Chapter 3 Hard work

His tiny, chubby hands suddenly clenched into little fists, and his soft lips parted slightly.

Still lost in his dreams, he frowned, let out a tiny whimper, puffed out his cheeks, and licked his lips.

Veronica couldn't help but laugh softly.

How could her son be this adorable?

It had been so long since she had seen him like this.

As he grew older, he had become quiet, distant, and cold.

With eyes full of love, Veronica gently cupped his chubby little face.

She gently pinched his chubby cheeks.

He looked so adorable while sleeping.

How could this sweet little boy grow up to become a villain?

Her determination grew even stronger.

If she wanted to change her son, she had to change herself first.

She slowly got to her feet and looked around the apartment.

The room was small, and clothes were scattered all over the floor. The kitchen was nearly empty, with barely any nutritious food left. Although she knew how to cook, she had never enjoyed doing it. She was a lazy mother.

Yes, she loved her son with all her heart.

She spoiled him, protected him, and gave him everything he wanted.

But she had also been lazy, careless, and irresponsible.

That had to change.

From today onward, she would become a better version of herself.

She glanced at her sleeping son and smiled.

"First," she murmured, "I'll make a schedule."

Step one: clean and tidy the house.

Step two: go to the market and buy groceries and other household necessities.

Step three: prepare a healthy, delicious breakfast for my precious son.

"This is the beginning," she whispered. "This time... I'll raise you the right way."

She took one last look at her sleeping son before quietly leaving the bedroom.

He was so cute.

So adorable.

Then again, she had always found him adorable, no matter what.

Shaking her head with a smile, she hurried to begin her work.

First, she cleaned the clothes scattered across the floor. She separated the dirty laundry into a basket and neatly folded the clean clothes before putting them away.

Next, she dusted the furniture, swept the floor, and vacuumed every corner of the room. Finally, she mopped the entire apartment until it was spotless.

Within a few hours, the place that had once looked abandoned and neglected was transformed into a warm and cozy home.

After all, the apartment wasn't very large. It only had a bedroom, a small living area, a tiny kitchen, and an attached bathroom, so it didn't take her long to clean everything.

She worked with all her heart.

By the time she finished, about three and a half hours had passed, and her son was still sleeping peacefully.

Satisfied with her work, Veronica took a shower.

The warm water washed away the dust, and she felt refreshed.

Then her stomach growled.

"I'm hungry..."

Only then did she remember that the kitchen was almost empty.

Of course it was.

She had always been lazy.

Most of the time, she and her son simply ate outside instead of cooking at home.

But that would change from today onward.

She wanted her son to grow up eating warm, homemade meals prepared with love.

Since he was still asleep, she decided to hurry to the market before he woke up.

He was an energetic and mischievous child. Whenever she took him shopping, he always managed to get into trouble, whether by arguing with shopkeepers, bothering salespeople, or accidentally annoying the neighborhood aunties.

Smiling to herself, she grabbed her purse, quietly locked the apartment, and double-checked that the door was secure.

Before leaving, she asked her neighbor to keep an eye on the apartment while she was at the market.

At the market, she carefully chose fresh spinach, radishes, carrots, eggplants, broccoli, and mushrooms. She also bought cheese and a few snacks that children usually enjoyed.

She picked up oats, rice, eggs, and a few basic seasonings as well.

When she checked her purse, she realized she had almost run out of money.

She sighed.

She still had to work part-time to support herself and her son.

Because of that, she forced herself to buy only the necessities.

With the grocery bags in her hands, Veronica hurried back home, eager to prepare her son's very first homemade meal.

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