Chapter 14
When I woke up again, I was in the hospital.
Among the strangers who’d come to rescue me was a legal aid worker who told me Lincoln Cohen might be sentenced for abusing
Custody of me naturally fell to Mom.
Even though I wouldn’t live with Lincoln Cohen anymore, he still had to pay child support-this wouldn’t be waived because of his imprisonment.
The problem that had trapped me in both lives was so easily resolved in the face of the law.
I was an idiot in my past life, and I was still an idiot after rebirth.
I looked at the lady with admiration-having knowledge was truly wonderful.
I’d decided!
I wanted to study law too. When I grew up, I’d also become a dashing public interest lawyer!
The seed called dreams took root in my heart.
During my recovery in the hospital, I felt something was very wrong with Mom.
She stuck to me like a shadow every day. Even when I went to the bathroom, she’d guard the door. When I woke from sleep, I’d see her eyes open, watching me.
I knew she had psychological trauma. I shifted my body and patted the empty half of the bed, acting coquettish in a small voice.
“Mom, come up and sleep with me… please…”
I stumbled over the coquettish words-I’d learned this from Charlotte.
Mom didn’t move for a long time. Just when I thought my act had failed, Mom got on the bed and lay down.
I gently rested my head against her chest. Mom had a faint fragrance that made me feel safe.
This was a scent only I, connected to her by blood, could detect.
I didn’t say things like “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you from now on.” I just always stood where she could see me when she was
anxious.
To put her at ease.
After discharge, I returned to the house where I’d grown up. Actually, wherever Mom was, I could live anywhere.
But later I discovered I was wrong-the old neighborhood still had human warmth.
When the old neighbors previously learned about Lincoln Cohen’s affair, though they sympathized with us mother and daughter, they quickly put it behind them, treating it as just another man’s romantic scandal to laugh off.
That was human nature.
But when the old neighbors learned that Lincoln Cohen hadn’t just abandoned his wife and daughter but had also abused me, they were filled with righteous indignation over my ordeal and took extra care of us.
19.00
That was human kindness.
Human nature and human kindness have no right or wrong-when others were good to me, I thought of ways to repay them.
On my first day back in the classroom, the loudest applause rang out.
My classmates seemed to be welcoming a hero’s return. I scratched my head-I was just a fool who’d gotten bloodied from charging ahead blindly out of ignorance.
My classmates didn’t know that. They felt sorry for my ordeal and gave me the greatest kindness and help.
At Dante’s initiative, classmates spontaneously raised money for me.
When Mr. Sterling learned of this, he reported it to school leadership, and what started as a class matter became a school-wide issue.
When Mr. Sterling handed me the donation card, he said nothing.
I took the bank card, feeling it was light as a feather yet loaded with others’ weighty goodwill.
I sat next to Charlotte. I heard she’d saved this seat for me, firmly believing I’d return.
I silently hugged her, and Charlotte’s face immediately turned completely red as she stammered: “You… you… what are you… going to
do to me?”
“I’ll just let you hug me for a moment, just one little moment…”
After many “moments,” I finally let her go and held out my hand: “Study notes.”
Charlotte muttered quietly: “What the heck…”
But her hands didn’t stop moving as she placed the prepared study notes for all subjects in front of me: “These are study notes made specially for you by the whole class. Take them and look through them slowly.”
I reached out and ruffled her hair, feeling warm inside. The future no longer seemed terrifying to me.
There were bad people in the world, but there were more good people.
