After Rebirth She Strikes Back (Simone) novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6

His daughter had become Cyrus’s daughter. The realization made Samuel feel a faint ache in his chest. For no reason, he suddenly thought of Simone when she was little.

Back then, Samuel had no money or connections. He had just started his business, but the projects his company took on lost quite a bit of money, leaving him with massive debt. He was in a slump for a long time.

At the lowest point in his life, he met Simone. That day, he had been drinking heavily outside and, on his way back, ran into little Simone.

Three–year–old Simone was dressed in tattered clothes, looking like a little street urchin. She lifted her head and called out to him, “Dad.” Her bright eyes sparkled as if they held an entire galaxy within them.

Samuel had never dealt with such a little child before, but for once, he stopped in his tracks. In an unusually serious tone, he said, “Kid, I’m not your dad.”

Simone stared straight at him, her eyes carrying a maturity far beyond her years. “Then, can you be my dad?”

Worried he might not believe her, Simone added, “Dad says I’m just a money pit, so he hates me. I want a different dad. Can you be my dad?”

sincere

Her childish yet sincere words eased some of the tension Samuel had been carrying. “Are you trying to stick to me?” he said with a faint chuckle. He didn’t take her words seriously–until he was almost home and realized she had been following him.

“Have you been following me this whole time?” he asked, and Simone nodded.

“You know this is really dangerous, right?” Samuel, rarely serious, now had a stern tone. “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”

Simone seemed to notice he was upset and mumbled an address in a low, muffled voice.

The narrow alleyways were littered with trash, and the air was filled with the stench of sewage. Simone lived in an old apartment building hidden in the alley. “This is my home,” she said as she knocked on the door.

In no time, the door swung open. Before Samuel could react, a man kicked Simone out, shouting angrily, “Useless brat, give me the money!”

Simone seemed to be used to that. She quickly got up and pulled out several 5–dollar bills from her pocket, handing them to the man.

“That’s all you have, huh?” The man, displeased, grabbed a stool from the doorway and swung it at Simone.

Samuel quickly stepped forward to block the attack and punched the man hard in the face. “What is wrong with you? She’s your daughter,” he shouted, pointing angrily at the man.

ཞ་བ་ཞལ་བ་ཨེནྡཾ

“Daughter? She’s just a money pit,” the man snapped, spitting angrily as he held his face. In the end, he still wouldn’t let them in.

Samuel couldn’t bring himself to leave Simone with that man. Later, after asking the police to investigate, he discovered that Simone had been abducted by the man. With no other options, Samuel decided to take her home for the time being.

But Samuel was completely broke, buried in debt, and surviving on instant noodles every single day. He felt it was far from suitable for him to raise a child.

“Simone, would you like have new parents?” Samuel held Simone in his arms and asked her gently.

Simone hesitated for a moment and didn’t say a word. Samuel thought she had agreed. The next day, he began contacting adoptive families, preparing to send her away. But just after he stepped out, Simone left too.

When Samuel returned, the house was empty, and he became frantic with worry, searching everywhere for Simone.

When he finally found her, she was carrying a big plastic bag filled with bottles, jars, and various scraps of cardboard. Her entire face was covered in smudges, making her look just like a little raccoon.

When she saw him, she ran toward him as fast as she could. With her big, clear eyes, she stared at him with admiration. “Dad, look! I can earn money. I’m not worthless,” she said.

As she spoke, she pushed a few crumpled 5–dollar bills into Samuel’s hand. The wrinkled bills felt warm in his palm, and the scolding Samuel was about to deliver got stuck in his throat.

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He thought he should have noticed it earlier. Simone was smart and perceptive. She had already figured out his plan to send her away long before he acted on it.

Eventually, Samuel decided to adopt Simone. The two who had fallen on hard times leaned on each other for support. That year was Samuel’s lowest point, but having that small bundle of joy by his side brought a rare sense of warmth to his life.

Things happened more than a decade ago, but Samuel remembered it clearly as though it had just happened yesterday.

Back then, Simone looked up at him with admiration in her eyes, hugging his leg and insisting that he hold her. Now, she was demanding to sever their father–daughter bond, and in no time at all, she’d found her real father.

When Samuel thought about Cyrus being her father, a faint sadness welled up in his heart. That night, he couldn’t sleep at all.

Meanwhile, after Cyrus returned home, he immediately instructed someone to look into Simone’s past abroad. When Samuel mentioned her time overseas, it was obvious something was off with her reaction. That night, Cyrus also found himself unable to sleep.

Unlike the others, Simone had a restful and dreamless night’s sleep. She hadn’t slept well since returning home six months ago and had barely gotten any rest at the Spence residence.

She didn’t expect to sleep peacefully at Serenity Estates. She wondered, ‘It seems like the Spence residence just doesn’t suit me.

When Simone went downstairs for breakfast, she found out that Cyrus had already left for the office early in the morning. Without overthinking it, she finished her breakfast and headed to school.

As soon as she entered the classroom, she saw Claire slumped over her desk, looking completely drained and motionless. “What’s wrong?” Simone asked. It was rare for her to see Claire in such low spirits.

“Simone, monthly exams are next week,” Claire said, lifting her head, looking utterly exhausted like all her energy had been drained.

Simone then noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “Don’t tell me you stayed up all night,” she said.

Claire nodded. She had stayed up all night reading, but nothing seemed to stick in her mind.

“If I end up in the bottom ranks again after this month’s exams, they’ll force me to drop out,” Claire said and sniffled, clearly feeling down.