Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I first headed over to Eminent Domain.

It was time to grab that demolition compensation. I needed some cash to get things rolling for whatever came next. Everything was going fine until I saw the stamp at the bottom of the document. I froze just as I was about to sign. "Skyline International Corporation?" I asked.

The girl handling my paperwork flashed me a bright smile. "Yep, Skyline International Corporation has poured a ton of money into the demolition and reconstruction here." I put down the pen and slid the document back to her.

"I don't want the compensation."

She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

But no one knew. I just wanted to hold onto my last shred of dignity.

Turning around and walking out of Eminent Domain, I headed back to the old house.

There were so many things I wanted to take, but I couldn't. In the end, I only grabbed my parents' portraits.

I flagged down a taxi to the train station. But then I remembered the kaleidoscope Bella had given me, so I asked the driver to take me to the villa instead.

Just as I was about to get out of the car, I saw Ethan's car pulling in. He got out with a bouquet of bright yellow roses and walked towards the house.

"Forget it, let's go!" I said.

My phone soon rang, and the screen showed "Honey."

I turned off the phone, took out the SIM card, and held it in my palm. It felt like a truck had run over my heart, but I finally tossed the SIM card out of the half-open car window.

It was over. I no longer hoped or cared.

Let everything go back to how it was!

The photo on my phone screen was from when Ethan secretly kissed me while we watched fireworks on Martin's rooftop. Later, I asked him to send me a copy, and I set it as my wallpaper.

After much hesitation, I still couldn't bring myself to delete the photo.

I could delete everything about him, but I couldn't erase the mark he left on my heart. I thought I might never forget him, but I would slowly get used to the days without him.

The taxi took me to the train station. I walked to the ticket window but had no clue where to go, so I randomly bought a ticket for the next train to Riverdale Falls.

Riverdale Falls wasn't far from Starlight City, just a two-hour train ride.

It was almost 8 PM when I got off the train, and it was completely dark.

Riverdale Falls was just a small town, way less bustling than Starlight City. The environment was pretty chaotic, especially around the train station in the suburbs. Lots of sketchy people were hanging around, looking for targets. I needed to find a hotel first and figure things out tomorrow.

There were tons of hotel signs around the train station, and I had no clue which one to pick, so I just wandered around.

"Miss, looking for a hotel? Clean and hygienic, affordable rates, 24/7 hot water."

"Miss, stay with us. We have discounts right now, super cheap."

A bunch of people from the hotels approached me eagerly, but the more enthusiastic they were, the shadier it felt.

I didn't respond and didn't dare to stick around. I just picked up the pace and kept walking.

Honestly, I had no idea where I was going.

By the time I realized it was getting darker and darker, it was too late to turn back.

I noticed footsteps following me closely. My hands and feet were sweating, and my heart was pounding. Finally, I started running.

As soon as I ran, the person behind me started running too.

I hadn't gone far when a hand yanked me into a dark alley and covered my mouth.

There was a row of shops not far away, and several shopkeepers saw what happened. But no one stepped in, like they were used to this kind of thing.

There were three of them, and one pulled out a knife to threaten me. I didn't dare to struggle or scream. They rummaged through my suitcase but found nothing valuable, so they searched me and took all my money and my phone. One of them glanced at my ears and neck, then reached into my shirt and pulled out a necklace.

"You can't take this." I grabbed the necklace, not even scared of their knife. But the more I clung to it, the more interested they seemed.

"This necklace must be worth something. Take it," one of them whispered.

I held on tight, making a final plea.

"Please, you can take my phone and money, but leave the necklace. It's really important to me."

One of the men kneed me in the stomach, and the pain made me loosen my grip. With a sharp tug, they took the necklace.

The three men ran off after robbing me, and I desperately chased after them.

But I hadn't gone far when two police officers with batons stopped me.

"That's her; she stole my wallet!" ;A short man caught up from behind, pointing at me and lying through his teeth.

I shook my head and looked at the two officers.

"I didn't steal anything, and I was just robbed."

One of the officers looked at me and said, "Show me your ID."

I handed over my ID. The officer took a quick look.

"From Starlight City?"

I nodded.

"What brings you to Riverdale Falls?" he asked.

I hesitated, not sure what to say.

"Officer, my wallet must be in her suitcase," the short man insisted.

The officer turned to me. "Please cooperate and open your suitcase."

I had no choice but to comply.

The short man reached in and pulled out a wallet.

"Officer, this is my wallet. It has my ID and $220 inside. You can check."

I realized I had been set up; this was a classic case of the thief crying, "Stop thief."

The officer checked the wallet, then handed it back to the short man. He turned to me. "Miss, you're now suspected of stealing someone else's property. Please come with us." I felt utterly helpless.

"I didn't steal; I'm the victim here."

The officer said sternly, "We'll investigate the truth and won't wrong an innocent person. But you must come with us now. Please cooperate."

I was taken to the police station and gave a detailed account of what had happened.

The police asked me to call a family member to bail me out. I had no idea who to call. If I told them I had no family, they might become even more suspicious of my identity. Moreover, I only remembered Bella and Ethan's phone numbers. Bella was gone, and I couldn't possibly call her. I definitely couldn't call Ethan.

After much thought, I dialed the emergency hotline for Grace Hospital.

The call was quickly answered, "Hello, Grace Hospital Emergency Center."

I recognized the voice as Lisa's. "Lisa, this is Emily."

"Emily, what's wrong?" Lisa sounded a bit nervous, given that the hotline was for emergencies.

"Lisa, I have an urgent matter and need to reach Jason. I lost my phone and need his number. Can you help me find it?"

Lisa seemed relieved. "Oh, I see. Hold on, I have his number here."

She quickly gave me Jason's number.

At that moment, Jason was the only person I could turn to.

After making the call, the officers left the interrogation room, leaving me alone.

The waiting was excruciating. I didn't know how much time had passed before the door to the interrogation room finally opened again. "Emily, you can go now."

I walked out of the interrogation room and immediately saw Jason.

His worried eyes locked onto me, scanning me from head to toe as if checking if I was okay.

When people were down and out, the last thing they want was someone's concern; it easily hit the softest, most vulnerable part of the heart.

I held back my tears, trying not to cry.

"Let's go. We'll talk outside," Jason said, trying to be considerate.

As we were leaving the police station, I saw the robbers being escorted in. I grabbed the shirt of the man who took my necklace. "Give me back my stuff."

"What's going on, Emily?" Jason walked over, frowning.

With tears in my eyes, I said, "They robbed me."

The men denied everything, refusing to admit they had taken my belongings.

I was on the verge of tears. "I don't care about the money or the phone. Just give me back the necklace. I only want the necklace."

Finally, under the stern questioning of the nearby officers, they couldn't withstand the pressure and confessed.

"We sold the phone and the necklace," one of them said, head down.

I clung to the man's shirt in despair, wanting to tear him apart. Tears finally streamed down my face.

As Jason led me, who was heartbroken, out of the police station, he asked, "Was the necklace a gift from Ethan?"

I nodded, my heart shattered into pieces.

The photo was gone, the necklace was gone, and my only keepsake was gone.

I thought this must be fate's way of telling me to sever ties with him completely.

Jason didn't ask any more questions. I figured he already knew what was going on. Ethan and Faye's scandal must have been the talk of the town by now.

"Let's stay in Riverdale Falls tonight and figure things out tomorrow," Jason said.

He then drove us to Riverdale Falls, and we found a random restaurant to eat.

We ordered a few small dishes, and Jason even ordered a bottle of beer.

I had no appetite, so I barely touched my food.

"Emily, don't overthink it. Eat something," Jason urged me, then started drinking by himself.

He ended up finishing two bottles of beer, resting his head on one hand, his face flushed, looking a bit drunk.

I owed Jason a lot of gratitude.

Just the fact that he came to help me in the middle of the night was already the third time.

The first time was when I went to Arthur's old home, and Jason showed up at the perfect moment..

The second time was when I went to Greenfield Village. I called him, and without a second thought, he drove for hours to get there.

And now, today, I didn't know how to thank him enough. I could only express gratitude.

"Jason, thank you," I said.

Jason put down his hand and looked at me with slightly tipsy eyes, giving me a faint smile.

"Why are you thanking me? No need to be so formal."

After leaving the restaurant, we found a motel nearby.

There was only one room left in the motel. I was about to turn and leave, but Jason grabbed my hand and handed his ID to the front desk. "Just one room."