Regret Came Too Late

The people of Northbrook had long been hardened by la.

Even if the world forget about them, they knew how to fend for themselves. They'd hail the gods on makeshift carts to sell in the neighboring city

It wasn't enough to make them rich, but in kept food on the table. Hard work was just part of the deal.

But this year, the relentless downpours had caught everyone off guard. No one had been prepared for the sheer force of the storms.

dece kept her stance low-key, and even when

she was injured, she didn't make a fuss. The gathered fruit farmers exchanged glances, hesitating Then, a few younger ones finally booke the

"Three days. Just three days, She's a streamer. Maybe she really can help "

The others still looked uneasy, but in the end, they nodded.

Mandy red or tocheck Grace's injuries, but she shook her head. "I'm fine."

Not a chance. Her entire back was probably

of the younger farmers and stepped inside, issing instructions as she went. Send a

that message? We've got over to thousand orders lined up. If we just ship them out, no one

"Southbrook" label on their apples is an it. Back then, Southbrook treated them like outcasts, pushing them our of the circle of prosperity like a bunch of bandes. "And now if they let

people in this would clung stubbornly

their heads. Naturally, neither would

a code to live by wasn't such a bad thing. At least they weren't like the people of Southbrook, who repaid kindness with betrayal. The young farmers beside them lit up

no idea how disgusting they were decades ago. People died because of them. Even

man from a top university. But instead of chasing a cushy city job, he chose to come here, determined "It was his idea to start growing apples in the first place. Back then, Brookfield wasn't split to Southbrook and Northbrook yer. But then a Southbrook official took all the

industry and kept getting promoted,

chief told them to let it go. As long as people could make a living, that was

Southbrook completely shut us out. They blacklisted our apples. The chief went to negotiate for our rights, but before the meeting even started, he was beaten to death with arake. Southbrook's Three hundred dollars. That was

man who had given up