All Chapters of The Past Won't Let Go: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My finger froze above the screen. The light from my phone suddenly felt blinding. "What?" My voice was hoarse."You don't know this, but I had someone pay your father's hospital bills all this time." He was looking at me like I was a clown. "Birchwood Group's been bankrupt for three years. You barely make enough for his ventilator for a day. Call the police, and the moment they arrive, that money stops."Everything inside me went cold. Three years ago, my dad had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, and the company fell. I sold the house and everything I had just to pay the hospital bills. All this time, I thought the hospital's foundation was paying for my father. It turned out that was never true.Winston had been holding my weakness in his hands all along, using my gratitude against me. I glowered at him. "He's your father-in-law. He sponsored your business when you had nothing. You begged him in the rain. You begged him to give my hand to you in marriage. You swore to protect me with y

I woke up in the hospital's corridor. There were no wards or beds for me. I was lying on a cold bench outside the emergency room, covered only by an old jacket a kind nurse had placed over me."You're awake." The janitor looked at me. "Your husband left after sending you here. Said he's going to OBGYN. Another pregnant woman was waiting for him."I said nothing as I pushed myself back up. My stomach was still in pain, and I took my phone out. There was an unread message from the hospital staff."Due to his outstanding balance, George Birchwood's medication is cut off. His time of death is 2:14 AM. Cause of death: Heart failure. Family members are requested to assist with the necessary procedures as soon as possible."My hand shook, and the phone fell to the ground. Two in the morning. At that time, I had been collapsing after drinking the liquor at the event.Winston grabbed Jessica and left. He did not pay the bills. He threatened me with my father's life, made me bow, ruined my

Winston sat in the interrogation room, his hands cuffed to the desk. A police officer tossed a thick stack of files in front of him."Five years ago, you used a pile-up to fake your death and went overseas using a fake passport. Then, you made minor adjustments to your face overseas. Over the last five years, you used an offshore account to transfer your company's assets batch by batch. You gained a death certificate and a huge amount of life insurance money through deception." The officer pointed at the transaction history. "And the money went to Jessica Gold's account. All of it."Winston hung his head low. He did not look at the files. "I want to see Wendy." That was the only sentence he kept repeating.The officer slammed the desk. "Wendy's dead. Her autopsy report is here. Snap out of it!"A bloodstained report was slid over to Winston. His eyes went to the black-and-white photo, and the face was disfigured. His hands started to shake. "No, how could she be…"The officer lo

Three months later, Winston and Jessica's case went to trial. The amount involved was staggering, the circumstances were vile, and the whole country was watching.Winston did not get any lawyers. He hung his head low while the judge read everything out. Fraud, forgery of national identification documents, and aggravated assault. In the end, Winston was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, with his sentences to run concurrently.As his accomplice, Jessica was sentenced to ten years. The moment the gavel fell, restraints were placed on Winston, and he was escorted into the prison van.When the van was passing through the city center's plaza, the gigantic screen was airing the news. TThe Birchwood Foundation had officially been established. There was no photo of me on the screen, only a smiling portrait of my late father.The money I'd gotten through my sacrifice managed to save three hundred severely ill patients. For a moment, he instinctively reached toward it through the metal ba

Many, many years later, the city changed again and again. The memorial park where Winston's remains were buried slowly became forgotten due to how remote it was, and the weed grew long. The wooden marker had long since rotted under wind and rain.None remembered his name anymore. None remembered he used to be the most ruthless businessman in this city.The Birchwood Foundation grew and grew. My name was etched on the memorial. Every spring, patients and families who had received help from the foundation would come to place flowers before it.One day, a young couple brought their little daughter to the memorial. The girl placed a bouquet of white lilies on the pedestal, then pointed curiously at the name engraved there."Who's that lady, Mom?" The girl pointed at the name on the memorial.The young mother patted her head. "She was a very brave lady who gave everything she had to save a lot of people."The girl nodded, though she did not fully understand her mother's words. "Where