Under the Heiress' Facade novel Chapter 1038

Yet Amelia kept powering through it as if she didn't have any pride left.

Eli shot up and shouted, "I've told you, I don't want to go to school!"

Amelia froze at his defiance. She shouted back, "What can you do if you don't study at your age?"

"I can go out and work to support myself! I don't need you!" Eli clenched his fists.

Amelia's eyes watered. Every time she saw her son like this, she felt frustrated at her inability to provide a better life for him. "And you think you're capable enough? Just because you're growing up doesn't mean you can do anything you want. No one would even hire you at your age!"

"Then I'll do labor that doesn't require any skills!" Eli retorted stubbornly, his fists still clenched.

He desperately wanted to grow up sooner so that his mother wouldn't have to spend money keeping him in school, where he learned nothing and only endured his classmates' ridicule. They called him a bastard without a father, and they insulted his mother as someone's mistress.

If only he could grow up quickly, he could make money, and then his mother wouldn't have to juggle so many jobs. But he was still so young and unable to change anything.

"You…" Amelia couldn't stop the tears from falling.

She knew her son was angry about her job as a grocery store stocker. For a long time, she had hidden the fact that she worked three jobs a day until he unexpectedly saw her while she was working at the store one day.

When they returned home that night, Eli had begged her to quit, saying that stocking shelves wasn't something a woman should be doing. He even threatened to quit school if she didn't stop.

Amelia hurriedly wiped her tears, washed her face, and composed herself before answering.

She was stunned to see who was standing at her door. "Gideon!"

Gideon had navigated his way here following the address on the records. He looked at the worn-down apartment buildings around him, finding it hard to believe that Amelia lived in such a place. But now that the door was open with her standing there, he was certain and equally surprised.

Amelia looked older than her actual age, her face lined with hardship, and she was wearing plain clothes. She had never seemed this weary even after the Gaskells' downfall.

"Amelia, you've been living here with your son all these years?" he asked.