Seven Years a Shadow: The Stand-In's Escape novel Chapter 58

Elon was lying in a pool of blood.

When he saw me looking at him, he forced a smile through his blood-soaked face.

"Natalie, I finally get to see you and little one again!"

"After you both left, I realized what I truly care about. I'm sorry to you, and even more so to little one. Please forgive us, okay?"

I trembled all over, hesitated for what felt like an eternity, and finally walked over to him, still holding little one.

He struggled to sit up, desperately reaching for me and little one.

I instinctively stepped back, speaking softly into his ear with a trace of pity:

"Benny and I are doing fine. You don't need to come anymore, and we don't want to see you again."

He collapsed back to the ground, covering his face as he cried out in anguish.

Elon didn't die, but he would never stand again.

The doctor announced that he would be bedridden for the rest of his life. I visited him one last time, Donny by my side.

Neither of us spoke; we just silently stared at each other.

But we both understood-this life, we would never meet again.

To my surprise, he had entrusted a lawyer to rewrite the divorce agreement.

All his assets were transferred to my name.

When I received the news, I called him to ask why he made such a decision.

He was silent for a long time, then answered in a hoarse voice:

"Natalie, I've done wrong. I've caused irreparable harm to you and little one."

"During this time, I've regretted it endlessly. I know that no matter what I do, you will never come back to me, but I can't let myself do nothing."

"I have nothing left, but this money is my only way to make up for it to you both."

I didn't say anything more, just sighed softly and hung up the phone.

I didn't keep the money for myself; instead, I set up a welfare company in little one's name.

The company would provide jobs for people with cerebral palsy like him.

To thank me, the rehabilitation hospital waived all of little one's fees.

I accepted their goodwill graciously.

Without money or status to support him, Elon's life in the nursing home was a living hell.

He was sent to a care facility, but he received no respect, not even the basic decency every human deserves.

The nurses, seeing that he had no money or family to back him, treated him cruelly.

He was tortured, living a life worse than death, but stubbornly clung to life.

I knew he couldn't let go of little one.

The only thing I could do to help him was to focus even harder on little one's rehabilitation.

Luckily, little one wasn't afraid of hard work.

The daily training showed incredible results.

At first, I thought he would only regain the ability to care for himself.

But I didn't expect him to have such a remarkable talent for colors.

With my support, he was enrolled in a painting class.

After some time, even the teacher was amazed by the masterpieces he created.

At the age of seven, he won the grand prize in a painting competition.