I returned our home while he toured with her novel Chapter 98

Chapter 2

I met Justin at the lowest point of his life.

His father had just died, and his mother had walked out and remarried.

He’d been left with his aunt and uncle, who made him sleep in a ramshackle shed out back and treated him

like he was nothing.

I’d find him huddled in that falling-apart shed, eating the cold scraps they tossed him. It made me furious, so

I kept hauling my parents over there to confront them.

His aunt and uncle didn’t have an ounce of shame.

“He should be grateful we’re feeding him at all!”

“If you’re so concerned, why don’t you take him home yourselves!”

I was too young to hear the taunt in their voices. I took them at their word and brought him home.

Justin was painfully grown-up for a kid his age.

He looked at my parents carefully and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Vance, I won’t be a burden. I can help with whatever you need, and I’m fine sleeping on the floor.”

My parents softened. From that day on, they gave him a real home, somewhere safe.

We grew up together after that, walking to school, playing in the yard. Eventually, we stopped being just friends and became each other’s first love.

The whole thing felt inevitable. My parents were thrilled.

They’d joke that I’d brought home my future husband off the street all those years ago.

We got married eventually. There was no ceremony, but we were happy.

The day we signed the papers at the City Hall, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said I’d given him a

home, so he was going to give me his whole life.

His “whole life” turned out to be five years.

After we got married, he poured everything into building his career. It didn’t take long before he’d made a

name for himself in business.

The day his company was going public, I drove my parents and brother out to see it.

Halfway there, he called in a panic. He needed me to bring him an important document immediately.

I turned the car around. Justin kept calling, urging me to hurry.

I didn’t realize how fast I was going until a car cut me off and there was no time to brake.

Chapter 2

58.58%

The crash killed my parents on impact. My brother Harry Vance threw himself over me in those final

seconds.

I survived, but Harry suffered catastrophic brain damage and fell into a vegetative state.

I’d lost my entire family in an instant. I sobbed outside the operating room until I couldn’t breathe.

Justin held me tight, his eyes bloodshot, apologizing over and over.

His voice came out raw. “Sarah, you’ve still got me.”

Justin started paying Harry’s medical bills after that. The costs were staggering, but he never said a word

about it.

I threw myself into caring for Harry.

All I wanted was for Harry to wake up.

Then, things took a turn.

Looking back, the day I met Zoe York seemed ordinary enough. I had no idea what was coming.

Harry had a girlfriend in college, Zoe. I’d heard him talk about her, but I’d never met her.

She showed up at the hospital as soon as she heard what happened. She was young and pretty, and she cried at Harry’s bedside like her world had ended.

At first, I appreciated how devoted she was. I even told her she should move on instead of putting her life on

hold for him.

She refused. She kept showing up.

When she needed to get back to campus, I’d ask Justin to drive her back.

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