7

"I love you, for all that you are, all that you've been, and all that you're yet to be."

~♡~

Brett

"Dyslexia?" I huffed out in shock.

"Yes." She replied, unsure of whether the choice she made was wise or not. "She is a dyslexic child."

"How long has it been?" I said.

"I found out about 2 years ago. But she did, just a few months ago." She said. "I knew she had difficulty in grasping things but it's not like she isn't intelligent. She's a brilliant student. But I failed to understand why her talent is never shown in her grades. That's when I got to know that she has dyslexia."

"How.. have you been able to do something about it?" I asked.

"I don't know how to." She said, helplessness written all over her face. "I've been told that Chloe's condition isn't really that bad and she can correct it with professional help."

"That's why she wasn't able to write properly?" I asked.

"Yes." she continued. "She does have any clarity about the alphabets. She needs special training for that, Brett. And Chloe doesn't want that."

"Why the hell not?" I asked.

"She's a very insecure person, Brett." She said. "She doesn't want to accept that she needs help. She thinks she's defected. That she is not normal. She cannot accept that."

"But that is not true." I said. "She has to look beyond that. Having dyslexia is not something she should be feeling insecure about."

"But she doesn't understand that." She said. "I tried convincing her but she broke down. She doesn't want to accept that she needs help. She's stressing herself. She's studying and working a lot more than needed. And I'm scared that's not good for her, Brett. She shouldn't stress herself like that. She tries so hard but never gets good grades. And I don't know how to help her."

I didn't know what I could speak after what Mrs.Morgan has confessed.We usually detect it in a younger age so that special attention can be given to the patient. She has done petty things in the past but she doesn't deserve this. No one deserves this.

"Just think of it, Brett," she spoke. "A normal girl, who doesn't know who her father is, who doesn't have a friend she could bring home, who doesn't even have anyone to open up to, has to go through this. To just think about how much it must be hurting her to know that she works so hard but still her classmates have better grades than her makes me feel so sad. How much would that undermine her confidence? I can only imagine how broken she is from inside."

"I don't care about her grades," she continued. "My daughter is important to me. But she doesn't understand that. She doesn't want to give up. She wants to fight. That's the reason why she keeps writing or reading so that she could learn to spell or write everything perfectly. But how far can she go without any support? She's going to need help eventually but she is not ready to take it."

I didn't know what to say. Chloe Morgan has gone through a lot more than I gave thought. She is not just just a spoilt child that I knew. She regrets doing the things she did. It is evident in her eyes. And why the hell haven't I noticed that before? I don't even want to think about how much she has gone through. Not being able to read at the age of seventeen is a lot worse to experience than think.

"I don't know how I can help her, Brett." She said. "Every night, it kills me to see her frustration lying deep below the calm face she tries to put on. She never accepts the fact that she is struggling. I don't know if that makes me terrible mother to not be able to solve my daughter's problem.

I laid my hands on her shoulder and she looked up at me. "It's not true, Mrs.Morgan. You are an amazing mother. You've been so supportive and are willing to help her. And that's what is important. You don't care what the world thinks about your daughter. You love her, Mrs.Morgan. That's enough for her to live."

"Mrs.Morgan, Chloe is an amazing girl. She's a fighter. And I'm glad she's my friend."

She smiled up at me.

"And if it is alright to you.." I started. "I want to help Chloe."

"What?" She asked in a low tone.

"Yes.." I said. "I want to help. I want to make her achieve what she wants."

"How are you going to do it?"

"I'll spend extra time with her," I said. "I'll discuss lessons with her and make sure she's on par with the rest of us. Please give me a chance."

"You dont have to do it, Brett." She said. "You have a life ahead of you. Moreover, Chloe won't be allowing it."

"Mrs.Morgan," I said. "I don't care if it affects me. But I really want to do it. I can't just sit and see her struggle alone. And I'm sure, I'll figure out a way to convince her. Please, I need your approval for that."

"You always have my permission, Brett." She smiled.

"Thank you so much." I said. "I'm sure I'll not let you down."

"Just make sure she's not going to get hurt again."

I nodded. "I promise."

~♡~

I never found sleep that night. All I could think about was Chloe Morgan. It feels as though I knew her all my life but never understood her. I haven't even thought of a possibility that she had to go to through all of this alone. I have always seen her like a girl who was spoilt and cares about nothing. But never thought she was trying so hard to keep up with everyone. Trying so fucking hard just so that she can prove she doesn't need help.

The fucking idiot that I was, I never found the need to ask her what was wrong. Only if I hadn't jumped to conclusions. Only if I made the attempt to ask her how she was, maybe I could've decreased the amount of hardship she had to go through. And nothing torments me more than the fact that I could've helped her.

I was the only true friend she ever had. And I left her. I showed my anger on her and refused to help her all these years. Chloe had to go through so much, and I sat comfortably thinking about how much of a spoilt brat she was. But the truth of the matter is she is nothing like what I thought. She is beyond everything I could ever think.

Having gone through so much, she is still fighting. She is still willing to fight and is not going to give up. And I'm so proud of her. She has learnt to live life by herself. She has seen betrayal and helplessness in the early stages of her life and it's the courage and the strength that is inside her that is making her stand firm.

And she deserves all the happiness that is she is destined to find. She deserves every bit of love. Nothing can hide the fact that what she did to Sapphire was cruel, but I cannot stay mad at her for that forever. She regrets it and moreover, she might have been under the influence of her friends.

I don't understand how she ever managed to establish a friendship with those fuckers. If she had a better group of friends, who were willing to help her, maybe she wouldn't be this helpless right now.

I knew a girl from their group, Vicky, who was apparently her best friend. I atleast expected Vicky to help her.

And I don't think any of them even know it. Chloe wouldn't show her signs of disability to anyone. She doesn't want pity. Nor does she seek sympathy from anyone. She likes to fight her own battles.

I wonder if she was ready to accept any help even if anyone came forward. As much as I appreciate her never ending will to move forward and keep going, I hate to admit that she needs to bring that down.

She needs to let people into her life. She needs to seek help. She needs to rely on someone for support. She'll eventually need someone that would stand up for her, and take care of her.

Chloe Morgan is the only girl I ever cried for. She was capable of bringing those tears into my eyes just by letting me know what she's been through. Without any intention of hers, she made me feel the pain that I haven't felt for any girl.

She makes me repent everything that I have ever done to her. She makes me want to slap myself for being such an asshole to her. I never thought I'd regret doing something with a girl because I always think twice before I react.

But in Chloe's case, I did a mistake. I didn't allow her to explain herself or even care to ask her to clear things up. I never made an attempt. And what else could I expect in return? I still remember the day she brought me cookies. The day I left her. She was so sad, I could see it in her eyes. But she never asked me to stay. She didn't want me to stay behind for her.

And when I came back, I lied that I didn't remember her. I still remember that painful look on her face. I guess she was so happy to finally have me back. But I broke it.

How would she ever approach me for any help if I hadn't even spared a look at her? I ignored her for so many years and.. how could she trust someone like me?

I was her only friend in childhood and I broke her trust? How could she ever learn to trust anyone else?

These horrible things kept me up all night. I thought of a million ways how I could help her. But it's gone. There is no point in crying over something that cannot be undone.

I need to think of what lies ahead. How else I could help her.

I am going to work harder this time. And I'm going to make it up to all the years I have wasted.