Chapter 157
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Jennifer continued , “ Then I said , ‘ Dad , Mom , I’m going to the restroom Evelyn and Philip didn’t care . Honestly if I went missing , they probably wouldn’t even notice .
“ I watched them argue , and I didn’t know what I was thinking . I walked alone to the edge of the cliff , thinking that if I jumped , my family might finally be happy . My face hurt so much , my body was exhausted ”
Jennifer wiped away a tear and continued , “ I overestimated myself I was just a kick then I got scared I couldn’t jump I wanted to leave , but maybe the heavens had other plans for me . The rock I was standing on suddenly gave way , and I fell
“ I thought I was going to die . When I opened my eyes , I found myself hanging from a tree . It was raining , and I was freezing My clothes were soaked through . I cried out for Mom , yelling . ‘ Morr , save met
“I screamed until my throat went hoarse , completely drained of strength . I waited for them – Philip and Evelyn – for a whole day and night at the bottom of the mountain . Not one of them came looking for me ”
Hearing that , Teresa’s eyes filled with tears . As a mollier now, she could finally understand Jennifer – the poor , helpless little girl she used to be .
“ And then how did you get rescued , Hannah ? Teresa asked , her voice cracking
Jennifer said with a bitter smile , “ Maybe I hadn’t endured all the suffering I was meant to in this life , and the heavens decided to let me stay and suffer a little longer . I really thought I was going to die .
“ I was cold and hungry , and images of our family flashed through my mind . I remembered how Grandpa and Grandma visited last month , and Grandma hugged me , saying , ‘ Hannah is turning five soon . We must celebrate properly
“ I thought , “ I won’t even make it to five . I started crying harder . To this day , I’ve never cried that loudly again . Since I was three , I’d been unusually mature for my age . I learned to watch my parents ‘ moods , afraid to upset them .
“ Whenever family or friends visited , I’d be cautious , fearing a single wrong word would anger them . Everyone praised me for being understanding and well – behaved – a good kid . But that was the first time I cried out loud without caring about anyone else’s feelings .
“ My cries caught the attention of a kind woman . I’m forever grateful to her . She was a teacher called Ms. Nelson . She was finding something that could stop bleeding because one of her students was injured .
“ She rushed over , carefully brought me down from the tree , and took me back to her place . She cleaned my face with warm water and asked for my name . I shook my head because I had given up on Philip and Evelyn .
“ I was terrified of going back to that horrible home , so I lied and said I had no parents . The sympathy and concern in her eyes gave me a glimmer of warmth . She told me her name was Genevieve , and I could call her Ms. Nelson .
“ She took me to an elementary school in a small town . I found out that the school was for girls – those left behind in the mountains . She had been doing voluntary teaching in the small town and wanted to help the girls , so she set up the school
“ Many of them were orphans . All the girls took Ms. Nelson’s last name . When Ms. Nelson asked me what I wished for said , ‘I want to restore my life and make things right .
“ She replied , “ Then you’ll be called Jennifer from now on . I’ll never forget that moment . I had a new name , Jennifer . It felt like I could truly leave the past behind and start fresh with a new identity . ”
Jennifer choked up again as she spoke .
“ For a while , I fantasized that Philip and Evelyn might come looking for me , that they’d take me home . But they never did . I gradually adapted to the tough life in the small town – reading , writing , cooking . Ms. Nelson taught us everything
“ She often told us girls , Study hard , get a good education , and don’t rely on men . Don’t marry young
“ Only later did I learn that Ms. Nelson had been deeply hurt by a man . She had lost all faith in love and came to teach in the small town to heal and escape her past . She never expected to find so many left – behind girls . She dedicated her life to teaching them
“ I grew up , eventually turning 18 and getting into medical university . I worked part – time to pay for my tuition and relied on scholarships to get by . When it came to choosing a career , I thought long and hard about it .
I
“ Should I start my own business or choose a stable job ? But I didn’t have a safety net – no connections , no resources The risk of failure was too high . So , I gave up on the idea and chose a stable path instead .
“ But I longed for money and recognition . I knew doctore had kink enzialeratus and good pay . I didn’t mind the hard work if it meant I could move up to become a departm Successfully unlocked !
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Jennifer smiled gently and continued , “ After becumy a oca , the maing I did with the 15,000 dollars I saved was send it to Ms. Nelson and visit her . She refused to accept the money , saying she was happy just to see us doing well
“ I’m deeply influenced by Ms. Nelson . She’s my guiding light . She’s the reason I never believed in love . I’ve seen the pain Evelyn and Philip’s marriage caused . That’s why I’ve never been in a relationship even though I’m already 28
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“ When I was in university . I’d rejected every man who tried to pursue me , focusing on my
my camer instead I couldn’t let love distract me from my goals . And I don’t believe a man could give me the happiness and life I want .
Jennifer paused and looked at Teresa with a pained expression . She continued , “ I originally wasn’t planning to return to Nareigh . I was going to join a university friend to work in Shaville
“ He reached out to me several times , but I said I wanted to go back to Nareigh once more . I was thinking of returning to Nareigh to see you , to check on Grandpa and Grandma , to see how everyone is doing
“ Knowing that Evelyn remarried and had another daughter , I watched her from afarne day , holding her little girl in her arms . Tears streamed down my face . After so many years , she must have already forgotten about me , her daughter ”
Teresa suddenly remembered something and continued , “ She called me earlier this year , after drinking a lot . She said she saw you and wasn’t sure if she was mistaken . I scolded her , saying , ‘ Hannah has been dead for many years . How could you possibly have seen her ? ”
Jennifer curved her lips into a faint smile and nodded , admitting it was her .
She said , “ She held my hand , tearfully calling me Hannah , asking if I was Hannah . Thankfully , I reacted quickly, shook her off , and told her she had mistaken me for someone else .
“ When I got home , I drank a lot too , I thought … I thought she wouldn’t remember me anymore . I never expected her to call my name . At that moment , I was a little surprised . ”
Teresa added , “ How could a mother ever forget her child’s name ? Besides , in her heart , your image probably hasn’t changed much from when you were a child . ”
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