Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Emma sat on the ground, looking like she'd just lost her soul. Peyton felt a knot in her stomach. Was she really in the wrong? Living in a place like this, without a man in the house, how could she not think of herself first?

Seeing Emma not taking the food, Peyton grabbed a fork and tried to feed her daughter some rice. But Emma clamped her mouth shut, refusing to eat, so Peyton tried to force it in. The fork scraped against Emma's cracked lips, making them bleed, staining her mouth with blood. Out of options, Peyton put the bowl down and started crying.

Hours passed, and evening settled in. Emma's eyes flickered, and she grabbed the now-cold food from the floor, shoveling it into her mouth in big gulps. Her stomach wasn't fragile; she had grown up eating whatever was available. After finishing the bowl, she stood up, fetched some water, and drank three bowls full before feeling revived.

Seeing her willing to eat, Peyton lifted her swollen eyelids. She couldn't understand why her daughter had become so stubborn. She stood up and quietly went to reheat the leftovers from lunch.

Emma didn't leave the house. Instead, she went to her room to take a shower. When she came out in fresh clothes, Peyton had reheated the food and even cooked a few extra dishes. Peyton took out the last two thousand dollars they had and placed it on the table. "This is all the money we have left. An abortion will probably cost a thousand, and with the rest, we can sell some of our stuff and rent a place in town."

Emma stayed silent. Peyton seemed to realize her daughter was angry with her. But that was the mindset here, shared by everyone around. She was just a bit selfish, worried about her daughter moving away and leaving no one to take care of her. And since her daughter had no suitors, when the Odeberg family showed interest, offering thirty thousand as a dowry and promising a life in town, it didn't seem like a bad deal.

She truly didn't understand how things had gotten to this point. After a while, Emma finally spoke up, looking at the dishes on the table.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

"Mom, is it that no matter how good I am or how much I give, it's never as good as having a son?"

The village prided itself on having sons. No matter how capable a woman was, if she couldn't bear a son, she might be sent back to her family, just like a traded good. If a woman didn't want to marry and reached thirty, she became the butt of everyone's jokes. The gossip would always be about how so-and-so's daughter was over thirty and still without a man.

Peyton, having grown up in such an environment, naturally shared this mindset. Yet now, hearing her daughter question her, and remembering the times she carried her to school, her heart ached. Even though she had thought that way before, a stronger feeling was that even if she had a son, he might not be as thoughtful as Emma.

"Why would you think like that, Emma? Have I ever made a decision that wasn't for your best? Are you trying to drive me to my grave?"

Peyton started to cry again, pushing the money toward her.

"Take the money. In a few days, we'll move to town."

Emma took a deep breath, making a decision.

"I've decided not to abort the baby."

Peyton stiffened, shaking with anger. Was this a path to ruin?

"Do you know what it's like to raise a child on your own? The kind of gossip you'll have to endure? You're still young; you might find a man in town, but with a child in tow, no man will want you."

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"Men! Men! It's always about men! Why should I live my life depending on men? Even if it kills me, I'll raise this child!"

Peyton panicked at her daughter's words.

"Look around! Which family without a man has ever survived here? We've always been the talk of the town, bullied and looked down upon! Emma, you're becoming more rebellious by the day."

Emma looked up, her eyes calm.

"Mom, either I keep this baby and you leave me be, and we move to town together, or you throw me out, and I'll fend for myself. I'll never come back. I've paid my dues over the years, fulfilled my duties without fail. If you keep trying to impose your beliefs on me, then maybe it's best we end our mother-daughter relationship."

The room fell silent, the weight of Emma's words hanging in the air. Peyton's tears blurred her vision as she grappled with the reality of her daughter's resolve.