All Chapters of Meet Her for Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

After that, we exchanged numbers. I also learned Chloe was a senior at a nearby university.I told her I needed to lend my main gaming account to a relative and had her add my alt account instead. Chloe did not suspect a thing and promptly deleted the main one.When I got home, Jared rushed over, practically buzzing. "So? How'd it go? Was she actually hot, or ugly enough to haunt your dreams?"I furrowed my brow and put on a pained expression. "She's a nice girl. Don't talk about her like that."That only made Jared laugh harder. "I knew it! She's totally hideous! I saw that she deleted me too."Disgusting. Uses AI photos to catfish people, and the second she gets called out, she rage-deletes everyone. Pathetic."He spat a few more insults, then finally settled down and went back to his desk to keep gaming. I stared at his back and lowered my gaze.Jared was my uncle's only son. The moment Uncle Max heard I was renting a place near Jared's university for work, he wasted no time

"Oh, come on. Jail, schmail. Just be careful and don't get caught by the university. It's not that big a deal!"Before I could say another word, Uncle Max hung up. The dial tone buzzed in my ear. I let the phone drop and set my jaw. If they wanted to spit in my face after I tried to be civil, then I had no reason to hold back.Mom came up behind me and patted my back. "Mason, your uncle's not wrong, you know. Just be careful about it. Your cousin worked hard to get into college. We're all family. If we can help, we should. Someday they'll return the favor."Return the favor? Right. The only favor they had ever returned was shoving me off a building.Yet I knew that no matter what I said, Mom would tell me to grit my teeth and bear it. She always had.I said nothing. I just stared at her, my face full of disappointment, and slammed the door on my way out.When I got back to the apartment, Jared was waiting for me, just as I had expected. His expression was dark with fury."So tha

I told Mom I was on my way, then started making calls."What happened? Do you need help?" Chloe saw the tension on my face and rushed to ask.I just stroked her hair and told her it was nothing. She did not need to worry about me."Go back to campus and finish up what you need to. Once you've graduated, I'll take you to meet my parents."Chloe nodded solemnly and headed back to campus.…An hour later, I arrived at my parents' building. The first thing I noticed was the two heavyset men stationed at the entrance to the stairwell. I recognized them. They worked for a local enforcer back in the village named Vick Hanley.The two of them spotted me and stalked over with murderous looks, jerking their chins toward the stairs to tell me to get moving."Real embarrassment to the hometown, you know that? Can't even do a small favor for family. People are gonna think we're all that petty."I pretended not to hear them and took the stairs two at a time."Well, well. There he is! Get o

With so many witnesses easy to track down, the investigation moved fast.While my parents and I were still in the hospital, the police called with an update. The case was heading to trial."Thirteen individuals are implicated in a pattern of sustained violence, threats, and other criminal activity that has caused significant harm to the community. Based on preliminary findings, we expect sentences of up to ten years, along with full asset seizure."Before the trial, Jared came to find us. He wanted us to sign a leniency statement."This is all because of you! My dad only got arrested because you set him up! You've been scheming against my family from the start! You did it on purpose! First, you moved out so I couldn't finish my thesis, and now, I'm being held back a year."You knew I'd go to my dad for help, so you made sure you weren't home, just so you could call the cops and make it look justified! I'm telling you right now, if my dad does time, it goes on your family's record

Now, at last, there was an answer."We found this notebook in the foundation of the Trent family's old house. It contains a detailed record of a trafficking case involving Ms. Trent. Through our genetic database, we've confirmed that you were sold to the Trent family approximately 50 years ago."As for your biological parents, they passed away 20 years ago."We finally learned the truth. Mom had been beaten into submission.She had been trafficked into the Trent household as a child, beaten every time she disobeyed, beaten until she stopped resisting, beaten until every last ounce of her spirit was broken and every memory of where she truly came from was erased.She had been reduced to nothing more than a lifelong servant to a family of monsters, convinced that the man who terrorized her was her brother.Which meant that when Mom helped me bring them down, she had done it against every instinct that decades of fear had drilled into her.When she learned that she had been stolen