All Chapters of Where the Light Finds Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

第1章

My sister, Willow Sorrel, finally lowered her phone after taking enough pictures and took two steps back."You're so easy to fool, Eleanor. We walked you right toward it, and you actually walked in."My future mate, Theodore Grey, made sure Willow was safely away from the edge before letting go of her. Only then did he look at me."Sorry, Eleanor. Willow wanted me to play a prank for her birthday. She asked me to lead you into the creek, and I couldn't exactly say no."Besides, it's hot out. The water isn't even cold. Just think of it as a quick swim."My mother, Helen, smacked my father on the arm, annoyed."I forgot to record that! If we'd posted Eleanor's reaction online, it would've gone viral for sure."The four of them kept laughing and joking as if nothing had happened. No one even bothered to ask if I was cold, or if I was hurt.I climbed up the muddy bank alone, inch by inch. The dress I'd worn for Willow's birthday was soaked and covered in mud.When I was almost at the top,

第2章

The next morning, I woke up shivering, and the whole room seemed to spin around me.When I took my temperature, it was 102 degrees.I held on to the wall as I stumbled out of my room. Theodore was on the balcony with Willow, filming a video."Theodore, let's try that viral couple's lift! Hold me under my thighs and pick me up."Theodore agreed right away. He even helped Willow adjust the camera to get the perfect angle.Two weeks ago, I'd asked Theodore to make the same video with me.He'd refused outright. He said I was too heavy and he couldn't possibly lift me.But now, Willow, who was heavier than me, was sitting comfortably in his arms as if she weighed nothing."Theodore, I have a fever. Can you take me to the hospital?"A flash of irritation crossed Theodore's eyes at being interrupted, but when he turned and saw my pale face, his annoyance faded."Why are you so pale? How high is your fever?""102."Theodore moved with a little more urgency."That high? I'll take you right now.

第3章

Willow and Theodore came through the door laughing just as I finished arranging my transfer at work.My parents followed behind them, arguing over who had taken the best pictures of Willow during the trip.When Theodore saw me, he came over, concern flashing across his face."Is your fever any better?""Much better."Willow immediately noticed the new phone in my hand."Eleanor, why did you get a new phone? Wasn't your old one only two years old?"Mom turned to me with a frown."Eleanor, your phone was perfectly fine. Why would you buy a new one? You really need to stop wasting money like this."I gave a self-mocking smile.Willow was the one who demanded the newest phone every year. Meanwhile, I'd always used the phones she no longer wanted.I'd spent years saving every penny I could. I hardly even bought myself new clothes.Yet the moment I replaced a two-year-old phone, Mom was angry with me for wasting money. Simply because I wasn't Willow."I lost the old one, so I bought a new on

第4章

The next day, I was cleaning my suitcase in my room when Theodore walked in, looking uneasy."Eleanor, could we lend Willow our savings?""Why?""She wants to go to grad school and needs the money."I stared at Theodore in disbelief."Did you forget our promise?"Theodore and I had agreed to officially become mates by the end of the year. The $120,000 we'd saved together was supposed to cover the marking ceremony.Theodore looked away, unable to meet my eyes."We could just complete the marking without holding a ceremony."Willow's situation is urgent. We can still be marked without the ceremony."I took a deep breath."Half of that money is mine. I'm not agreeing to this."She can apply for scholarships and get a part-time job after school starts."He immediately argued back."Willow's been pampered her whole life. She can't handle a part-time job. It would be too hard for her.""I've been working part-time since college. Why can't Willow?"Theodore answered without thinking."Willow'

第5章

I was wheeling my suitcase toward the door while Theodore and my parents sat in the living room, helping Willow plan her grad school applications.It was as if our arguments had never happened and they hadn't taken my money and my design. The four of them sat together, happily planning Willow's future.A future they were building on my suffering."Where are you going?"Theodore stood and reached for me, but I stepped around him and kept walking."None of your business."Mom barely glanced at me before turning her attention back to the paperwork."Ignore her. She's just running away from home to make a point. If you keep giving in to her, she'll only get worse."I said nothing. My heart had already hurt so much that I couldn't feel anything anymore.When I was young, Willow often threatened to run away from home. But I had never dared to do the same.Because I knew that if I left, no one would come looking for me.Theodore grabbed the handle of my suitcase, his voice careful and gentle.

第6章

The day after Theodore called me, Mom sent me one long message after another."Eleanor, you actually left?"Are you upset? If you're upset, just talk to me. Why would you run away from home?"I'm worried about you being out there all by yourself."I read her messages before replying with just one sentence."But I was alone at home too, Mom.""How can you say that? You have your father and me. You have your sister. Theodore is at home waiting for you. We were always there.""But none of you ever really saw me. I never mattered to any of you."The four of you were a family. I was always the one on the outside."After sending that reply, I put my phone down and focused on my work.At lunch, I saw that both Mom and Theodore had sent me several more messages.I opened Mom's last voice message and heard the exhaustion and regret in her voice."Eleanor, I've had a long talk with Theodore, and I've been thinking about everything that happened."We did so many things that hurt you. But we reall

第7章

Two weeks after my transfer became official, Willow suddenly messaged me."Did you make Theodore take the money back?"I glanced at the message and ignored it.At lunch, I checked my phone again and found a barrage of furious messages from Willow."Why aren't you answering me?"Do you really hate seeing me do well?"No matter what petty tricks you pull, you'll never beat me!"I'd never understood why Willow hated me so much.I'd had so little growing up, yet even that seemed like too much for her. Whatever I had, she always wanted to take it from me."I haven't spoken to Theodore. You're overthinking it."Willow replied almost immediately."That's impossible! If it weren't for you, Theodore would never treat me like this!""If anything I said mattered, Theodore wouldn't have given you that money in the first place.""That's because you're pathetic and nobody likes you.""Say whatever you want. Now you get to find out what it feels like when nobody likes you, either."Willow clearly was

第8章

One month after the transfer, I'd finally settled into my new life.My new colleagues were kind and thoughtful. When they learned about my night blindness, one of them made sure to walk me home every evening.No one called me a burden. No one accused me of faking it.For the first time, I knew what it felt like to be seen and cared for.One afternoon after work, I walked downstairs with a colleague and saw Theodore waiting outside the building.He'd lost a lot of weight. His jaw was covered in stubble, and he looked exhausted."Eleanor..."The moment he saw me, Theodore's eyes lit up. He hurried toward me, but stopped a few feet away, as if he was afraid to come any closer."How did you find me?""I asked everyone I could at your company. Eventually, someone told me you had transferred here."Theodore looked at me with pleading eyes."Can we talk? Please."I hesitated, then nodded.After saying goodbye to my colleague, I took Theodore back to my apartment."What did you want to say?"T

第9章

My first Christmas since the transfer arrived before I knew it.Mom had started messaging me a month before Christmas, asking if I'd come home for the holidays.I said I was busy with work and wouldn't be coming.She asked if I would ever come back.I told her work was only going to get busier.She stopped asking, and I stopped reading her messages.The day before Christmas Eve, I was at home deciding what to cook for Christmas dinner when the doorbell rang.I opened the door and found Mom on the other side.There was much more gray in her hair than I remembered, and she seemed to have aged a lot.When she saw me, she gave me a careful smile."Eleanor, I just came to drop off a few things."I paused, then stepped aside to let her in."You said you weren't coming home, so I thought I'd bring you some food."I brought a few things for Christmas dinner. Can I put them in the fridge?""I don't eat salmon."Her eyes reddened and she waved her hands quickly."It's not salmon. It's cheese and

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