The Shadows of Love.

All my life, I have faced nothing but pain and anguish. I have escaped death so many times, and I have seen the true meaning of suffering and poverty. I lost my parents when I was only a baby and I don't even know what had happened to them, the staff in the orphanage where I grew up refused to tell me anything. They hated me and treated me like trash. I was so little and I felt insecure about everything. All I wanted was a warm arm to lay my troubled head on. I wanted to love, and I wanted to be loved. I see other kids here every day getting adopted, but no one wanted to adopt me because I was very skinny and malnourished. I had rashes and my hair was scrawny and messy. In my little corner, I watched the other kids get adopted and I gave up hope. My life has no direction anyway…maybe I will eventually die one day. A young woman in her late thirties approached me in my corner, staring down at me with intense eyes. At first, I thought she wanted to dispose of me because of the vicious

Days passed after the event, but Caitlin wasn't her normal self anymore. Seemed it wasn't as easy to move on after such a traumatic experience as she had thought it would. She couldn't stop crying at how unfortunate she was and her aunt, Mariah, wasn't helping matters either. She always scolded her for little or no mistakes at all, forcing her to do very difficult tasks around the house. She also had to cope with her job as a barista at the Cafe and it wasn't easy on her either. She dared not to tell her aunt about the awful experience for fear of having accusing fingers pointed at her, so she decided to bear it all alone. She couldn't eat and every night after work, she would cry so long in her bedroom and sleep so late after long hours of trying to cope with insomnia and overthinking. She soon developed anxiety and depression, coupled with stress and emotional disorder. She had several nightmares where she was being abused and that man's evil grin kept playing over and over in h

It was a radiant and beautiful day. Caitlin awoke early and bathed Sultan, dressed him smartly, fed him a wholesome breakfast, and accompanied him to his kindergarten class at the preschool."Now, Sultan, you be a good boy for mommy, okay?" she said with a smile, and he responded with a cute smile and a slow nod. Despite not yet being completely fluent, he was incredibly adorable and had picked up speaking quite quickly."That's my little one," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "What would you like me to get for you?""Cho...colate!" he said with a cute grin, and she smiled back. "Of course! I'll get you just that, my dear."The teachers at the preschool smiled warmly. They all had a soft spot for Sultan. Not only was he charming, but he also showed exceptional intelligence for his age."Don't worry. We'll take good care of him. He's very bright," one of the teachers said with a big smile as she took him from Caitlin's arms.Afterward, Caitlin headed to the job interview. Grace h

After a long day at the office, Kane found himself on his way home with Darian behind the wheel. Lost in his thoughts, he couldn't shake the image of the young woman he had encountered earlier that day. Her lovely voice and the look of recognition on her face replayed in his mind, bringing back memories he had hoped to escape.As he grappled with his guilt over his past actions towards her, Kane realized that the first step towards finding peace was to offer an apology. Though uncertain of whether she would forgive him, he knew he had to try. Perhaps by seeking her forgiveness, he could finally lay his past to rest and silence the judgment of his conscience.At home, Caitlin gently placed Sultan on the sofa to rest before heading to the kitchen to prepare the meal he had requested. Seeing him looking so worn out and hungry, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. Knowing that he had to spend the entire day at daycare because of her job, Caitlin was filled with regret.

As he sat in his car on the way home, the echo of Caitlin's words, "He's not your son, and never will be," resonated in his mind.The day's shocking events left him reeling. The revelation that Caitlin had a son for him struck him deeply, leading to a newfound understanding of the struggles and pain she had endured. The realization that she likely faced hardships due to a pregnancy resulting from sexual abuse caused his ego to crumble, replaced by a profound sense of shame.For the first time in his life, he felt lost and adrift, as if Karma was seeking retribution for his past mistreatment of women. Uncertain of what to do next, he grappled with a sense of aimlessness.Despite his turmoil, Caitlin remained unforgiving. He sighed heavily, touching the still-bleeding scar on his left cheek, his blood-stained fingers a stark reminder of the day's events. Sensing his master's intense stress, Darian chose to remain silent, opting not to provoke Kane's potential outburst of anger in his cu