16 The day I left, I bought plane tickets for practically everywhere. But I ended up in beautiful Seattle. My bank account still had hundreds of millions in it. Funny thing is, even though Benjamin was totally stingy with his feelings, he never held back on the money. He bought me endless jewelry. He'd even send me money every few days, just telling me to blow it however I wanted. Over six years, I'd racked up a few hundred million. I remember thinking, I'd stash it away as an education fund for my two beloved kids. Now, since I couldn't actually give the money to them, I just kept it. No regrets. I was conned into having someone else's baby, got a pointless C-section scar on my stomach, and suffered pubic bone pain for two damn years. I poured my heart and soul into it for five years. So, consider this my nanny fee. I haven't figured out what I'll do next, but first, I need to find myself again. Once I hit Seattle, the first thing I did was give my ID to a village woman at an equestrian center along The Pacific Crest Trail. If Benjamin ever came looking, he'd only find a total stranger. I went off the grid, riding my bike along the Lake Union Shore, slurping wild mushroom chicken soup that was so good it'd make your eyebrows fall off, and chilling on Mount Rainier, gazing at a postcard-perfect blue sky with fluffy white clouds. But my mind wasn't as peaceful as I'd hoped. Everything that had happened was like a nail hammered into my heart. Even after it was pulled out, the hole in my chest was still a bloody mess. I thought of Benjamin, who'd lied to me for six years, and I thought of Ethan and Olivia, who'd abandoned me without a second thought. My chest felt hollow, a little ache, a little lost. Maybe time would heal it all, eventually. Just as I was heading back to my B&B, I spotted a unconscious little boy by the roadside. He looked about five or six, covered in mud, clothes ripped to shreds, and signs of abuse all over his body. I picked him up, and he felt heartbreakingly light. I immediately took the little boy to the hospital and covered his medical bills. When the boy woke up, he couldn't remember anything, just clung to my hand, calling me "Mommy." I instinctively wanted to correct him, but he started crying. 'Mommy, don't leave me, I miss you so much." My heart instantly melted. As someone who'd been a mother, I couldn't stand that kind of crying. It made me think of a time when I also had two children. But they weren't my own flesh and blood, and I was long gone from their hearts. Now, this little boy had lost his memory, in his most vulnerable state. I figured I'd just stay with him for a bit. The little boy completely treated me like his mom, but he never took advantage of it. Every little thing I did for him, he cherished it beyond words. He'd ask if I was tired, then give me a shoulder rub, or massage my legs. When the nurse handed out candy, he'd hold back from eating it, then open his palm and offer it to me. My eyes stung a little. Honestly, it wasn't just me looking after the little boy; he was healing me, little by little. Half a month passed like this, and then suddenly, a bunch of people burst into the hospital room. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!