Aurelia grew up without much love from her mother, and she never thought her real dad would ever come into her life. But then, he did. Now, she wonders if it's too late for him to rescue her from the darkness her parents left her in, or if there's s...
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I went to school while Dario remained unconscious in my room, apparently heavily sedated by the pills.
Waiting outside Aurelia's classroom, I intended to give her the old phone I had, but she never emerged. Concerned, I decided to check if she was at home.
Arriving at their address, I knocked on the door to no avail. It was only when their neighbor, an elderly woman, responded that I learned they weren't home.
"They're not here. I saw some officers take Aurelia with them. There was talk about an accident," she informed me.
My mind raced with questions and worries. What had transpired in the last 24 hours? How could I reach Aurelia now? And how would I break this news to Dario?
Feeling overwhelmed, I left, opting to return home and wait for Dario to awaken. Then, I would have to concoct some explanation—perhaps that someone had drugged him—in an attempt to shield him from the harsh reality.
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I was roused from my slumber by the woman I had spoken to the previous night.
"What time is it?" I mumbled, still half-asleep.
"It's almost 10 am. I need you to get ready. Your father and brother are here to pick you up, sweetie," she informed me.
Her words jolted me awake, the fog of sleep dissipating as I remembered why I was here in the first place.
"Hurry, they're waiting for you outside," she urged before leaving me with an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants. They were too big for me, but I welcomed the extra coverage to conceal my bruises and scars.
In a matter of minutes, I was dressed. Ordinarily, I would have been out the door by now, but the prospect of meeting my father for the first time held me back. I couldn't bring myself to leave the room.
The weight of the situation pressed down on me. Was it worse that my father, who had never bothered to acknowledge my existence, was finally here, or that I had a brother I never knew existed?
As my anxiety mounted, I felt my blood pressure rise. The stress was becoming unbearable.
Just when I thought I might collapse under the weight of it all, the door swung open, and shock washed over me, momentarily overshadowing my current state.
