Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Officer Parker gave me the letter and key my parents had left behind. “I’ve been searching for you for over twenty years,” he explained. “Finally managed to track you down. Your father left these before you were born. Now that you’re here, they should be returned to their rightful owner.”
The key was to a new house my father had bought.
Sadly, they never got the chance to see it even once.
I accepted the letter and key, thanking him.
Worried I wouldn’t find the place, Officer Parker personally took me there.
He had other business to attend to, so he left after showing me the house.
The place hadn’t been lived in for over twenty years, and dust had accumulated everywhere.
Standing in the doorway, looking at this unfamiliar little home, tears welled up in my eyes.
With trembling hands, I opened the envelope and read my father’s letter.
He had chosen my name before I was born: Claire Stewart.
My mother’s maiden name had been Claire, and he wanted to honor her by giving me her name.
When I read the story behind my name, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears streamed down my face, falling onto the yellowed letter.
All this time, I’d thought I was abandoned at the orphanage.
But I wasn’t. My parents had loved me deeply.
I clutched the letter, sobbing uncontrollably.
-It took a while before I could compose myself.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house thoroughly and had a simple dinner.
The next morning, I went to the courthouse early with my documents to legally change my name.
The clerk looked at my information and double–checked, “Are you sure you want to change your name? All your other identification documents will need to be updated as well.”
I nodded firmly. “Yes, I’m certain. I want to reclaim my birth name: Claire Stewart.”
After the change, I was no longer Ashley Stewart, the unloved orphan.
I was Claire Stewart, daughter of loving parents.
After completing this task, I asked Officer Parker for directions to my father’s grave.
Then, I bought flowers and wine to visit the cemetery.
The day before, I had searched my father’s name online and discovered that while his photo and name could be found, all records of his family had been erased.
Although Officer Parker hadn’t told me exactly what had happened back then, I could guess. Since they didn’t want me to know, I didn’t ask.
I sat by the grave for a long time, telling him about my childhood, about all the interesting things that had happened in my life.
The only thing I never mentioned was anything about Nathan.
As the sun set, I gently touched the black and white photo on the headstone, put on my hat, and quietly left.
After returning here, I had no intention of leaving again.
71.4%
Chapter 6
Using the money Nathan had given me, I opened a coffee shop not far from my neighborhood.
When I first started the business, the work was exhausting but incredibly fulfilling.
Here, I finally rediscovered my self worth.
The old Ashley had no one to rely on, her life revolving entirely around Nathan.
All that earned her was an emotionally draining marriage.
Thankfully, I had managed to break free from that quicksand.
After I left, Nathan changed his ways.
He fired his female secretary and hired a male one instead, settling into a routine between work and home.
At the office, he remained sharp and decisive, but at home, he transformed into a devoted father.
To better care for the baby, he spent his free time learning proper infant care techniques.
Every time Margaret saw this, she couldn’t help but make sarcastic remarks about how he should have known better earlier.
But Nathan didn’t seem to mind. He would just say, “Her family and her husband and child are all here. She’ll come back eventually.”
Margaret scoffed, “She gave up her only family in this world because of you. How could she possibly come back? You’re dreaming.”
Nathan knew I wouldn’t return. His words were just self–deception.
Hearing his mother’s words, he didn’t get angry. His eyes just darkened as he calmly replied, “If she doesn’t come back, I’ll go find her. No matter where she is, we’ll find her.”
In the past, Margaret had always hoped we could live happily together.
But now, she had changed her mind. She looked at him sternly, “You are not to look for Claire! Haven’t you hurt her enough? She just wants to live her life now. Why do you want to destroy the life she’s chosen?”
“I didn’t…” Nathan’s eyes reddened as he protested word by word, “I know I made mistakes before. I wronged her. But I love her, and she loves me too. We can still have a good life together.”
Seeing him so stubborn, Margaret’s eyes filled with contempt. “Look at yourself in the mirror. What do you have that’s worth loving? If you weren’t my son, I’d have slapped you senseless by now.”
With that, she took the baby from his arms and headed upstairs.
Watching her leave, Nathan suddenly lost all his strength, collapsing onto the sofa. His eyes were empty and lifeless as he whispered, “Claire, where are you? I miss you so much.”
