Chapter 6
I lived a peaceful, satisfying life in a country far from home.
Marissa’s dance team was full of friendly, energetic young people. They gathered around me, always calling me “senior” with respect, never asking about my past. Their focus was all on the dance.
I knew I was different–being the only one in a wheelchair among a group of dancers. But no one had ever questioned me about it.
That was all because of Marissa. She must have worked hard behind the scenes to make sure I had the support I needed. Here, it felt like I had finally left my nightmares behind.
I could dance again–maybe not the way I used to, but it was enough. I threw myself into this new chapter with everything I had.
My love for dance never went away. I was determined to keep moving forward. I didn’t want to disappoint the people who truly cared about me.
During breaks, I focused on therapy, and my condition improved a lot. I started to move on from the past and found peace with the world. That was when Mom and Dad finally found me.
“Jean! Have you lost your mind? Melvin’s your brother, and Elias is your husband. How could you take both of them to court?”
“No matter what they did wrong, they’re still family. Can’t you just sit down and talk it out?”
“You’re already messed up, but they still have their whole lives ahead of them. Are you really going to wreck their futures just because yours is already shot? Can you stop being so selfish?”
Their accusations and scolding didn’t shock me at all. They’d never really liked me, even when I was a kid. For a long time, I thought it was just because they preferred sons until Laura came along.
Laura’s presence showed me exactly how much love Mom and Dad were capable of giving a daughter. More than once, they even said they wished Laura were their real daughter.
I was always the odd one in the Sorensen family, even though I was Mom and Dad’s daughter by blood. I stared at them, and one question kept running through my mind.
“Do you have any idea what they did to me?” I asked.
Mom and Dad fell silent, their eyes flicking to each other like they were guilty. They knew exactly what Elias and Melvin had done. But still, they blamed me.
They threw the blame on me for going to the police, not keeping my lips sealed, and screwing everything up. However, did I actually deserve it just because they didn’t like me?
“Jean, we’re family. Can’t you just be the bigger person and let it go? You’re disabled now, and you can’t have kids. Who else will take care of you down the road other than them?”
Chapter 6
+15 BONUS
“I can’t forgive them,” I replied, shaking my head without a second thought.
Why didn’t Elias and Melvin ever think about the fact that I might never forgive them when they went ahead and did all that to
me? Would they even care if I forgave them, especially if I hadn’t gone to the police and made everything public?
Mom and Dad wouldn’t stop pleading for them.
“But they truly regret it! You have no idea–they’ve been a mess lately, crying in front of us, begging you to forgive them. If you
hadn’t reported to the police, they wouldn’t be banned from leaving the country. And then they would’ve come here themselves
instead of sending us.”
“Exactly. They never meant to hurt you that badly. They just wanted to stop your performance and your wedding. No one thought things would spiral out of control. They’ve felt awful about it ever since the incident.”
