Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Life Reclaimed: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

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

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

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

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

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