Devon was taken back to the camp after a day at the hospital, as he wasn't in any danger thanks to Felipe. Mark was the one who went to the hospital to bring Devon back.

"Felipe said you slipped and fell into the river," Mark said, glancing at Devon while driving the vehicle.

"Yes," Devon said. He felt relieved that Mark didn't know the truth. He thought Felipe didn't know the truth either, but he had told everything to Felipe. How could he erase what he had said to Felipe from his mind?

What Devon didn't know was that Mark and the other staff members at the camp didn't want to make this a big deal. They were trying to hide the truth and protect their reputation.

"We didn't inform your parents because the doctor said it wasn't a big deal. Small accidents like this happen sometimes at the camp. We only inform parents if it's a serious situation," Mark said.

Devon was relieved to hear that as well.

"Yes. It's just a simple accident," Devon said, and Mark smiled at him.

"I don't think we should scare your parents for no reason. Just don't go out at night—it could be dangerous," Mark said.

"Yes, we don't have to make them scared," Devon agreed eagerly. Mark smiled again, noticing how easily Devon agreed with everything.

Mark already knew about Devon's confession from Felipe. He and the other staff members were fully aware that Devon didn't want his parents to know what had happened more than anyone else. That made them happy, as it aligned with their plan to keep the situation quiet.

After a few hours of driving, Devon and Mark reached the river. They crossed to the other side in a boat, just as Devon had done on his first day at the camp.

"I've worked with lots of kids like you," Mark said, looking at Devon.

"What do you mean?" Devon asked.

"You know, some kids have problems in their families. The best thing is to stay calm until you turn 18. Then, you can leave the house," Mark said.

"I have to wait at least a year for that," Devon said, knowing he would turn 17 soon.

"I know. Most kids don't like foster care," Mark said, using it as an excuse not to involve the authorities in Devon's case.

"Yeah, I also don't like foster care. I was in foster care when I was little. I got tired of changing families," Devon said. He realized that when someone talked to him too much, he often spilled the beans without even noticing—and he couldn't stop doing it. When someone talked a lot, he felt like he had to say something too. He hated that. What if Reuben found out he had told everything to others?

"I know. No one likes foster care," Mark said.

When Devon returned to the camp, he noticed some of the kids looking at him in a strange way.

"Oh look, the attention seeker came back," Sissy said loudly.

"He loves attention. He works so hard to get it. If he doesn't get enough attention, he jumps into the river," Hyeon-U said, laughing.

Devon didn't care about their comments and walked away to his room. From a distance, he saw Lor approaching him.

"Devon, we need to talk," Lor said in a serious voice. Devon wondered why and followed her. They went to one of their isolated spots to talk in private. Both of them sat on the ground under a tree.

"Why did you do that? Why the hell did you try to kill yourself? Didn't you think about me at all?" Lor asked, looking angry.

"I... I didn't try to kill myself. I slipped," Devon said.

"Stop lying, Devon. I'm so done with your lies. Why is it so hard for you to admit that you're being abused at home? It's not like you're the only one who faces abuse. There are other kids here who've been hurt by their parents or adoptive parents, but they don't hide it. And you didn't tell me any of this, but you told Felipe? Felipe isn't even our friend," Lor said, her voice filled with frustration.

Felipe wasn't that close to Devon, but somehow it had been easier to spill the truth to him. Maybe it was because Felipe was in a similar situation, and Devon thought he'd understand. More than that, Felipe had been there with him in the woods that night. Devon wondered if he would've confessed to anyone else who had been there.

Now, Devon knew he was messed up. He had confessed everything to Felipe, and it seemed like Felipe had spread the gossip. That might explain why some of the kids were looking at him strangely. And now, Lor knew the truth too. How could he lie anymore?

"I'm sorry. It's not that easy to talk about these things," Devon said, staring at the ground.

Suddenly, Lor leaned closer, cupped Devon's face in her hands, and kissed him, leaving him stunned.

After the kiss, Devon stared at Lor, still in shock. "Why do you like someone like me? I'm... I'm a loser. I think you deserve someone better," Devon said, his voice filled with sadness.

"Who the hell told you that you're a loser? You even won the challenges. Was it your abusive foster parents who told you that? I think they're jealous of you. They want to make you weak. That's why they say those things—to discourage you so they can control you," Lor said firmly.

Devon looked at Lor, amazed. Even Emily had never said anything like that. Emily always tried to make everything seem easy and never blamed anyone. But what Lor said made more sense to Devon, especially the way she said it—with so much conviction.

"But... but how can I do anything about it?" Devon asked hesitantly.

"I don't know. Because we're not 18 yet, I don't think anyone will actually help us. They think we're stupid just because we're teenagers," Lor said with a sigh. "We're helpless, like babies in the womb. We can't choose anything for ourselves until we're adults."

"Is it the same for you?" Devon asked.

"Actually, my parents aren't physically abusive like yours. But they only think I'm important if I get high marks and come first in everything. Otherwise, I'm useless to them. I think they gave up on me when they sent me here. They thought I humiliated them," Lor said. Yet, there was no sadness on her face.

"Are you not upset about how they treat you?" Devon asked.

"Well, I've known how they are since I was 12. That was the first time I failed at something, and they showed me their true colors. I was broken at first, but now I'm used to it. Parents aren't supposed to love their kids only when things are good. They should love them when things aren't good too. Life isn't always about the ups," Lor said.

Devon thought about how much Lor seemed to understand life, family, and parents. He wondered if he knew anything at all in comparison.

"You're so smart. I don't know any of those things," Devon said.

"That's okay. So tell me about your foster family. Did they at least feed you well?" Lor asked.

"During school days, they did. They didn't want others to think I was unhealthy. But during vacation times, sometimes they didn't— as a punishment," Devon said. He felt miserable and pitied his poor body as he spoke.

Lor placed her hand on Devon's shoulder. "I'm so sad to hear that, Devon. You don't deserve to be treated like that," she said softly.

Devon looked at Lor, confused. It was the first time someone had ever said something like that to him.

"How... how do you know?" Devon asked hesitantly.

"You're just a boy, Devon. You didn't do anything wrong. That's why you don't deserve that kind of treatment. Only criminals deserve that kind of punishment," Lor said firmly. "Did they at least give you clothes?"

"Yes, I had good clothes. They don't have any money problems. They're rich, so I always had good clothes," Devon said.

"What about your room?" Lor asked.

Devon paused for a moment, thinking. He realized it was too late to keep hiding everything. He was so tired of holding it all inside for years. Now, for the first time, he felt like he had someone close—someone willing to listen to him.

"I had a room upstairs, but I was only supposed to use it if someone came to visit. I had to pretend like I was happy," Devon said, his voice trembling. "Otherwise, I stayed in the basement. There's a small room down there for me."

As he confessed, Devon felt a deep sense of shame. He wondered if Lor would still want to be with him after hearing about his life. If she didn't, he wouldn't blame her. Who would want to be with someone as miserable as him?

"That's awful," Lor said, her voice filled with sadness. She never imagined Devon had endured such a harsh life at home.

"What kind of punishments did they give you? Felipe said you told him they adopted you just to hurt you and have fun," Lor asked cautiously.

"I... I can't tell you everything," Devon said, his voice breaking. "Ruben is a monster. He did all kinds of things to hurt me."

Tears started streaming down Devon's face as he spoke. "He..." Devon began but couldn't finish. He started to sob uncontrollably.

"It's okay, Devon. You don't have to tell me if it's too hard," Lor said, giving him a side hug. Devon rested his head on Lor's chest and began sobbing like a child. Lor couldn't hold back her tears either, but she tried her best to stay strong for him. Devon was showing her his vulnerability, trusting her, and it wasn't the time for her to break down as well. She needed to be the strong one in this moment.

"It's okay, Devon. You have every right to cry. Life has been hard on you," Lor said softly.

"It's not life," Devon said, lifting his head, now visibly angry. "It's that f***ing Ruben."

"Is he the one who came with you?" Lor asked.

"Yes," Devon said.

"And the woman who was with him?" Lor asked. Devon then told Lor about Teressa.

"Do you think she ran away?" Lor asked.

"I... I don't think so. I feel like she didn't," Devon said, his voice uncertain.

"I think you should run away from that house if he tries to hurt you again," Lor said firmly.

"Where would I go?" Devon asked, his voice filled with hopelessness.

"I'll give you my address and phone number. Maybe Zack, Ethan, and Liam will also help you. I don't think Felipe can, though," Lor said.

"They all know about this?" Devon asked, his tone annoyed.

"Devon, how the hell is someone supposed to help you without knowing what's going on in your life? You need help," Lor said.

"Okay, but I don't have money. I don't have a phone," Devon said.

"Collect some money and hide it somewhere," Lor said. "Maybe I'll give you my phone before you leave. I can buy a new one. I'll teach you how to use it."

"Why are you like this? Why are you helping me so much?" Devon asked, confused.

"Because I love you, idiot," Lor said.

"But why? There's nothing to love about me. I'm just a coward," Devon said, still confused.

"Stop saying negative things about yourself, Devon. Sometimes people fall in love without any reason," Lor said quietly.

"But I fell in love with you because you're beautiful," Devon said quietly. "But you're more than beautiful. You're strong and smart too."

Lor opened her mouth to say, "I'm not that strong," but she closed it without speaking. She didn't want to disappoint Devon. She knew she wasn't strong, but she acted like she was, or at least didn't care. Most of the time, she didn't take things personally. She didn't overthink or get anxious. She already knew that being anxious wasn't the answer.

"Thanks!" Lor said, smiling at Devon. "I'm pretty sure you're stronger than you think," she added, kissing him again.

After talking with Lor, Devon felt like he had a new hope to live. He didn't want to give up. He spent most of the day with Lor, feeling closer to her than ever.

At bedtime, Devon went to his room, and Liam followed.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry about how I talked to you that day. I didn't know what you were going through," Liam said to Devon, his tone serious.

Devon couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't understand how people could be so good because he had never encountered this kind of kindness before.

"Thanks, Liam," Devon said, feeling emotional from all the care coming from his friends.

"If you want, we can teach you some self-defense. We can practice every day," Liam offered.

Devon was surprised. He had never considered fighting back against Ruben. Ruben was an adult. Devon was just a boy.

"Do you think it would work?" Devon asked.

"It could," Liam said. "We've talked about helping you. If you ever decide to run away, you can call any of us. We'll give you our numbers."

"But why are you all helping me? I haven't done anything for you," Devon asked.

"First of all, we're friends. Friends help each other," Liam said with a smile. "And most of us went to Sunday school when we were kids. We just remembered some of the lessons we learned there."

Devon wasn't sure if Liam was joking or being serious. Devon had never gone to Sunday school.

"Ever heard of the parable of the good Samaritan?" Liam asked, lying back on the bed.

"No," Devon said.

"It's in the Bible. I can't remember the story exactly, haven't touched a Bible in ages. But it's about helping others. It's a good story," Liam explained.

"Are you saying you're helping me because of a story you read in the Bible when you were a kid?" Devon asked, lying back on his bed.

"I know, right? It sounds crazy. But for some reason, it popped into my mind. Anyway, you're a friend, so friends help each other," Liam said.

"Thanks, Liam," Devon said seriously.

"Don't try anything stupid again, Devon. Just be patient. Everything will get better one day," Liam added.