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Ryan,” Maria called softly when I didn’t respond.
“Hector isn’t doing well. I can’t just leave him to fend for himself… Please, believe me. I have no feelings for him.”
Her voice was calm, as though the situation was entirely reasonable. “Yes, I gave him three children,” she added, “but the only one I’ve ever truly loved Is you.”
I froze as I processed her words, barely registering when she leaned against me.
“I know this is hard for you to accept right now, but that’s okay. We’ll work through it, slowly. Eventually, you’ll come around.”
Tears slid silently down her cheeks, and before I could stop myself, my arms wrapped around her instinctively.
I admitted that I softened.
Maybe, just maybe, she deserved another chance.
After a few exhausting days at work, I came home, hoping for some peace.
ee with t
The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by chaos. The living room was a
and clothes scattered everywhere. In the kitchen, water and spices were splattered across the
floor.
An uneasy feeling crept up my spine as I rushed to my study.
My laptop lay shattered on the ground, and the USB drive containing critical work files was
crushed into pieces.
“Who let you in here?” I roared, storming back to the living room.
Instead of the children, Hector appeared in front of me, groggy and dressed in pajamas.
“Ryan, what are you doing here?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“This is my house,” I snapped. “I should be the one asking what you’re doing here.”
Pushing past him, I made my way toward the bedroom, but Hector blocked my path.
“Ryan,” he said, his voice trembling, “I don’t have much time left. Can’t you stop pushing me
so hard?”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Pushing you? How exactly have I been doing that?”
Before I could say another word, Hector dropped to his knees with a dramatic thud.
“Ryan, I’m begging you. Just let me be,” he pleaded.
Startled, I reached out to pull him up, but before I could, he collapsed to the floor without
warning.
“What are you doing to him?”
Maria screamed, shoving me aside as she rushed to Hector’s side.
Just as she turned to confront me, the three children burst into tears, falling to their knees.
“Mommy, this bad man hurt Daddy!” one of them wailed, their sobs echoing through the
room.
‘My patience snapped. “You broke into my study!” I shouted. “You destroyed my laptop and
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11:58 Tue, 17 Dec.
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» My patience snapped. You broke into my study! I shouted. You’destroyed my laptop and
my USB drive!”
Maria cut me off, her voice sharp with frustration. “Enough, Ryan! Stop pretending!”
She gestured to the children. “They’re just kids. Do you really think they could break your things? I know you don’t like Hector, but did you really have to humiliate him like this?”
Her voice softened. “You know he’s terminally ill. He doesn’t have much time left. All he wants is to spend his remaining days with his kids.”
Though furious, I grudgingly decided to let it go for now. After all, what could I say to a dying
man?
That evening, Maria made my favorite dishes as an apology.
Halfway through the meal, I started feeling itchy.
My vision blurred, and my throat tightened.
“What did you put in the food?” I managed to choke out.
Before Maria could respond, one of the children jumped up excitedly.
“I added something super tasty for you!” he exclaimed, pulling a handful of peanuts from his pocket as if it were a trophy.
“Call 911!” I gasped, turning desperately to Maria. But she just watched me, her expression disturbingly indifferent.
“It’s just a few peanuts,” she said dismissively. “You’re overreacting. It’s not like you’re losing a limb. Do you really have to be this fragile?*
“If you don’t call, I’ll die!” I forced the words out, my vision swimming.
Maria remained motionless, her face a mask of indifference.
