boss, please leave this child to me! I’ll raise him!”

Her voice trembled, but I could tell she meant it from the bottom of her heart.

“My husband and I haven’t been blessed with children. We were just visiting orphanages, hoping to adopt. But after hearing what this child has endured… I can’t walk away. This is fate. I’ll heal his heart—I promise.”

Then she turned to me and gave me the warmest smile.

“So, Rufus-chan… would you like to come live at our house?”

And just like that, my whole life changed.

Miss Vicky’s home was right next door to President Leticia’s estate.

They gave me my very own room. Every day, I had warm meals and a soft bed to sleep in.
The room was tidy, and Miss Vicky was always kind.

During the day, I went to the company with her. The ladies in the secretary’s office were really nice, and everyone talked to me with smiles.

Sometimes, I had lunch in President Leticia’s office.
Sometimes, Miss Vicky would read me picture books.

“It’s amazing… I don’t have a mother or a father anymore, but I don’t feel lonely at all.”

When I said that with a smile, both President Leticia and Miss Vicky wrapped me in a warm hug at the same time.

Even the ladies from the secretary’s office came one by one to give me a hug too.

“Rufus,” Leticia whispered,
“You have two mothers now—Miss Vicky and me. And everyone here in this company, we’re your family too.”

So that’s it…
I’m not alone anymore.