Все главы His Choice Wasn't Me: Глава 21 - Глава 30

The house had stopped feeling like a home long ago. It was now just walls and whispers — the scent of sorrow lingering in every room.James barely spoke to Tiana anymore.When he wasn’t at work or at the police station, he spent his hours in Daniel’s room, sitting silently on the edge of the bed, as if expecting the boy to walk through the door again.Clara moved carefully through her chores, praying silently for peace to return, but instead, tension brewed like a storm about to break.That morning, after Melissa had left for school, Clara stepped out through the back door to hang some washed sheets under the soft morning sun. The scent of detergent still clung to her fingers.She was humming quietly when she froze at what she saw — Tiana, standing by the garbage bins behind the house, a large black bag beside her.Her hands moved quickly, tossing in clothes and books.Clara squinted, then gasped softly. It was Daniel’s schoolbag. She recognized it instantly — the one with the small b

It had been weeks since Daniel began living under the roof of the old man who found him that cold, lonely night on the streets. The man had introduced himself simply as Ben Williams.His voice had carried a warmth Daniel hadn’t felt in a long time; the kind of voice that assured of nothing but safety.From that night on, Ben treated him like his own child. He gave him a room in his small wooden cabin, deep in the quiet stretch of the woods, where the air smelled of pine and old earth.Daniel quickly adapted to the rhythm of life there — early mornings filled with birdsong, late evenings beside a crackling fire, listening to stories about life and survival.The old man cooked, taught him how to fish in the nearby stream, and sometimes, they would sit outside just watching the stars. For the first time in a long while, Daniel felt peace.One evening, while helping Ben clean some old hunting tools, Daniel finally asked, “Sir, you said your name is Ben Williams, right?”The old man looked

Sarah shook her head quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, baby,” she interrupted, her voice breaking. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’m sorry for the way I treated you five years ago. For the pain I caused you.”Daniel didn’t say a word. His chest rose and fell fast as more tears gathered in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he stepped forward again and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, pressing his face to her stomach like he used to when he was small.Sarah’s arms went around him too, holding him as if she feared he might disappear if she let go. Ben turned away, pretending to adjust the lantern light, but his eyes were glistening too.Minutes later, dinner was set. Ben sat at the head of the small wooden table, while Daniel and Sarah sat opposite each other.The soft glow of the candles cast their shadows across the walls. The atmosphere was warm, but beneath it, a silence sat heavy — a silence filled with words unspoken and years lost.Daniel, after a few spoons of food, ra

Chapter 27: The Roadside HorrorClara walked aimlessly along the lonely road, dragging her small travel bag behind her, tears streaming down her face. The night was cold, and her body trembled both from fear and exhaustion.Every step felt heavier than the last. She had nowhere to go; no money, no means of transport.The thought of trekking all the way to her parents’ home made her legs weaker.She tried to wave down passing cars, hoping someone would pity her enough to stop. But even the few that slowed down quickly sped off once they noticed her disheveled appearance.She sighed and muttered prayers under her breath, begging for safety, begging for mercy.Minutes later, a black Camry screeched to a stop beside her. Her heart leapt in relief as the driver wound down the window.“Good evening, beautiful lady,” the man said with a grin, his tone almost too friendly. “You look stranded. Need a lift?”Clara bent slightly to respond, but the moment her eyes caught his face clearly, every

Five years ago, after the surgery, Sarah found herself stranded in a city she barely knew. The doctors had saved her life, but survival afterward became another battle.The small amount of money left with her couldn’t even cover rent for long, and she had already decided never to return to New York — not yet, not with the scars and pain that still followed her everywhere.Her father had spent everything on her surgery, selling what little he had to keep her alive. The thought of calling him for help again broke her heart.So, she made a quiet vow to fend for herself, no matter how little it took.She found a small apartment on the outskirts of London, the kind where the walls were damp, and the neighbors rarely smiled.The room had one window that barely let in sunlight, but she managed. Every morning she woke with gratitude for the chance to live again, even if it meant starting from nothing.After days of searching, she landed a job as a waitress at a busy restaurant downtown. It wa