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Chapter 11

Author: Goodtale
Zane stood by the door for a while before finally turning away.

The door closed quietly behind him.

I stayed in the living room, resting one hand on the crib railing as I looked down at Natalie's sleeping face.

Her long lashes rested against her rosy cheeks, and her tiny fist was curled around the corner of the blanket as she slept peacefully.

I didn't cry.

That night, I had a very long dream.

In the dream, sunlight spilled across a warm, endless garden. A little girl with pigtails cro
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  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 11

    Zane stood by the door for a while before finally turning away.The door closed quietly behind him.I stayed in the living room, resting one hand on the crib railing as I looked down at Natalie's sleeping face.Her long lashes rested against her rosy cheeks, and her tiny fist was curled around the corner of the blanket as she slept peacefully. I didn't cry.…That night, I had a very long dream.In the dream, sunlight spilled across a warm, endless garden. A little girl with pigtails crouched among the flowers as she looked at butterflies.Golden dust shimmered on their wings as they fluttered through the light.I walked over and crouched beside her. She turned around. Her lips curved into a smile. She looked so much like I did when I was little."Nattie?" I called out to her.She smiled at me. Then, she stood up and ran away. Her pigtails bounced with each step she took.…Sunlight steamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.The therapist's office had beige walls and

  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 10

    Zane sounded as weary as if he'd just run a marathon. Beneath the exhaustion, however, was a hard edge. "We found Rowan hiding in the basement. The walls were covered with photos of you. There was also a copy of Nattie's meet-the-baby celebration. He circled the date in red and underlined the word 'balcony'."We found rope, duct tape, sleeping pills, and an unsigned threatening letter addressed to Nattie in a corner of the basement."I could hear Wanda sobbing in the background. She sounded completely broken even over the phone."I'm sorry, Mr. Graham. My brother made me do it. He said that if Simone died, you'd marry me. He said I'd finally have the life I deserved. I lost my mind and—""Enough."Zane's voice was cold enough to cut glass.The sobbing stopped instantly. Silence followed.I ended the call and sat on the couch for a very long time.Mom had to call my name twice and rest her hand on my shoulder before I finally came back to myself.Natalie had woken up.She scan

  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 9

    Zane took a deep breath before finally saying, "Back then, the hospital told us that Rowan didn't make it. When I went to identify the body, his face was so badly swollen that it was almost entirely wrapped in bandages. All I could recognize were his build and clothes."Wanda told me it was her brother as she sobbed, and I believe her. I couldn't bring myself to go to his funeral because of guilt, so Wanda handled everything. Later on, she told me that he had been buried.""Have you never questioned it?" I asked.Zane's face went pale. He swallowed hard and shook his head.I let go of his arm and took a step back until my shoulders met the cold wall. The dull ache on the back of my head helped me think.Rowan wasn't dead. He had spent all these years hiding in the shadows.Using Zane's guilt over his supposed death, he had Wanda pose as his grieving little sister to secure financial support, special treatment, and even an apartment.Everything Wanda had done to Natalie—from conv

  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 8

    Zane stayed silent for a long time. Then, he slowly bent down and placed his hand over mine. I was still holding the pen.His palm was warm. It was trembling ever so slightly."Let's leave a message for our future selves," he said in a hoarse voice. "We'll tell your future self to check on that house at a specific time. Or my future parents. Anyone. If someone can get there at the right moment, maybe they can save Nattie.""Do you actually believe that'll work?" I asked, staring up at him.A bitter smile crossed his face, splitting the dry skin at the corners of his lips. "At this point, I'll believe anything. If there's a chance it'll keep Nattie safe, I'll believe it."We tried Zane's idea.I picked up my phone and slowly typed into the chat window."To Natalie Graham: If you see this message, then on the day strangers break into your house when you're five years old, run to a neighbor's house or hide in a closet. Whatever you do, don't make a sound. I'm trying to save you."

  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 7

    A crowd had gathered outside the Weber residence. Dad stood at the front door in his pajamas with Natalie wrapped in her cloud-patterned blanket in his arms. His face was grim.I jumped out of the car and rushed toward him. Natalie shifted in his arms. She was still clutching the corner of the blanket, fast asleep.All I could see was the five-year-old Natalie, who had been crying in fear. The little girl who was crying for her mother to save her."Simone, we've searched the entire house. Nothing's out of the ordinary," Dad said, frowning. "What happened?"I opened my mouth, but I had no idea where to begin. Zane was issuing orders to the security team in a low, controlled voice behind me."I want someone monitoring every camera around the clock. Every floor, every elevator, the garage, and the living room have to be monitored. I don't want a single blind spot," he commanded."One more thing—find out where Wanda is today. Pull her phone records, bank statements, and social medi

  • I Saw My Daughter Beg Me Not to Die   Chapter 6

    My question stopped Zane in his tracks. "What are you trying to say, Simone?""Are you sure you don't get it?"I took a step toward him and looked him straight in the eye. "Nattie said, 'Dad won't let me see you.' Wherever she is, you're keeping her away from me. She can't even see her own mother."And what are you doing instead? Playing happy family with your secretary? Buying her an apartment? Handing her every opportunity? Were you too busy being Father of the Year over there?"The color drained from his face. His fingers trembled around his phone."Do you actually believe those comments?" he shot back through gritted teeth. "They're supposedly from a five-year-old child. Maybe she misunderstood something. Maybe none of this means what you think it does. You divorced me without even giving me the chance to explain.""Explain?" I scoffed. "I've been trying to explain myself to you for three years. Back when you were courting me, you promised that you'd spend the rest of your li

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