As she spoke, Susie gave Julie a meaningful look. Earlier, Julie had mentioned buying us a house after she married into the Yarbrough family. But how big could a house be? I had no interest in living in a cramped apartment again! The Yarbroughs were filthy rich-a mansion would be nothing to them. When Julie married Stephen, she would be the future Mrs. Yarbrough! What a prestigious position! At the very least, the house Julie bought for us couldn't be smaller than this Gray family mansion! How could I maintain my dignity while dating Maris if I lived in a dingy apartment? I'd be a laughingstock! I wouldn't even have the confidence to meet Maris's friends. Of course, I couldn't say these thoughts out loud - not yet. First, I had to make sure that Julie married Stephen. Everything else could come later. Julie frowned at Susie's words but remained silent. Alright, Susie had never known hardship - a bit of spoiled behavior was to be expected. Almost immediately, Rosie interjected, "If Arthur said this house was ours, he's not going to kick us out on a whim!" Her tone was firm. Julie nodded in agreement. "Rosie's right. We can still trust Arthur in that respect." Susie shot to her feet, eyes wide with disbelief. "You still trust him?!" she screamed. "Have you forgotten what he did to me in Seacity? I was beaten so badly I almost couldn't have children! And it was all his fault!" A heavy silence fell over the room. Yes, we remembered-the despair in Susie's eyes that day was seared into their memories. Robbed in the street, penniless, their phones stolen. Susie is bleeding with no way to get to a hospital. If Stephen hadn't shown up when he did... Back then, we had desperately sought Arthur's help.But he shut us out, refusing to see us no matter how we begged. He had more than enough wealth. A single word from him could have saved us from this nightmare. Even if he didn't want to see us, he could at least have provided us with shelter. But he did nothing. Just then a voice called from outside. "Julie!" It was Stephen. Over time, his formal address of "Ms. Julie" had softened to the intimate "Julie," a name only her close person used. Julie adored it. Every time he said it, I felt as if I belonged to him, as if we were already family. Her face lit up when she turned around. "Stephen!" This simple exchange shattered all of Rosie's efforts in an instant. Stephen stepped forward, regret etched on his face. "Julie, I'm sorry. I've been away on business, and I've only just managed to get back." Tears welled in Julie's eyes at the sight of him. The grief of John's death and Rosie's harsh words had left her unsettled - but Stephen's presence steadied her. Without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms. To my family, I had always been the responsible older sister, the caretaker. Even now, I worried about buying them a house. I knew that marrying Stephen would be seen as social climbing. I knew that using the Yarbrough money to support my family would earn me scorn. But how could I watch my mother and sisters suffer? If I had to endure their scorn, so be it. I could always pay them back later. As Mrs. Yarbrough, with my skills, it would be easier to earn. With Stephen, I could finally be the one taken care of. After a lifetime of shouldering responsibility, I relished his protection.That was why I had fallen so completely in love with him. Raelynn and Susie exchanged knowing smiles and quietly excused themselves. Rosie opened her mouth to protest, but the happiness on Julie's face stopped her. With a heavy heart, she followed them out, leaving Julie and Stephen alone. Tears finally streamed down Julie's cheeks. She didn't need to speak - Stephen understood her fears perfectly.