The once warm family of three was now just an empty house.
In the end, my parents took pity on him and cared for him like their own son.
From then on, William and I were inseparable, never apart again.
He was always outstanding, with excellent grades and handsome looks.
And I was just an ordinary girl, not pretty, with average grades, my only notable quality being perhaps my talent for drawing.
But I never felt unworthy of William.
He once said that our family gave him the warmth of all families; we were his family.
He also said that I was a ray of light in his dark world.
One evening after self-study in my first year of high school, I walked home with William as usual.
In a secluded alley, we encountered William’s father.
He reeked of alcohol, his words and actions unsteady, and his behavior erratic.
It turned out he had gone bankrupt, his mistress had run away, and now he had turned to William.
William didn’t want to go with his father, who suddenly lunged at him, trying to drag him away.
I stood in front of him without hesitation, driving his father off.
Actually, I was so scared my legs could barely stand, but I was even more afraid of him getting hurt.