a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Paxton, still holding on to some sanity, had begun to crack after hearing my words. With the company facing an unprecedented crisis, his focus wavered, and finally, the stress broke him. The Gibsons had him sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Life slowly returned to normal, and Christina and I sat down for a good talk.
“Christina, why did you choose to save me back then?”
“The truth is, I saw you jump.”
I shook my head, lost in thought, and Christina clinked her glass with mine, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I wondered what must’ve happened to you that made you feel so hopeless, so much so that you’d rather jump into the sea rather than try living? So, I rushed to pull you out, hoping there was still a chance.
“I didn’t expect you to have lost your memory, but maybe it’s for the best. Now, you don’t have to be trapped in the past. And you -you’re so young. You can live on and start over.”
I cried on Christina’s shoulder, and she held me, sharing her story with me.
“I heard from that Paxton guy that you were abandoned when you were born. I felt sorry for you then and thought you were so much like me. My family valued boys over girls. When I was in my teens, my parents wanted to sell me off to someone as a wife and use the money for my brother’s dowry. I refused and ran away. Ever since then, I have never gone back home.
“I started working, had a relationship, and even got married, but I never had a stable home. So, I got divorced and raised Holly by myself. I’ve built a career, and now, I have a family. I was always looking for a place that would accept me, but then I realized I’ve built one for myself.
“Meredith, wherever you are, that’s where your home will be.”
After saying that, Christina raised her glass and downed it in one go.
Chapter 10
+20 Bonus
“I’m so glad we became a family. Meredith, if you want to leave and take a break for a while, I won’t stop you. But if you want to stay, this will always be your home.”
She didn’t want to hold me back, so she gave me the choice once again. With that, I chose to leave, and this time, as Meredith.
I was surrounded by love and no longer alone. I was Meredith, the one cared for by her family–Christina and Holly.
Before I set off, I let go of everything from the past because, right now, I was surrounded with happiness, and my life was only just beginning.
