They Pretended I Didn’t Exist for Twenty Years… So I Disappeared Chapter 06

They Pretended I Didn’t Exist for Twenty Years… So I Disappeared Chapter 06

When Daniel showed up with the police, I felt like I could finally breathe again.

He didn’t look at anyone else.

He came straight to me, took off his coat, and wrapped it around me.

His warm palm pressed against my back as he comforted me the way he used to when we were

children.

“You’re safe now,” he said. “I’m taking you out of here.”

I nodded and let him help me into the passenger seat.

The engine roared to life, and the city blurred past outside the window.

I closed my eyes.

For the first time, I let myself cry.

Daniel and I had grown up together.

Not long after Lily came to live with us, he moved overseas with his family.

Back then, he had told me, “I don’t like Lily. I think they’re all going to start choosing her over

you.”

Then he’d said, “If you want to come with me, I’ll talk to my

I hadn’t taken him seriously.

I had Ryan, the older brother who used to spoil me.

I had Ethan, the boy I’d loved for years.

mom.”

And I had Mason, who fought with me constantly but had still been part of my life every day.

I hadn’t wanted to leave any of them.

Daniel had looked disappointed, but he’d respected my choice.

He’d only told me to call him if I ever needed him.

66.67%

Now I regretted staying.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

My voice was rough as sandpaper.

“Sorry to drag you into this.”

“Claire Bennett, did you seriously just apologize to me?”

Daniel’s tone cooled.

“You wouldn’t answer my calls. If I didn’t happen to have a friend at the police department, I

wouldn’t even have known…”

He abruptly stopped.

The veins stood out on the back of his hand as he gripped the steering wheel.

I turned my face toward the window.

Daniel took a slow breath and softened his tone.

“I’ve gotten the apartment ready for you. I’ve also arranged medical care. Whether you want to contact anyone is completely up to you.”

I nodded, then shook my head.

“No. I’m done with them. Once you’ve given up on someone, you don’t want anything to do with them anymore.”

Daniel didn’t answer.

He only turned the heat up a little higher.

I moved into Daniel’s apartment, far enough away from everyone and everything I’d known.

Over the next few days, I took my medication, slept, and went to trauma counseling.

Piece by piece, I pulled apart the last twenty years and tried to put myself back together.

My old phone stayed turned off.

“You can deal with it whenever you’re ready.”

I didn’t ask whether there were messages waiting on the old phone.

They didn’t matter anymore.

On the evening of the third day, I was sitting on the balcony watching the sunset when the doorbell rang.

Daniel went to answer it.

Four people were standing outside.

Lily stood at the front with a bright smile and a fruit basket in her hands.

Ethan stood behind her, dark circles under his eyes and several days of stubble on his face.

Ryan and Mason crowded in at the back, both looking stiff and uncomfortable.

Daniel blocked most of the doorway and stared at them coldly.

“What do you want?”

“We came to take Claire home,” Lily said sweetly. “We’ve all been so worried about her these

past few days.”

“Worried about her?”

Daniel gave a humorless smile.

“Is that what you call pushing her until she miscarried?”

The hallway went dead silent.

Ryan’s face drained of color.

Mason clenched his fists.

Ethan took a step forward, his voice so hoarse I could barely hear it.

“I… want to see her.”

Daniel looked back at me.

I stayed seated on the balcony and lifted my chin slightly.

He stepped aside.

All four of them hurried in, then froze the moment they saw me.

I was wearing one of Daniel’s old sweatshirts, my hair tied up carelessly.

A cup of warm water steamed on the table in front of me.

I was calmer than I’d ever been during any drunken argument, tearful outburst, or hysterical

scene.

“Claire…”

Ethan stumbled toward me and nearly dropped to his knees.

“I was wrong. I was so wrong. Please forgive me.”

I didn’t look at him.

“I know about the assault now. I know about the baby. I’m a bastard. I deserve whatever you want to do to me. Hit me, scream at me, anything. Just don’t leave me.”

He reached for my wrist.

I pulled away.

“Ethan Hale,” I said, my voice so flat it seemed to frighten him. “We broke up. I already told

you that.”

“No!”

His voice shot up, his eyes already bloodshot.

“We grew up together. How can you just break up with me?”

“Because you treated me like I was invisible for twenty years.”