Paid for my sister’s wedding, and my mother sent me a message: «You don’t have to come to the celebration. Your stepfather thinks you’re ruining the family photo.» The next morning they received a notification that made everyone in the family FURIOUS…

Interesting choice, noted Andrew when they met for lunch a month after the apartment sale. So you’ve decided to become a real bearded hermit? Alex smirked, stroking his red beard, which had grown even fuller in recent months. Rather, decided to live for my own pleasure, not by others’ expectations.

And work? Won’t there be issues with remote? I’ve already discussed with management. Three days a week I can work from home, two in the office.

Moreover, I’m thinking about switching to full remote and opening my own cybersecurity business. Ambitious, Andrew nodded with respect. You’ve changed a lot in recent months.

It was true. Alex had indeed changed, both externally and internally. He started regularly going to the gym, updated his wardrobe to something more stylish but still comfortable, became more confident in communicating with people.

The red beard, once a constant subject of mockery in the family, now attracted approving glances: groomed, neatly trimmed, it became part of his image. Any word from your mother? Andrew asked cautiously. Mary called last week, replied Alex, stirring his coffee.

Says they moved to Victor’s mother’s in Naperville. Two-bedroom in an old house, two hours to the stepfather’s work. He’s furious, of course, but no choice.

And your mom? Judging by Mary’s words, she’s still offended and considers me a family traitor. Anyway, it doesn’t touch me anymore. On the way home, Alex pondered the conversation with his friend.

Did his mother’s opinion really not affect him anymore? The honest answer was, almost not. Somewhere deep inside, a small thorn remained; after all, it was his family, his roots. But with each day, that thorn bothered him less.

That evening, Alex received a message from the realtor helping him search for a suburban house. Alexander, an interesting option came up. House 1,600 sq ft, lot 0.3 acres, forest nearby, 30 minutes from the city.

Owner selling urgently, price below market. Can you view tomorrow? «Yes, of course,» replied Alex, feeling interest igniting inside. The next day, he first saw the house that would soon become his new home.

Two-story, made of timber, with a spacious veranda and panoramic windows overlooking the forest. The lot, though not perfectly maintained, had great potential: several fruit trees, space for barbecue, even a small pond in the far corner. The owner needs to move abroad urgently, so the price is reduced, explained the realtor, showing Alex the rooms.

$250,000 for everything, including furniture. By market, such an object is worth at least $50,000 more. Alex slowly toured the house, studying every corner.

Spacious living room with fireplace, kitchen-dining room, office and guest bedroom on the first floor. On the second—master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and two more small bedrooms. In the basement—sauna and utility room.

Everything was just as he dreamed. «I’ll take it,» said Alex, standing on the veranda and looking at the forest covered in first snow. «When can we do the paperwork?» The deal closed in record time.

Just two weeks later, Alex got the keys to his new house. He spent the whole winter furnishing the dwelling: finishing minor repairs, ordering missing furniture, setting up the office for work. By late February, the house had transformed, becoming an exact reflection of his taste and preferences: functional, cozy, with thoughtful details.

One evening, as Alex sat by the fireplace with a book, a sound rang out. New horizons, the apartment sale deal closed faster than Alex expected. The buyer, a brisk middle-aged woman with a business grip, appreciated the location and layout, processed the mortgage in record time, and three weeks after the first viewing, signed all documents. $425,000 hit Alex’s account, drawing a thick line under his past life.

Not bad, noted Andrew when they met to drink to it. Enough money for good new housing and some left over. «I’ve already eyed something,» nodded Alex, twirling a glass of whiskey in his hands.

«But it won’t be an apartment.» «Oh!» his friend got interested. «What then?» A house in the suburbs.

20 miles from the city, next to the forest. Great place for … starting a new life. Suburban life? Andrew smiled skeptically.

«That’s quite a radical change for a city guy.» Alex smirked, stroking his red beard. «I’ve been told I look like a lumberjack anyway…