Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 119 That Winter Night

So, I was ten that year.

It was a super late winter night, and my folks still weren't back. I couldn't fight off the sleepiness and crashed early, only to be jolted awake by some frantic knocking.

Half-asleep, I thought it was my parents, so I stumbled to the door. Instead, there were these two tall cops, snowflakes all over them.

I followed them out, shaking like a leaf. I had no clue what was going on, but their serious and kinda sad looks freaked me out.

The crash scene was a total mess. Even though it was crazy late, there were still a bunch of people around.

The truck's front was all smashed up, and the snow was littered with glass shards.

Someone was lying there in the bloody snow.

From a distance, I couldn't make out his face, but I knew that dark blue suit. It was my dad's.

I walked over to him, staring at his bloody face, refusing to believe he was gone.

It was all so brutal, like a bad dream.

I wished it was just a nightmare. I'd wake up in my cozy bed, hear the key in the lock, and run out to see my dad coming in.

Before shaking off the snow, he'd reach into his pocket, all mysterious, and say with a grin, "Emily, guess what Daddy got you?"

In my 26 years, I've seen all kinds of smiles, but my dad's was the warmest.

That winter night, I lost that smile forever.

The cops told me my dad was dead, and my mom was barely hanging on, taken away by an ambulance.

I just stood there, frozen, crying my eyes out.

The crowd was sympathetic. A kind lady handed me some fire paper and matches, saying I should light a candle where my dad passed to remember him. There was a kapok tree by the road. I lit the candle under it and accidentally burned my hand. The pain was so real, reminding me it wasn't a dream. Dad was gone, really gone, never coming back.

That winter night was a harsh line, ending all my happiness.

When dawn broke, I had to grow up overnight, and my life's script got totally rewritten.

This kapok tree was the same one from back then.

Now, everything's changed, but thinking about that night still hurt like hell.

I ran my hand over the now much thicker trunk and said, "My dad had his accident right here. I lit a candle for him under this tree to say goodbye." "Emily."

Jason's voice came from behind me, soft and choked up.

"I've had it rough all these years, probably 'cause I didn't have my dad around. I got bullied a lot. Dad would probably think I'm a total loser."

I hugged the tree, and all the bitterness just poured out. I couldn't hold it in and started bawling.

"I'm no better off than Faye. I have nothing, absolutely nothing."

"Who says you have nothing?" Jason suddenly grabbed my arm, all worked up.

down my face, I stared

to calm down, his eyes

me show

the car and sped away

road was

driving faster than before. I could feel his urgency, and his

gilded letters at the entrance gave it away: Sunshine Elementary

looked nothing like it used

on the car lights and rolled down the window, letting the cold air

hand on the window and the other on the steering wheel,

her pencil. Turns out, her deskmate had it, but she didn't say anything. She cried all the way home, and it was super annoying, like a broken record. I hated walking with her 'cause it felt like everyone thought I was the bully. But I couldn't leave her alone, worried someone else might get annoyed

him, and the scene he described

smile on

timid, didn't even dare to ride a bike. So I had to take her. In the summer, she

little girl was super sentimental. I caught a butterfly and put it in a jar for her.

lightly, trying

laughed too, crying and laughing

soaked himself and getting chewed out at home." "That big fool was super tall, had a smaller appetite than girls, and always forced his breakfast milk on

up from crying, and my

softened his voice. "Why are you crying? Do you hate me that much?

from him, wiping my tears while laughing, and pretended to glare

you tell me you were the Jason I knew? How could I have recognized you now? You're

be nice to get to know each

until he suddenly transferred schools in 8th grade. After his family moved away from Broadway Alley, I never saw

Jason said and suddenly got out of the

returned with a tube of ointment

head," he said, gently pinching my

my head,

in, his gaze falling on

I asked, feeling a

"Don't move," he said.

cool

your neck?" he asked while applying

I understood.

"It's nothing," I said.

didn't like talking behind people's backs, even though it was true that

put down the ointment, still very close

you can't just keep tolerating and retreating. Also, you

paused, his Adam's apple moving slightly as if he

close. The subtle scent of his cologne was very

quiet space suddenly became very intimate, and then my phone rang,

and just as I saw the word "Honey" on

to answer and leaned back in his seat,

won't be sending her back for now. You

what had happened by the time he hung

calm, without a hint of anger, but very

phone and

But I think you don't want to go back

would just make

hotel?