Chapter 9

I snickered. "You would regret it, even if you picked Millie." "Well, at least she wouldn't put us in harm's way!" My impatience grew. "Didn't you pick me to take advantage of me, too? You liked that I was an orphan with no family support. You took advantage of my obedience and forced me to back down. "Both of you are no saints. Your hands are bloody. We're all looking out for ourselves. It's a dog-eat-dog world—that's what you taught me. It's purely self-preservation. "Dad, Mom, it's time to go." With that, I took them off the oxygen machine and watched as they took their final breaths before me. I gave the family physician a look. He'd take care of the arrangements from here. After sanitizing myself, I went to meet my son next door. Teary-eyed, I gave him a hug. "Max, your grandparents didn't make it…" Max, who was still young, stared at me worriedly as he tried to lighten my mood. He asked me where his grandparents went, and what I meant by them not making it. I told him th