---- "It's fine. I'm not mad." I was telling the truth. I was the only one who would suffer if I got mad. Instead of wasting my energy on getting mad with Tom's mother, I would much rather head home and carry on with my work. Still, seeing the pleading look in Benjamin's eyes, I couldn't bring myself to make any harsh comments. When I first moved into the neighborhood a year ago, Tom had just started his laundromat. He was often so busy with work that he couldn't take good care of Benjamin. Benjamin would often sit at the counter and do his homework, eating nothing but cold sandwiches from the convenience store. This scene reminded me of my childhood. My parents had been extremely busy with work as well, and I had to stay in the room alone until dark. Therefore, I would always be pleasant and friendly with Benjamin. Sometimes, when I got myself some snacks, I would share them with him. ---- Children were often great observers. He noticed that my attitude had softened, so he clutched the corner of my top and went a step further with his request. "Cassandra, since you're not upset, can you top up some more money into your membership card? Dad needs a lot of money to get married. You topped up 10 thousand the last time, so it shouldn't be hard for you to top up another 20 thousand, right?"