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Chapter 40

Author: Belle Jameson
last update Last Updated: 2024-12-17 20:29:58

MONIQUE

I was a loving daughter, always eager for my parents' attention. But as I entered adolescence, their business consumed them. I remembered the hollow ache I felt when their focus shifted away from me, how I would sulk and brood, convinced they had stopped caring. There were days I wanted to throw a tantrum, scream at them for always being too busy, for not noticing how much I missed them.

But one day, when I came home from school, Mother called me into the kitchen, her graceful figure perched on a stool by the counter. She looked perfect, as always, in a crisp white suit, sipping hot chocolate. Without a word, she passed me her mug, a gesture that I was used to. I took a sip, unsure of what was coming next.

She smiled softly, her eyes warm, and said, "There is nothing in this world that will ever stop your father and me from loving you. And there is nothing we wouldn't do for you." Her voice was filled with the reassurance I hadn't realized I needed.

She explained that their wo
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