When my father chose his mistress over our family, he wove a web of lies to justify his actions. But an unexpected encounter with someone I thought I’d lost forever unraveled the truth—and changed everything.
I was eight when my mother passed away. My father quickly moved us to a new town, claiming we needed a fresh start. It wasn’t long before a woman named Erika appeared. Within months, my father married her, and my life became a nightmare.
Erika treated me with cruelty, constantly comparing me to my mother and belittling me at every turn. My father, instead of defending me, sided with her at every opportunity, insisting I respect my new mother.
As the years went by, Erika’s hatred only deepened. When I was old enough to escape, I focused on saving enough money to leave. Then one day, Erika crossed the line by disrespecting a cherished photo of my mother. In a fit of anger, I ran away, boarding a bus with no clear destination.
To my shock, I ended up back in my hometown, where I stumbled upon a disheveled woman sitting on a bench. Her eyes stopped me cold—she looked just like my mother. “Are you… Emma Fraser?” I asked, my heart racing.
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