Chapter 55

As I accepted the daunting responsibility of running our family company, the weight of the world seemed to settle on my shoulders. And to add to the complexity of it all, my mother insisted that we live with her during this time. I don't know what she was thinking, but she had this whole dream of a big, happy family under one roof. And apparently, I couldn't argue with a woman who had her ways.

So here we were, in my parents' house, with breakfast spread across the table. The clinking of cutlery against plates filled the air, drowning out the silence that had settled over us like a fog.

"Mommy, can I go with you to your workplace?" my daughter, Alison, piped up innocently, her big blue eyes shining with curiosity.

As I hesitated, my mind raced to form an appropriate response. "As much as I'd love to have you, sweetheart, mommy will be very busy," I managed to say, my voice betraying the internal turmoil. "Maybe some other time."

The silence that followed felt heavy, unbroken by anythin