جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Outside the family law office, my father, Richard Wyler, shoved my duffel bag into my arms.He pulled out his phone and checked the lottery drawing date yet again before waving me away.“Don’t call unless it’s important. I have a big family to take care of. I’m busy enough as it is.”His mind was entirely on the lottery ticket that could soon make him a multimillionaire. He could not wait to rid himself of the burden I represented.Without saying anything, I walked toward the Maybach parked at the curb with my bags. My mother, Mona Brown, frowned when she saw my worn, shabby clothes.The rear window rolled down.My stepsister, Audrey Brown, covered her nose in disgust and said, “Mona, is this your daughter from the bad part of town? Why do her clothes stink?”My stepbrother, Derek Brown, turned from the front passenger seat and gave me a cool, appraising glance.He said nothing, but the contempt in his eyes was plain.Mom stood awkwardly beside the car, visibly embarrassed.

“Don’t take it personally.”He poured me a glass of water. Then, he found some painkillers in the medicine cabinet and handed them to me.I took two tablets.“Thank you.”He studied my pale face. “I used to spend entire nights awake when I was sick. The doctors gave me less than six months to live.“The pain was unbearable. Even breathing hurt. Everyone around me was waiting for me to die so they could divide up my estate.“No one believed I would make it. But I didn’t want to die. I went through the chemotherapy and the surgery, and here I am, still alive.”He turned his gaze back to the night sky.“No matter how other people treat you, this is your life. Don’t give up on it easily.”For the first time since I had traveled back in time, someone had shown me genuine kindness.I wrapped my hands around the warm glass.“I understand.”The next few days passed relatively peacefully.After Fred’s warning, Audrey stopped giving me trouble openly.However, her animosity towar

When I opened my eyes again, my vision was filled with a blinding, cold white.Fred sat on the sofa beside the hospital bed. There was a stack of medical reports in his hands. He read each page carefully with his brow slightly furrowed.The door opened. The attending physician walked into the room.Fred closed the folder and handed it to his assistant, who stood behind him.“Use every pain-management option available. Cost is not an issue.”The doctor nodded.“Rest assured, Mr. Brown. We’ll do everything we can to ease her pain.”Fred turned and looked at me.“Since you’re awake, have some water.”He picked up the water pitcher from the bedside table, poured some into a cup, and held the straw to my lips.I closed my lips around it and took a small sip.The water offered some relief to my parched throat.“Thank you, Fred.”He set the cup back on the table and handed me a tissue.“The doctor says you need plenty of rest, so I’ve arranged a medical leave of absence from s

Fred’s expression remained cold and impassive.“I don’t care what you claim to remember. We haven’t settled the matter of you harassing Phoebe outside this estate.”Dad swallowed hard but tried to maintain his composure. “She’s my daughter. I have every right to see her! She’s dying anyway, isn’t she?“Keeping her here will only make her a burden. Give me some money, and I’ll take her off your hands.”Fred rose and looked down at him.“I warned you what would happen if you ever showed your face here again.”He turned to the security guards standing nearby.“Break one of his legs and kick him out of the city. Make sure he never sets foot here again.”Two guards stepped forward and seized Dad by the arms.“Mr. Brown, you can’t do this! I’m sorry!“Forget the money! I don’t want it anymore!”His pleas gradually faded as the guards dragged him outside.I stood on the upstairs landing and watched the entire exchange below.Audrey came over and gently took my arm.“Don’t watc

I pressed my face into the pillow, trying not to make a sound as cold sweat covered my forehead.The door opened quietly. Mom entered with a warm washcloth.She sat on the edge of the bed and laid it across my forehead.“Does it hurt badly?”I kept my eyes closed. I did not want her to see how weak I felt.“It’s not too bad.”Her hands trembled slightly as she clumsily massaged my temples.“I never took proper care of you before, so I’m probably not very good at this. Bear with me.”The warmth against my forehead eased some of the tension in my body.“You don’t need to stay. Go back to bed.”Mom continued massaging my temples.Her voice was strained with unshed tears as she said, “I can’t sleep. Please, just let me stay with you.”I did not refuse her again. As her fingers continued their gentle circles, I gradually drifted off.A few days later, we arrived on the southern coast.That evening, a cool, salty breeze swept away the lingering heat of the day.Audrey and Dere