All Chapters of A Weight She Refused to Carry: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

A sudden knock echoed from the door, sharp and urgent, breaking the eerie silence of the night. Ezra immediately sprang to his feet, his heart racing with anticipation. He hurried to the door, eager to see who it was.When he opened it, his breath caught in his throat. There she was—the one he'd been longing for, the person who had haunted his thoughts day and night. It was Shermaine.She stood at the threshold, her soft face lifting to meet his gaze, a faint, gentle smile playing on her lips."Shermaine," Ezra whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. The weight in his chest lifted, as if a missing piece of himself had finally been restored. For the first time in what felt like forever, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, a smile that hadn't graced his face in weeks. But just as he was savoring the moment, he heard her voice—sweet and playful. "Ezra, let me in first."The smile on his face froze, and w

After Nikki left, Shermaine took her medicine and read for a while before she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She lay down for a nap, and when she woke up again, it was already nearly evening.The outside world was shrouded in darkness, and the room was just as dim. Still groggy from her sleep, Shermaine got up, turned on the light, and sat on the bed, her gaze drifting to the lonely moon outside the window. A sudden pang of sadness washed over her, unexpected and sharp.It was strange how one could still feel lonely sometimes.At that moment, Shermaine didn't think about Ezra. Instead, she thought about her parents and friends far away. She had only vaguely mentioned coming to the research institute to them, and they probably had no idea that she wouldn't be seeing them again for another five years.Her decision to come here hadn't been made on impulse. It had been the result of careful thought over time. But Ezra's actions had pushed her further, giving her the final nudge she ne

The living room was a mess. Isaiah sat on the couch, his chest rising and falling with visible anger, clearly on the edge of exploding. On the other side, Melanie stood with her clothes in disarray, her pale face marred with red marks, and there were several photos scattered on the floor—intimate pictures of her and Ezra.When Ezra entered, Melanie seemed to have found her anchor. She ran over, clinging to his shirt, her voice trembling with a mix of tears and indignation. "I came to visit Mr. and Mrs. Stout today, and for some reason, they grabbed my hair and told me to go to hell… Ezra, they tried to kill me!""Yes, I wish I could kill you." Isaiah's voice trembled with rage as he slammed his hand on the table, his eyes filled with a mixture of fury and sorrow. "But you're not the only one I want dead. Ezra, I'll kill you too, you jerk!"Isaiah's voice quivered with anger. "My sweet daughter had never been wronged in her life... You promised you would treat her well! But what ha

Not only did Ezra reveal how Melanie had seduced him to climb the ranks and how she had provoked Shermaine, but he also exposed how, when he no longer wanted to be with her, Melanie had turned the tables, scheming to ruin Shermaine's reputation.He laid everything bare for the world to hear.Throughout it all, Melanie was restrained, her arms held down by others, and the microphone in front of her had been turned off. Her voice, hoarse from shouting, fell on deaf ears.She could do nothing but watch, helplessly, as the man she loved destroyed her life.And he did all of this for Shermaine.Once Ezra had finished speaking, he let out a long, almost relieved breath. When he looked up again, his face was pale and his eyes bloodshot, filled with an unbearable sense of loss."Shermaine, maybe you'll see this press conference today. I just want to say, I was wrong. I hurt you, and I regret it, but the person I love most in this world is you. If I have to destroy myself, ruin my name,

More than four years passed in the blink of an eye.Maybe it was Eddie's advice that had made a difference.Over time, Shermaine slowly began to open up to them. She'd been cautious at first, but eventually, she found herself surrounded by genuinely good people.Warren, with his warm and friendly demeanor, took care of everyone and was easy to talk to. Nikki was as enthusiastic as ever. She practically dragged Shermaine to her home to introduce her to her parents, offering her the chance to become their goddaughter so she could hang out with her more often. As for Eddie, despite his cool exterior, he wasn't as reserved as he seemed. He had a keen sense for people's feelings and was particularly considerate of Shermaine's.But Shermaine didn't really focus on it. She could tell that Eddie was incredibly protective and fond of Nikki, which led to him caring about her too, since they spent so much time together.The results of their research came even earlier than expected—half