All Chapters of A Life Reclaimed: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I was sitting on a bench outside the funeral home.Almost absently, I liked the birthday post on social media.Then I left a comment: "Happy birthday."Less than a minute after I posted it, my wife, Marissa Langley, who had rejected more than thirty of my calls, suddenly called me herself.I answered on instinct.The first thing I heard was an accusation."What is that passive-aggressive comment supposed to mean? You scared a college graduate so badly he's talking about quitting. Apologize to Tyler right now, or we're getting divorced."We had been married for seven years.Marissa had threatened divorce more often than she had shown me affection.It was her go-to tactic to threaten me.And every time, I surrendered immediately.Then I apologized like a man with no pride at all.Little by little, I pushed my own boundaries farther back.I had always believed that a marriage beginning when we were young was too precious to throw away.Besides, we had a child.The thought o

Chapter 2

My hands shook as I called back, but no one answered anymore.I endured thirteen miserable hours on the overnight bus.When I finally reached the hospital, I saw my father's body being wheeled from his room beneath a white sheet.My mother had collapsed sobbing in my aunt's arms.When she saw me arrive exhausted and filthy, she slapped me across the face and wailed, "Why did you only come now? Why? Do you know how much your father suffered waiting for you?"My cheek burned.I pushed through the people around the stretcher.I lifted the sheet.The twisted pain still visible on my father's face made my heart feel crushed in a fist.One of the nurses moving him told me that several of his ribs had been fractured.In his final agitation, he had deliberately broken his own ribs, desperately trying to stay conscious long enough for me to arrive.But he eventually ran out of strength.In the end, the son he had been waiting for never reached him in time.At the funeral, I called

Chapter 3

"Sorry, Mr. Beckett. Looks like I'll be leaving this family in your hands from now on."The words had barely left my mouth when Marissa finally noticed the large suitcase beside me.She shoved it over irritably and rolled her eyes."What now? Where do you think you're going? Your father is fine, isn't he? Why are you running around again? Can you use your brain for once instead of losing control of your emotions and running off every time your mother says something? Even a bus ticket costs money."And what about that comment you left on Tyler's birthday post? You think because Tyler was generous enough not to make an issue of it, I forgot? Apologize to him now."Maybe I was too calm.Marissa simply assumed my father had recovered.I met the eyes of the woman driving another knife into my chest.I tried to find anger or grief inside myself, but found nothing at all.So this was what it meant to give up on a relationship completely.The other person could bring the entire house

Chapter 4

I used to tell myself that children eventually grew up.Once Noah was older, he would understand how much I had sacrificed for him.Now I understood there was no arguing with what a mother and her son decided between themselves.In the end, Noah had become like Marissa.He believed only what he wanted to believe.Sticky frosting covered my entire face.Tyler gave a startled cry and rushed forward with a handkerchief."Adrian, I'm sorry. I never thought Noah would do that. I should have watched him. Here, let me wipe it off."Something had been smeared onto the handkerchief Tyler pressed against my face.The instant it touched my skin, a stabbing, burning itch tore through me.Tyler's supposedly gentle hand was using far more force than necessary.Every pass made the burning worse.He kept pressing the frosting and whatever was on the cloth into my nose and mouth.Panic exploded through me as I struggled to breathe.Instinct made me shove him away.Something hit the floo

Chapter 5

I had no idea how much time had passed.When I opened my eyes, I saw the blurred white walls of a hospital room.Graham Talbot's voice cut in somewhere beside me."Thank God you're awake. Do you know how long you've been out? Almost twenty-four hours. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you might not have survived."My head was still foggy.I tried to force myself upright and nearly fell.Graham noticed and immediately raised the head of the bed for me.After the ache in my body settled slightly, I asked in confusion, "I'm sorry I scared you, but how did you even know something had happened to me?"I had only just regained consciousness.My memory ended with the 911 call that had somehow been placed from my phone.I had no memory of contacting Graham at all."You probably won't believe me, but I received a location message from your father's old account. I knew he had died, which was exactly why it felt wrong, so I rushed over."Graham pressed a hand to his chest, still shaken

Chapter 6

Marissa cut Graham off impatiently and looked at me in the hospital bed. "Adrian, this is a family matter. I don't want outsiders involved.""He's Graham Talbot, my divorce attorney. I have authorized him to handle all communication with you about ending our marriage," I said calmly."Divorce?"Marissa and Noah shouted the word at the same time.Marissa's expression darkened, while Noah looked delighted."Mom, the useless guy finally wants a divorce. Say yes. Hurry. I never want to see him again."Marissa ignored the child bouncing beside her.She only stared at me with a deep frown."Adrian, why are you always so unreasonable? If you hadn't shoved Tyler that hard, why would I have hit you? And I didn't even know there was a gas leak. How can you turn one misunderstanding into some enormous crime?""Whether you believe me or not, I pushed him because he was pressing a cloth with a caustic chemical over my face while I couldn't see. I had no idea where he landed," I said steadi

Chapter 7

The question landed.The courtroom went completely silent.Sullivan exchanged a glance with Marissa, as if victory was already theirs.Then, a young voice rose from the gallery."I can prove it. Tyler did wipe Dad's face on purpose."Noah stood up.He looked torn, his small face working.In the end, he forced himself to be brave.He finally said what he had wanted to say at the hospital but had been too afraid to admit."Tyler told me to find a chance to smear the cake on Dad's face. He said if I did, the annoying dad would disappear and Tyler could become my real dad and play games with me forever."I don't like Dad very much. But Dad and Mom both taught me that kids aren't supposed to lie."Before Noah had even finished, panic flashed across Tyler's face.A moment later, he forced his usual bright, easygoing expression back into place."Noah, I know you and your father don't like me spending so much time around Ms. Langley."But Ms. Langley and I have never done anythin

Chapter 8

I strode toward the courthouse exit.Noah ran in front of me and, for the first time in years, awkwardly opened both arms."Dad, I know lying is wrong, so I told the truth. When I used to cry, you always hugged me. Why won't you hug me now?"Dad.The word sounded almost unfamiliar.Noah hadn't called me that in years.Ever since he believed I deliberately let him get sick to impress his mother, he had called me useless instead.There had been a time when I dreamed of hearing him call me Dad again.There had been a time when I tried everything I could think of to repair our relationship.But that day, when I had fallen to the floor unable to see, he hadn't recognized my pain at all.Instead, he had kicked the damaged part of my back again and again.From that moment on, I stopped expecting anything from him.He didn't deserve my love as a father.Not even though he was my own flesh and blood.I didn't answer Noah's request for a hug and tried to walk around him.Marissa s

Chapter 9

She had also warned companies in her own industry that she wouldn't work with him again.With his reputation damaged and Marissa's network closed to him, Tyler began looking overseas for work in his field.I almost laughed at how completely Marissa missed the point.Even if Tyler vanished from our lives, there would eventually be someone else.If it wasn't him, it would be another young employee, another favorite, another excuse.The real problem was that Marissa had never valued what I did for our family.Later, her calls became even more frequent.Without me managing Noah's care, he started getting sick repeatedly.Sometimes he ate food that triggered vomiting and diarrhea.Other times, poor temperature control and missed routines ended in fever or respiratory infections.I could hear Noah crying in the background while a nurse gave him a shot.Marissa sounded close to tears too."Adrian, please come home. The doctor says Noah has significant allergies, and I don't know h

Chapter 10

Graham told me he had rejected that condition immediately under the authority I had given him.He thumped his chest and said, "I'd rather see you leave a little money on the table than watch you crawl back to that woman's cold leftovers."Once the property-transfer paperwork was complete, I sent my mother a lump sum to help support her.I told her to take care of herself even though she was living alone.She returned the money with an even larger amount added to it.She said she had lost control at my father's funeral.The moment I left, she regretted telling me I was no longer her son.She had thought about finding me again and again but never knew how to begin the conversation.I was her child, and all she wanted was for me to live well.Dad had protected her for most of her life too.But now he was gone.If I was ever hurt or exhausted out in the world, I could still come back to her.She said she still had a shoulder for me, and she would always have my back.In what f

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