20 My heart did a little flutter. Lately, I'd felt Noah's growing interest in me. He was handsome, charming, and sunny, with no exes-just simple and clean. I even had a bit of an crush on him, which was why I went along with the act for Benjamin, letting things play out naturally when Noah offered to help. But I'd been burned too badly by love. That little spark wasn't enough for me to jump into a new relationship. Right now, I was free, and I really cherished my life as it was. "You're great, it's just that I..." "Whoa, hold up! Don't you dare friend-zone me." Noah looked a little down, but mostly, it was concern. "Ellie, I know you've had it rough. I get it. Let's just stay friends for now. You just gotta be happy, okay?" I paused, then slowly nodded. Later, I started getting updates on Benjamin. Turns out Sophia had gone full-on psycho, force-feeding the two kids a ton of alcohol. They were rushed to the ER. They woke up, but their cognitive abilities were shot. When Sophia realized what she'd done, she was devastated. She stayed up all night, taking care of them. But the kids, usually a bit dim, pushed her away whenever they saw her. "Go away, we don't want Aunt Sophia!" "We want Mom, we want Mom!" Sophia broke down. "I am your mom, I'm your mom! I'm sorry, Mom was wrong..." "No, you're not, you're a bad lady!" "We want Mom, we want our real mom!" Ethan and Olivia only recognized me. At first, they just verbally rejected Sophia. Then, any time they saw her, they'd grab her, hit her, bite her. Sophia couldn't take it. She eventually lost her mind and was committed to a mental hospital. Benjamin stepped down as CEO, set up a trust fund for the kids that would last them a lifetime, and then vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went. I didn't care to know either. All that felt like someone else's story, just a page I'd gently turn and leave behind. It was summer again, and I was watering flowers in the garden. Noah came running, two tickets in hand, a big smile on his face as he caught the sunlight. "Ellie, your favorite singer is playing in Seattle! Front row seats! Wanna go together tonight?" I smiled back, a really bright one. "Yeah, I'd love to!" That night, the concert hall was packed. The singer, guitar in hand, started the opening song, and it felt like ten thousand voices sang along. "Nothing can stop you, from yearning for freedom." A whimsical life, your heart completely unburdened." Through the darkest years, you also felt lost." I sang along, but in my heart, I whispered softly: Now, I'm not lost anymore. This is the end of the story. Now, let's go for a new identity, a new story. Get ready for a new journey in "Missed Lovers". Lanie endures a series of heartbreaks at the hands of her childhood friends, Ethan and Mason. After introducing Qiana to them, they begin to ignore Lanie, forgetting her birthday and even her severe allergy. They constantly take Qiana's side, believing her lies and accusations against Lanie, which leads to Lanie being hurt both physically and emotionally. Lanie is pushed to her limit when they continue to prioritize Qiana over her, so she decides to leave LA and marry someone else in Miami... See you in the story! Missed Lovers Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!