Chapter 2: What She Left Behind
Part 2 — continued from the comments ⬇️
The room was filled with framed photos.
Her face.
Prom night.
The two of them laughing.
Newspaper clippings.
Her name in headlines from modeling shoots she'd forgotten about.
And in the center — a single photo of her brother, smiling wide, holding a balloon.
"How do you have all of this?" she whispered.
"Because you saved my life that night," I said.
"I never forgot you, Charlotte."
Her hand flew to her mouth.
She turned slowly.
"...Marcus?"
Her voice broke on my name.
"You look so different.
I didn't — I couldn't —"
"I know," I said.
"Sit down.
Please."
She sank into the chair, shaking.
Then she looked up, eyes wet.
"I lost everything, Marcus.
The agency dropped me.
My parents are gone.
Danny needs full-time care and I can't afford it.
I've been doing three delivery shifts just to keep the lights on."
I reached into the desk drawer and placed an envelope on the table between us.
She stared at it.
"What is that?"
"Open it."
Her fingers trembled as she lifted the flap — and then she went completely still.
"Marcus...
this is —"
"It's not charity," I said quietly.
"It's what you gave me first."
She looked up at me, tears running down her face — and then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and her expression changed completely.
May you like
"It's the care home," she breathed.
"Something's wrong with Danny."
