Emily raised her chin smugly and was about to speak when David stopped her. “I know exactly what you’re trying to do. You’ve got your phone in your pocket and are ready to record us, right? Well, I’m not saying anything!” Emily was startled and quickly covered her mouth. She looked me up and down with a malicious gaze. I laughed bitterly before pulling out my phone from my pocket and handing it to them. “I just want to know the truth. There’s no need to get so defensive.” They relaxed once they took the phone. Emily looked pretty smug as she started talking. “We’re not just after your house. “We plan to give Chloe away anyway. After all, what’s the use of a girl? Taking care of her for five years was more than enough. “I did plan to make Chloe disappear at your rental apartment. That way, it would be sold at a huge discount at the auction. “Then, David would move in. After a few years, when he has a son, we’d save that house for my grandson to use when he gets married
“Where on earth have you been? Do you know Chloe is missing?!” My mother, Emily Davis, was grinding her teeth in anger as she yelled at me on the phone. It felt like she might spit at me through the screen. I frowned and said coldly, “If she’s missing, then go look for her. What’s the point of calling me?” There was a brief silence on the other end. Perhaps she was stunned by my response. But the yelling resumed almost immediately. “It’s all your fault, you jinx! How else could Chloe go missing?! “She said she was coming to visit you yesterday. You didn’t even bring her back! Did something happen to her?! “If anything happens to her, I swear I won’t forgive you!” My mom kept shouting, but I felt nothing. I had always cared about Chloe. But I no longer tried to look for her. Instead, I hit the mute button on my phone and turned to look at the landlord, Sophie Walker. She was standing next to me. Her face was red with anger. “Are you going to pay or not? Is this reall
Sophie, who had been pointing at my nose and ranting moments ago, froze. She stared at the settlement agreement in her hands in disbelief. The nearby police officer was also stunned. He remained silent as I transferred 50,000 dollars into Sophie’s account without hesitation. The crowd’s perception of me shifted instantly. I went from being seen as a deadbeat to a reasonable person in the blink of an eye. Everyone was left speechless. They could not understand why I seemed like a completely different person after just one phone call. It was as though I had been anticipating that call the entire time. I ignored the bewildered stares around. I got into my car and drove away. As I checked my phone, I noticed countless missed calls and messages from my mother. I decided to listen to a few of her voice messages. “Why are you doing this? Chloe was such a sweet girl. She loved you so much. Why would you hurt her?” “Even if you’re my daughter, I can’t protect you anymore. This tim
My head rang, and my vision was blurry from the slap. A metallic, sweet taste of blood filled my mouth. “David, you don’t believe me either?” I stumbled to my feet. The crowd was pointing and whispering. This made my vision blur even more. I had no idea what I had done wrong. I could not understand why they were blaming me for everything. Then, I looked up and saw Margaret standing in the distance. She was staring at me. She slowly walked toward me. I felt like she was my last hope. I rushed toward her in a frenzy. I knew Margaret had a fiery temper, but she was always an objective and reasonable person. If she believed me, maybe there was still a chance to fix this. “Margaret! You know me! Do you think I would ever hurt Chloe? I’ve always been good to her. I didn’t even know Chloe was coming to meet me.” I blurted out, but she just stood there and stared at me coldly. “Why did you hurt Chloe? Did you really kill her? Where is she? Why is she missing? “The evidenc
“David and Margaret are going crazy trying to find Chloe. Look at how devastated Emily is. Do you really have the heart to do this to a child and to them?” The relatives criticized me all at once. It was clear that they believed Emily’s lies. I frowned and said calmly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never even seen Chloe.” David, who had been standing nearby, said, “What more are you going to say? Do you want me to bring out the evidence? I never thought you could be this vicious!” David was so furious that it seemed like he might charge at me and slap me right then. But I was not worried. I calmly took a settlement agreement out of my bag. “I’ve been at the police station since yesterday. How could I have hurt Chloe? I have a solid alibi.” I opened the settlement agreement in front of everyone. Emily’s face instantly darkened. I ignored her feelings and said without hesitation, “My landlord and neighbors can confirm that I’ve been at the police station.
“Officers, please, you have to find out the truth! Chloe must’ve been kidnapped by Grace! She must have been hurt! “Hurry and arrest Grace! If you don’t, this will haunt Chloe for the rest of her life! “How did I end up with such a monster for a daughter? I should’ve just killed you when you were a kid!” Emily glared at me in intense hatred and spat in my face. As if that were not enough, she rolled up her sleeves and was ready to hit me. I stood there in confusion as I stared at Chloe. I was just starting to process what had just happened. “Chloe, what are you saying? I haven’t seen you these past few days. How could I have hurt you?” I tried to explain to her patiently. Perhaps she had suffered some trauma and was confused about who had hurt her. But she looked at me in fear and resentment. “Aunt Grace, didn’t you try to sell me to someone a long time ago? You were the one who told me to find you. “If I hadn’t run away, I would’ve been sold to human traffickers. Why
“What do you want?” I asked in annoyance. I did not bother to hide my irritation. I was not in the mood to talk to her. Emily, acting completely out of character, walked up to me and grabbed my hand with unusual warmth. “I know I’ve been a terrible mother,” she said. “I’ve been reflecting on my mistakes at home. I want to sincerely apologize for everything I’ve done wrong. “Chloe is your niece. If you’re upset or resentful, take it out on me. Just don’t involve an innocent child. “I’ve already pleaded on your behalf. Your brother and sister-in-law have forgiven you. Come home with me. I’ve made a nice meal for you,” she said with a forced smile. That fake smile sent a chill down my spine. Without a moment’s hesitation, I yanked my hand free and stepped back in disgust.“What are you trying to do? Are you trying to drive me crazy?” Even after being her daughter for over twenty years, I could not figure out what scheme she was brewing. But one thing was for sure. She was up
Emily raised her chin smugly and was about to speak when David stopped her. “I know exactly what you’re trying to do. You’ve got your phone in your pocket and are ready to record us, right? Well, I’m not saying anything!” Emily was startled and quickly covered her mouth. She looked me up and down with a malicious gaze. I laughed bitterly before pulling out my phone from my pocket and handing it to them. “I just want to know the truth. There’s no need to get so defensive.” They relaxed once they took the phone. Emily looked pretty smug as she started talking. “We’re not just after your house. “We plan to give Chloe away anyway. After all, what’s the use of a girl? Taking care of her for five years was more than enough. “I did plan to make Chloe disappear at your rental apartment. That way, it would be sold at a huge discount at the auction. “Then, David would move in. After a few years, when he has a son, we’d save that house for my grandson to use when he gets married
David never once showed any gratitude for the six years he lived in my house. Instead, he forced me to pay the mortgage every month. He even made me cover their heating costs in the winter, along with their water and electricity bills. Dealing with a family like mine was deeply heartbreaking. I used to hope that Chloe, despite everything, might rise above it. However, after today, I saw that she was only becoming more like them. I did not need a family like that. With that thought in mind, I decided to cut ties with them altogether and leave the city where I was born and raised. I thought that by leaving them behind, I could start fresh. Perhaps I could rebuild my life. But as soon as I stepped into my house, I immediately received a video from David. I could not find the right words to describe my emotions at that moment. It could have been anger, disgust, or sadness. Maybe all of them at once. What kind of family does this to their own? Were they really trying to de
“What do you want?” I asked in annoyance. I did not bother to hide my irritation. I was not in the mood to talk to her. Emily, acting completely out of character, walked up to me and grabbed my hand with unusual warmth. “I know I’ve been a terrible mother,” she said. “I’ve been reflecting on my mistakes at home. I want to sincerely apologize for everything I’ve done wrong. “Chloe is your niece. If you’re upset or resentful, take it out on me. Just don’t involve an innocent child. “I’ve already pleaded on your behalf. Your brother and sister-in-law have forgiven you. Come home with me. I’ve made a nice meal for you,” she said with a forced smile. That fake smile sent a chill down my spine. Without a moment’s hesitation, I yanked my hand free and stepped back in disgust.“What are you trying to do? Are you trying to drive me crazy?” Even after being her daughter for over twenty years, I could not figure out what scheme she was brewing. But one thing was for sure. She was up
“Officers, please, you have to find out the truth! Chloe must’ve been kidnapped by Grace! She must have been hurt! “Hurry and arrest Grace! If you don’t, this will haunt Chloe for the rest of her life! “How did I end up with such a monster for a daughter? I should’ve just killed you when you were a kid!” Emily glared at me in intense hatred and spat in my face. As if that were not enough, she rolled up her sleeves and was ready to hit me. I stood there in confusion as I stared at Chloe. I was just starting to process what had just happened. “Chloe, what are you saying? I haven’t seen you these past few days. How could I have hurt you?” I tried to explain to her patiently. Perhaps she had suffered some trauma and was confused about who had hurt her. But she looked at me in fear and resentment. “Aunt Grace, didn’t you try to sell me to someone a long time ago? You were the one who told me to find you. “If I hadn’t run away, I would’ve been sold to human traffickers. Why
“David and Margaret are going crazy trying to find Chloe. Look at how devastated Emily is. Do you really have the heart to do this to a child and to them?” The relatives criticized me all at once. It was clear that they believed Emily’s lies. I frowned and said calmly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never even seen Chloe.” David, who had been standing nearby, said, “What more are you going to say? Do you want me to bring out the evidence? I never thought you could be this vicious!” David was so furious that it seemed like he might charge at me and slap me right then. But I was not worried. I calmly took a settlement agreement out of my bag. “I’ve been at the police station since yesterday. How could I have hurt Chloe? I have a solid alibi.” I opened the settlement agreement in front of everyone. Emily’s face instantly darkened. I ignored her feelings and said without hesitation, “My landlord and neighbors can confirm that I’ve been at the police station.
My head rang, and my vision was blurry from the slap. A metallic, sweet taste of blood filled my mouth. “David, you don’t believe me either?” I stumbled to my feet. The crowd was pointing and whispering. This made my vision blur even more. I had no idea what I had done wrong. I could not understand why they were blaming me for everything. Then, I looked up and saw Margaret standing in the distance. She was staring at me. She slowly walked toward me. I felt like she was my last hope. I rushed toward her in a frenzy. I knew Margaret had a fiery temper, but she was always an objective and reasonable person. If she believed me, maybe there was still a chance to fix this. “Margaret! You know me! Do you think I would ever hurt Chloe? I’ve always been good to her. I didn’t even know Chloe was coming to meet me.” I blurted out, but she just stood there and stared at me coldly. “Why did you hurt Chloe? Did you really kill her? Where is she? Why is she missing? “The evidenc
Sophie, who had been pointing at my nose and ranting moments ago, froze. She stared at the settlement agreement in her hands in disbelief. The nearby police officer was also stunned. He remained silent as I transferred 50,000 dollars into Sophie’s account without hesitation. The crowd’s perception of me shifted instantly. I went from being seen as a deadbeat to a reasonable person in the blink of an eye. Everyone was left speechless. They could not understand why I seemed like a completely different person after just one phone call. It was as though I had been anticipating that call the entire time. I ignored the bewildered stares around. I got into my car and drove away. As I checked my phone, I noticed countless missed calls and messages from my mother. I decided to listen to a few of her voice messages. “Why are you doing this? Chloe was such a sweet girl. She loved you so much. Why would you hurt her?” “Even if you’re my daughter, I can’t protect you anymore. This tim
“Where on earth have you been? Do you know Chloe is missing?!” My mother, Emily Davis, was grinding her teeth in anger as she yelled at me on the phone. It felt like she might spit at me through the screen. I frowned and said coldly, “If she’s missing, then go look for her. What’s the point of calling me?” There was a brief silence on the other end. Perhaps she was stunned by my response. But the yelling resumed almost immediately. “It’s all your fault, you jinx! How else could Chloe go missing?! “She said she was coming to visit you yesterday. You didn’t even bring her back! Did something happen to her?! “If anything happens to her, I swear I won’t forgive you!” My mom kept shouting, but I felt nothing. I had always cared about Chloe. But I no longer tried to look for her. Instead, I hit the mute button on my phone and turned to look at the landlord, Sophie Walker. She was standing next to me. Her face was red with anger. “Are you going to pay or not? Is this reall