But Ghania believed that money comes and goes—but there's no single right way to live. What mattered most was being happy. And so, Harold was born. Everyone thought that once she finally had the baby she wanted, Ghania would turn into a gentle, selfless, devoted mother. But that didn't happen. She sent Harold to daycare early, telling him not to bother her while she enjoyed her life. Other moms would say things like, "Sweetheart, I don't really like this dish, you eat it." But Ghania would say, "Honey, I like this dish, so it's all mine." To her family and friends, she was selfish—an elegant kind of egoist. So when Harold's father passed away, everyone assumed she'd remarry soon, maybe find a new man to lean on. But once again, Ghania surprised them all. She stayed single and raised Harold completely on her own. Some people praised her for being faithful to her late husband. But she only frowned and said, "Faithful? No. I just haven't met love a second time." Before her parents passed, they said she'd lived a crazy, unpredictable life. But only she knew how happy she truly was. She was so happy that even fate seemed jealous—she ended up with bipolar disorder for no clear reason. Still, that didn't stop her from dancing, traveling, and loving herself freely. When Olivia and Nadia heard her story, they both fell silent, lost in thought. They'd seen that quote online so many times. "You are yourself first, then a wife and mother."It sounded easy. But living that way—really living it—was rare. Ghania was a little tipsy after a few drinks. She leaned back, smiling boldly, and said, "I love myself more than anyone else in the world. You have to love yourself before you can love others—even your own son. "I've been called a bad daughter, an unqualified wife, even a lousy daughter-in-law. But I've always been completely satisfied with who I am." Everyone stared at her. In that moment, the middle-aged woman before them seemed to fade away, replaced by the young, wild, and fearless Ghania she once was. Harold grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Mom, you're awesome!" He actually preferred this version of her—a happy, lively mother who never lost her spark—instead of one who sacrificed everything. Natalie quietly thought of her mother, Scarlett. What she wanted most for her mom wasn't success or perfection—it was happiness. Whether Scarlett was a great businesswoman or a perfect mother didn't matter. What mattered was that she lived free and joyful. Cassian noticed the tears in Natalie's eyes. He reached out and gently took her hand. She turned to look at him and squeezed his hand back. They stayed together from noon until dark before finally saying goodbye. After everyone left, only Natalie and Cassian remained in the quiet house. Natalie let out a soft sigh. "Now I get why the leaders before the apocalypse loved organizing team-building events." She looked at him and grinned. "When people hang out like this, they really bond. I feel like everyone's so much closer now." "That's because you're real friends," Cassian replied. "If it were fake leaders and coworkers doing it, it wouldn't work." "You've got a point," Natalie said with a laugh. "So, I guess the Holland Group doesn't do team-building events?" Cassian gave a dry chuckle. "We don't waste time on useless stuff." She raised a brow. "Oh? Then what do you guys do?" Cassian said, "They make money. I run the business. Everyone knows their job. No emotions involved." Natalie smirked. "Guess that's why our place isn't as rich as yours. Jacob loves all that morale-boosting stuff—he's always sending employees out for team events." They chatted and laughed for a while longer before finally going to bed. The next day, Olivia and the others went to the official base as planned to buy their houses, and came back with great news for Natalie. "You're saying my house got upgraded to one thousand square feet?" Natalie asked in surprise. Olivia grinned and nodded. "Yup! After the earthquake, the government compensated early homeowners. They gave priority to new, bigger homes for people like you. Here—this is your new key." Then she added, "Mine's still 600 square feet, just across from yours. I'm in the same building as Harold and Roderick. Those two brothers you introduced us to are amazing—they're good talkers and even bargained the price down. Saved us a lot of rations." Natalie took the key with a smile. "That's great news." Olivia waved goodbye, cheerful as ever. "I'll head back then. Still got some supplies to sort out."