8
Justice Served
The traffickers were caught when they tried to kidnap another child. The police had been watching them for days and arrested them on the
spot.
That family was reunited with their child, crying and apologizing as they held each other tightly.
I watched them leave, my heart heavy but a little lighter.
The people who had hurt my daughter would face the justice they deserved.
For the first time, I felt like I could finally give her some closure.
But as that weight lifted, another took its place–guilt, thick and unrelenting.
I knew I would never escape it.
I would spend the rest of my life haunted by the “what ifs.”
What if I had left Luke earlier, when I first noticed the cracks?
9
9:16 AM
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What if I’d never met Luke at all?
If time could be rewound, if I could be like the heroines in novels who get a second chance, maybe I could rewrite everything.
But life doesn’t work like that.
That night, the memories of what happened to her–the nightmare of it all–would never let me go.
The Truth About Luke
I stayed in town for a few days after the trial, tying up loose ends.
Surprisingly, it was Luke who reached out to me. For the first time, he gave me an explanation.
He told me that, before we got married, I had always said I didn’t want children.
But his family had pressured him to continue the Harrison name. Behind my back, he’d donated sperm to a clinic, thinking it was a harmless compromise.
He never expected that, after we married, I would change my mind and want a child.
When the boy’s mother came forward, Luke had been reminded of his past decision.
“The boy was born… for you,” he said, his voice faltering.
The child had been born prematurely and suffered from health issues. At first, Luke had felt guilty. But over time, he became attached.
“I couldn’t just abandon him,” he said. “He’s my blood.”
By the end of his explanation, Luke’s voice was barely a whisper, as if he’d run out of the strength to justify himself.
I didn’t care about the details–when the child was born or why.
What I cared about was the double standard.
How he could be so tender with one child and so cold with another.
When he finished speaking, I didn’t respond. I simply turned and walked away.
The apology I had waited so long to hear finally came, but it didn’t matter anymore.
Because the person who truly deserved his apology was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.
Life Without Love
The new year passed, and the world began to thaw as spring crept in.
But my heart had frozen in the winter, and every day felt like I was just going through the motions.
I ate, I slept, I woke up.
I cleaned the house obsessively, always leaving one room spotless and empty, as if waiting for someone to return.
I often found myself staring off into space, haunted by memories, longing for nothing.
Some days, I wished for death to find me. But I didn’t want to leave in disgrace.
When I see my daughter again, I want to look my best.
By the End of Last Year, the Human Trafficking Ring Was Finally Shut Down
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