No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 674

Joe set his glass of water down and walked over. His gaze fixed on the old photograph hanging on the wall, "This is our family portrait, though now I'm the only one left." "Family portrait?" I murmured, pointing at the little girl in a red dress, "Is she a family member too?"

"Yeah, that's my little sister. She was only two then," Joe's voice was deep and somber.

"Where is she now?" I asked, my breathing tight, a voice inside me wondering if I had gotten it all wrong.

Joe fell silent, and I grew anxious, "Uncle..."

"She went missing, the day we took this photo," Joe's words made my heart race.

"How did she go missing?" I found myself clutching at Joe's sleeve.

Lost in his memories, he stared at the photograph, "My parents said we were all so happy that day. After we took the photo, they even turned the photo keychain the studio made into a necklace for my sister and took us to an amusement park..."

"Later, my sister needed the restroom, and my mom took her. But my mom passed out in there, and by the time she woke up, my sister was gone..."

was certain. My mom was Joe's lost

she grew up in an orphanage, an orphan, and she

the orphanage, I couldn't help but ask, "Did your

like mad. My parents first camped out at the amusement park every day, then scoured the city, and eventually the whole country. My mom fell into depression over my sister's disappearance, even tried to end her life

feeling a chill run

mother's disappearance had shattered a once happy

continue the

even suggested we try TV reunion shows, but... she ran into trouble just as she started working on it." Trouble

harbored some resentment towards her, blaming her for the loss of our happy family," Joe's confession left me frozen,

took a moment to compose himself before looking at me, "Have you seen this photo

words about hating my mom hurt, I understood the pain must have been mutual. From his story,

photo just like this one. She wears a circular

at me as his mouth,

"Uncle," I steadied him.

is your mom?" Joe managed to ask

was squeezing it, worried