He nced down and saw it was Freya.


    Freya looked up and said, "Two hundred grand, I''ll be there on time."


    Walter gave her a cold stare, then rolled up his sleeve and walked past her, leaving the ce.


    He didn''t say no, which meant he was in.


    When the door clicked shut, Freya snapped back to reality. She cupped Peanut''s cheeks, tears in her eyes, and smiled. "Peanut, I finally got the money to get you treated. Soon, you''ll be just like the other kids. You can go to school, make tons of friends, and be happy."


    As she spoke, her eyes got all dreamy, like she could already see Peanut all grown up.


    She couldn''t stop the tears from falling.


    But before she could enjoy the moment, her phone rang. It was her boss.


    Freya quickly answered, "Hello?"


    A furious voice yelled from the other end. "Are you still working or not? You haven''t shown up for days. If you don''t want the job, just say so. Don''t waste our time!"


    Freya never wanted this job in the first ce. Back in the day, if someone had told her to sweep streets, she would''ve knocked them out.


    But now, she had no choice. Without this job, she couldn''t survive. Not only could she not knock anyone out, but she also had to suck up and apologize.


    She couldn''t afford to lose this street-sweeping gig.


    "I''m sorry. I''lle to work tonight," Freya said quickly, trying to sound apologetic.


    "You better hurry," the boss snapped.


    After hanging up, Freya covered her face, feeling more exhausted than ever.


    Life was so damn tiring.


    Peanut sat next to her, resting his head on her to show how much he missed her these past few days.


    As night fell, Freya grabbed her tools and headed to the pedestrian street.


    Peanut eagerly held a nylon bag, looking at Freya with excitement.


    He didn''t get what work was or what earning money meant. He just knew he could be with his mom, like going on a nighttime adventure. Every time he picked up a bottle, he felt proud.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Freya took him to the pedestrian street. Since people were still around, she couldn''t sweep the street and had to start by picking up recybles.


    Even though Walter agreed to give her two hundred grand, Peanut''s illness was a money pit. Two hundred grand might not be enough. Even if he got better, Peanut would still need to go to school, study, and live a normal life, which would need more money.


    She used to think love was everything, and for the person she loved, money was just a thing. That''s why she sold her shares without a second thought.


    But now, she got it-this world runs on money.


    Without money, she couldn''t do anything.


    Peanut saw a bottle and ran to pick it up. When Freya turned around and saw Peanut was gone, she panicked. She dropped what she was holding and shouted Peanut''s name.


    Freya was so anxious that tears started to fall. How could Peanut disappear just like that?


    She weaved through the crowd, grabbing people to ask if they had seen her son. Seeing her in a janitor''s uniform, people pushed her away in disgust.


    "Haven''t seen him. Don''t touch me," someone said with disgust.


    Freya stumbled but kept searching through the crowd. Whenever she saw a kid who looked like Peanut, she rushed over and pulled them to check.


    "What are you doing?" The kid''s mom, seeing this, pushed her away and held her child close.


    Freya searched the entire street, from the bustling crowds to the now deserted street. Many shops had already closed. She dragged her exhausted body and searched the street twice more. She felt utterly hopeless, wandering the street in despair, her voice hoarse from calling Peanut''s name.


    Finally, her vision went ck, and she fainted on the street.