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Chapter 18
Ophelia
I know that I can't hide in this hotel forever and it's making me sick to my son teach to think about it. Saturday evenings are meant to be fun and relaxing, and I'm here worrying about what I'm going to say to my family. I can't keep putting this off, so I grab my keys and head out the door. I need to get the answers to my questions so that I can make the best choices on what to do.
The drive over is calm, and my nerves have settled a little. I park in the driveway and see that all of the cars are there. I take a deep breath and head to the door. I ring the bell and wait for someone to come. My father opens the door, and his eyes widen at the sight of me.
"Ophelia, where have you been? People have been calling and showing up since last night looking for you." His words shock me.
"I need to talk with you, mom, and Katherine. If you could please get them into the living room." He nods and lets me in the door.
I sit down in an armchair a
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Ophelia When I wake in the morning, I have a new sense of purpose. I eat a granola bar and some fruit while making some calls to secure a realtor. After talking to several, I find a woman that I feel comfortable with. Her name is Madison, and she has already been sending me homes to look at already. I hear a knock at the door, so I make my way to it, knowing who it is. "Hi, guys. Please come in." I open the door wider and allow them to enter. "Ophelia, I have been so worried," Gregory says as I close the door. He pulls me into a hug. "I've grown so attached to you, I feel like you're my daughter. Maggie told me what happened. I'm so sorry for what my nephew did to you." I pull back to see Gregory look like he could break down. He has always been sensitive around Maggie and me, but this is something new. He means every word he says. Tears form in my eyes as I think that this is the first time in years that I have felt like there is an adult who would t
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Ophelia Gregory picks me up, and we head to the school. Susan was expecting us just before classes start. We talked it over and Gregory thought it best that he parks in the faculty parking lot and takes me in the back entrance. The last thing that I need is to see any students, and have to relive my humiliation all over again. I've managed to avoid everyone involved for the most part, and I don't want that to change. My plan on leaving is still set, and I don't want anything to change my mind. As we enter the back door Susan is there waiting on us. She leads us to a meeting room where the head of the school board sits waiting. "Good morning Ms. Harris. I'm Jackson Ward, and I'm over the school board. I have spoken with the other members last night, and they all agreed that I should be the one to help make this decision today. Would you mind talking about what happened and what makes you want to make such a rash decision to leave early?" The man looks
Claimed Chapter 21
Cole After punching the idiot multiple times, I notice that Ophelia is gone. I take off running for my car, hearing my Aunt yelling for me to stop. I don't care what happens to me, but I have to talk to her. She has to know how I feel about her and that all of this was a huge mistake. I drive by her house again, and she isn't there. I have been looking everywhere and haven't been able to find her at all. She has to be staying somewhere close, but nothing is turning up. I called all the hotels and motels in the area, and there isn't an Ophelia Harris staying in any of them. I decide the next best option is my uncle. He doesn't answer his phone, so I head to the shop. He's always there, and I hope to find Ophelia there as well. Something in me is telling me that I am on the verge of losing her before I ever even get her. I walk up to the shop, and the sign says closed. I try the door, and it opens. Maggie comes running from the back, with Gregory coming
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Ophelia Getting everything together yesterday helped give me peace about my decisions. I'm grabbing a quick breakfast and getting ready to meet my realtor, Maddison. I make my way to her office after I eat, and I'm surprised at hope cute her office is. "Hi, you must be Megan." She smiles and takes my hand. " I have some lovely houses for you to look at. There is one in particular that is located about a mile from campus that I think you will love." "I'm very excited to take a look at these. Have you talked with the lawyers and everyone to get the closing sped up?" I ask with a full honest smile on my face. "I did. We can get you into a house by tomorrow evening. Do you want to see the house I think is perfect first or last?" She says with an excited voice. "First. With all the information that we have shared back and forth, I have a feeling that I will love it. If I do, then no more searching." I say with a chuckle. We get in her car a
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Ophelia The last few weeks have been amazing. I've settled in nicely, and I love the house. I've already started finding favorite spots in the town and neighborhood. Gregory came and spent the weekend with me, and we talked a lot. He informed me that Maggie is trying to help Cole find me and that he thinks it's best if I reframe from contacting her for a while. I showed him around town, and we settled into a comfortable father-daughter relationship that makes us bother happy. I asked what he had told his family, and he said he informed them that he went to hang out with some of his old college friends. It worked out well because he was able to get away, and no one thought anything of it because he did this from time to time. I hated when he had to leave, but he promised to come back soon. Today I'm going to the campus books store to get all the books, and supplies I'll need. I'm taking a heavy course load, and I can't wait to get started. I drive to the colle
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ColeIt has taken four years and countless private detectives to find her. I have spent all of my free time searching for her. Many would think that I am a stalker, but I'm not. I need to fix this and tell her what has been on my heart all these years. If she doesn't want anything to do with me after, I will leave her alone, simple as that. I have spent these four years working on myself. I finished college early and now run my father's company and still spend time with Maggie and her son. Maggie met Jake a few months after Ophelia left, and they fell in love. They married after only six months of dating, and they had their son a year later. Carter is two and a total mini-me. How he looks and acts so much like me is crazy. But with how close Maggie and I are now, it is no surprise. Gregory has pulled away from the family somewhat. After Ophelia left, he was upset with Maggie for trying to help me find her. He kept saying that Maggie should understand why she doesn
Claimed Chapter 25
Cole My phone rings as I sit watching the restaurant where I have a clear view of Ophelia. I look and see that it is the person running the check on the gut Ophelia is currently making eyes at. "Talk to me." "Sir Christopher James is clear. He is from a middle-class family and works in publishing. No arrests, charges, or even traffic tickets. There is nothing wrong with him. He had a fewgirlfriends in the past that have nothing but great things to say about the guy." "Thanks. The money will be put into your account." I hang up and look in the window at them. Ophelia leans in to whisper something in his ear, and his face lights up. He kisses her forehead and my heart breaks. There has to be something going on with them. I man up and realize I have to do this and get it over with. I hate to interrupt her, but the longer I put this off, the worse I am going to feel. I walk into the restaurant, and the place is slammed. There are people all over, and
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Ophelia Once the door closes, and Cole is gone, I turn to look at the people who mean the most to me in this world. I am hoping that they are not angry at me for lying to them for four years. What I see makes me almost cry. I see love on their faces. Not a single look of anger, hurt, or even hate is there. "So, does this mean we should start calling you Ophelia?" Emily asks with a smile on her face. "Yes. I am going to change it all back. Now that my family can't get to me and I am finally free from my past, I want to be me again. Are you guys upset at all?" I silently pray that there is nothing that is upsetting them. "Are you kidding? We are just glad that you finally opened up to us. We are
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