When Victoria returned to her grandfather’s house in Iowa, she observed that his preferred couch remained in the living room. She sat on it for a bit, reminiscing about her childhood, and then it suddenly broke. What she found inside transformed her entire existence.
Victoria’s mother, Ella, left her as a child and relocated to New York with her partner, tired of living in poverty. Edward, Victoria’s dad, worked morning shifts as a delivery man and night shifts at a warehouse, but the earnings were insufficient to sustain the family.
Adding to the burden, Victoria’s grandfather Silas was in the final stages of his life, battling cancer. Ella found a way out of her hardship by moving with her boyfriend from Iowa to New York.
Victoria was a teenager, aged 15. She barely dealt with her mother’s departure when her father died tragically in an accident months later, leaving her alone with Silas.
Although Ella visited and called Victoria after Edward’s death, Silas disapproved. He never liked Ella, and his disdain grew after she left.
After Silas passed away a year later, Victoria had no choice but to move to her mother’s home in New York. Ella’s lover, Dave, disliked Victoria, and she held no affection for him.
Due to frequent disagreements, tensions rose in the household, and eventually, Dave left. The relationship between Ella and Victoria worsened since Dave claimed he was leaving because of Victoria’s “annoying” behavior.
Ella initially survived using the leftover money Dave gave her, indulging in expensive gifts for a while. That’s how they managed for about half a year.
Ella kept pawning items, showing no interest in finding a job or planning for the future. She refused to work, so when her funds were depleted, she sought another man.
Fed up with her bleak life with her mother, Victoria applied for scholarships and somehow got into New York University, where she met Kevin. They met while working part-time at the same café, and their friendship blossomed into romance.
The couple moved in together, and Victoria became pregnant. They were almost ready to graduate, but Kevin left Victoria upon learning of her pregnancy.
Victoria returned to her mother seeking help, but was refused, so she managed to finish her degree alone and returned to her grandfather’s residence in Iowa.
The house had been boarded up for years and was barely visible from the road due to overgrown weeds. Victoria needed assistance as the heavy door wouldn’t budge.
Luckily, she spotted a young man chopping firewood next door. “Hey, can you help me?” Victoria called from her doorstep.
The man looked up, smiled, and responded, “Sure, I’ll be there in 2 minutes.”