<<<From Ashes to Hope…
“From Ashes to Hope) Chapter 19
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He found me with a new divorce agreement, his signature already on it, each
stroke a farewell to the past.
Compared to the previous agreement, the only difference was that he had
given me an additional thirty percent of the assets, perhaps as a way of trying to
make amends.
I looked at him in confusion, wondering why he would do such a thing.
“I’m sorry, this is a small token of my remorse. I’m not asking for your
forgiveness, I know what I did is unforgivable. Just consider it as compensation
for Lily, please accept it,” he said, his voice filled with guilt and helplessness.
I didn’t want his money. All I wanted was to escape this painful marriage as
soon as possible.
Getting a divorce was all that mattered to me.
His words barely registered in my ears. I just wanted to end it all quickly. I
grabbed a pen and signed the agreement hastily.
The moment I signed, a sense of relief washed over me, as if a heavy weight
had been lifted from my shoulders. This nightmare of a marriage was finally over.
The divorce certificate felt light in my hand, too light to encapsulate ten
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years of married life, too light to carry the weight of my daughter’s life. It was an
indescribable lightness.
As I was leaving, John stopped me.“Amelia, is there… no chance for us?” he
asked, his voice holding a glimmer of hope.
Hearing his question, I looked up at the sky, asking myself: A chance? For us?
The answer was no. From the moment Lily left, there was no turning back.
Although this city was vast, wherever I went, the shadows of my mother and
Lily would follow me, a pain I couldn’t erase.
It was too painful to stay here, I couldn’t bear it any longer. But I still had to
find the hit–and–run driver, to investigate the mysterious photograph, to seek
closure for Lily and myself.
I didn’t answer him, but silently walked past him and got into the car.
After getting in, I sent him one message: [Let your assistant come back to
work.]
To me, John was like a roadblock in my life. Only by avoiding him could I
have a better future.
Unfortunately, I realized this too late, but I still hoped it wasn’t too late to
turn around, to embark on a new journey.
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I thought that was the end of it, that we would never see each other again.
But just a few days later, the police investigating the case contacted me,
asking me to assist them in investigating a kidnapping case from ten years ago.
They suspected there was a mastermind behind the scenes.
The police said they had found two of the culprits involved in Mrs. Miller’s
kidnapping.
The main culprit had been executed for intentional injury resulting in death,
while the others were still serving their sentences.
The two culprits confessed that they targeted Mrs. Miller because she was
dressed extravagantly and because they had seen her photo in a magazine and
knew she was the wife of the head of the Miller family, believing they could get a
large ransom by kidnapping her.
The police further inquired about the source of the magazine, as those
individuals were so destitute they relied on begging for a living and couldn’t
possibly afford a magazine.
The culprits couldn’t remember who had left the magazine by the bridge.
where they were sheltering from the rain.
Based on Raina’s previous statements, the police suspected she was involved
and conducted a discreet investigation, but couldn’t find any concrete evidence.
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As a last resort, they turned to me, hoping I could visit Raina in prison,
believing it might provoke her to reveal the truth.
Outside the detention center, I unexpectedly encountered John, whom I
hadn’t seen for a long time.
The moment his eyes met mine, they quickly darted away, as if burned.
My familiar yet estranged face appeared before him without warning,
memories of our shared past flooding his mind.
His hand instinctively rose, as if to wave or simply acknowledge me, but it
felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, awkwardly hanging in mid–air before
slowly dropping.
His heart was a mixture of emotions: nostalgia for the warm days of the past;
guilt for the twists of fate that had led them to this point; and a hint of fear, fear
of my gaze, afraid to see coldness or resentment in my eyes.
He stood there, his gaze lingering on me, struggling with his complex
emotions, unsure how to handle them.
He finally mustered his courage, cautiously taking a step closer.“Long time
no see, how… how have you been? Are you doing okay? Is there anything I can
help you with?” he asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of concern and
nervousness, like a man awaiting judgment, hoping for a lenient outcome.
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I smiled faintly. “I’m fine, what brings you here?”
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Hearing this, John quickly waved his hands, afraid I would misunderstand
that he was still supporting Raina. “It’s Raina, she insisted on seeing me. I didn’t
want to come, but the police said it might be helpful for their investigation.”
I nodded slightly. So the police had approached him too.
Seeing my silence, John continued, “You know Raina, she’s capable of
anything. If I can help the police, then I have to come. I don’t want to have
anything to do with her anymore, I just don’t want to let any criminal get away
with it.”
His eyes held a hint of helplessness and annoyance. He was clearly
exhausted from Raina’s constant pestering.
I asked what case it was, but it turned out the police hadn’t told John which
specific case it was.
I thought to myself, the police probably didn’t want him to know it was
related to my mother’s death, fearing he would be emotionally compromised and
reveal something that would alert Raina, making it harder to get evidence against
her.
John assumed Raina was using seeing him as leverage to reveal information,
so he agreed to come, hoping to crush her hopes and make her confess honestly.
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With heavy steps, John slowly entered the cold and oppressive visiting room
of the detention center.
The gray walls seemed to absorb all warmth, the harsh fluorescent light
adding to the grim atmosphere.
When his gaze landed on Raina, who was huddled in a chair, her hair
disheveled and her face haggard, his eyes instantly turned as cold as winter frost.
Seeing John, a spark of life seemed to return to Raina’s dull eyes.
She jumped to her feet, clutching the bars in front of her, her body leaning
forward, calling out desperately, “John, John, I miss you so much.”
Her voice was hoarse and trembling, her eyes filled with longing and
anticipation.
