Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I was floored!

Jason had already grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

"I suppose you can't sleep either, right? Neither can I. How about we get a room and chat for a while" Jason asked.

For some reason, I just trusted Jason. He seemed like someone who could handle things and was worth trusting.

The room was pretty basic, small but had everything-a private bathroom, TV, double bed, a sofa by the window, and a little round table. The best part? It was super clean.

The walls had this khaki wallpaper with subtle patterns, and the lighting was warm and cozy.

Jason stepped out to the balcony for a smoke, and I followed him.

Below us, the night market was buzzing with noise.

Luckily, we were high up, so it all felt distant.

"Emily," Jason called out, but then he hesitated.

"You don't have to convince me," I said. "Getting here wasn't about one or two things; it's been building up for a while. I'm ready for this."

Jason leaned on the railing, staring into the distance.

"So, where are you planning to go? Starting over isn't easy, especially for a woman," he said.

I gave a bitter smile. "I had nothing to begin with."

"You don't have to leave, you know." He rubbed his temples, probably feeling the effects of the alcohol.

I shook my head. "I don't have a reason to stay."

Jason sighed and instinctively reached for a cigarette. I had noticed earlier that he had tossed the empty pack in the trash. He seemed to remember and gave up, shoving his hands in his pockets instead.

The cold wind on the balcony carried a faint smell of alcohol, making me shiver.

Jason noticed and turned to me, saying, "Cold?"

"A little." I nodded, about to head back inside, but he suddenly pulled me into his arms.

"Emily, I love you!" Jason's confession was hoarse and deep, tinged with drunkenness.

I tried to break free, but he held me tight, not letting me go.

"Emily, don't be scared. I won't hurt you. I'm terrified of you getting hurt; how could I ever hurt you?"

I stopped struggling and said softly, "Jason, you're drunk."

I heard Jason's bitter laugh in my ear.

"Yeah, I'm drunk. Otherwise, I'd never have the guts to tell you."

The smell of alcohol lingered, mixed with intense sadness, pricking at my nerves.

"Emily, I love you. I've loved you for years. I've wanted to tell you for so long but could never bring myself to. I'm just a coward; I just didn't want to mess up your life. But seeing you unhappy now really hurts me. Emily, give me a chance to take care of you. Whether you stay or go, let me be by your side, okay?"

I slowly and firmly broke free from Jason's embrace, feeling touched and looking at him seriously.

"Jason, you've always been good to me since we were kids, and it's the same now. I'm really grateful to you, but..."

Jason cut in, "You don't need to say it. I get it. I always knew this would happen, so I never told you how I felt. As long as I didn't hear your answer, I could keep hoping and stay your friend. Emily, I feel your pain. I was really scared. If you hadn't called tonight, what were you going to do? Where were you planning to go? What kind of future will you have? Emily, I'm really worried about you."

He took a few steps back, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, looking up at the deep night sky.

Moonlight reflected in his eyes, sparkling.

At that moment, I was deeply moved. But being moved wasn't love.

"Jason, thank you for being so good to me. Everyone has to grow up. I can't always rely on others. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, I have to face it myself. I'm not a kid; I'm an adult who can take care of myself. So don't worry about me. I just ask you not to tell Ethan that you saw me, okay?"

Jason looked at me, his eyes filled with helplessness. Finally, he said with a bitter smile, "Okay."

After a while in the cold wind, he seemed much more sober and patted my shoulder.

"It's cold out here. Let's go in."

Back inside, Jason took off his jacket and lay down on the sofa.

"You take the bed; I'll crash on the sofa. Get some rest."

There were two quilts on the bed, neither very thick. Luckily, the room had air conditioning. He wouldn't be cold on the sofa, so I didn't bother with formalities and climbed into bed, lying down fully clothed.

But once I lay down, sleep was nowhere to be found, and Jason was just lying there with his eyes wide open.

This was my first night away from Ethan, and it was rough.

But rough was just the start. The road ahead was long, and for my baby's sake, I had to make tomorrow better.

By four in the morning, even the night market downstairs had quieted down. I could hear Jason's steady breathing from the sofa.

I got out of bed quietly.

Jason's wallet was on the small table. I took a stack of cash from it, grabbed my luggage, and left the motel. Then, I took a cab straight to the train station.

When I first arrived in Riverdale Falls, it was nothing but trouble. I just wanted to get out of there fast.

The train station wasn't exactly safe. After getting out of the cab, I quickly entered the waiting hall. The earliest train was at 5:30, heading to Seabreeze Harbor.

"How far is Seabreeze Harbor from Starlight City?" I asked.

The ticket seller gave me a surprised look. "It takes ten hours by train from here to Seabreeze Harbor."

I thought, 'Ten hours by train, far enough.'

I waited an hour to board the train to Seabreeze Harbor, leaving that nightmare behind. Watching dawn break, the scenery changed from snow to flowers. Seabreeze Harbor, south of Starlight City, got spring early. Flowers were blooming when I arrived.

After breakfast, I found a note in Jason's money.

"Emily, take good care of yourself. If you have any difficulties, call me. No matter how far, I'll come to you immediately."

The note included his phone number, email, and other contact info.

Looking at the note, I felt warmth and guilt towards Jason.

In the new city, my first priority was finding a job to secure food and shelter. Luckily, my pregnancy wasn't showing yet. By some miracle, I quickly found a job at a clinic that required a nursing degree and medical knowledge.

The job seemed perfect for me. The attending physician, Aron Hill, hired me after a brief interview. I was genuinely happy-it was a good start. Aron and his wife, knowing I was new in town, offered me food, lodging, and a spare computer. My skills matched the job, and Aron taught me many things I was eager to learn in the medical field. Despite staying busy, I couldn't stop thinking about Ethan. Seeing similar cars or familiar silhouettes made my heart skip a beat. Seagull once told me that saying goodbye to the past brings new beginnings. Since arriving, I kept in touch with him, sharing my life and work. I worked during the day and studied in the evenings.

Aron generously offered me $4,000 a month, but when it was time to get paid, he gave me $5,000, insisting it was what I deserved. As my pregnancy became visible, I told the Hill couple about my situation. They took even better care of me and hired another person to share the workload.

Living with the kind-hearted Hill family was a turning point, just like meeting Ethan had been. I believed in new beginnings and shared my idea of pursuing a career in medical aesthetics with them.

Aron appreciated it and said, "I support young people having their own dreams. When you're young, you should strive to spread medical knowledge. Very good, Emily. I support you. Go ahead and do it; I'll invest."

Aron's support was a huge confidence boost. On my days off, I researched the market in Seabreeze Harbor, which had potential similar to Starlight City. I also bought books on business management and learned that many successful entrepreneurs started small and took steady steps.

Starting a business was risky, but the real fear was not getting back up after a failure. If I had not taken the first step, I would never have known if I could succeed.

After working at Aron's clinic for four months, I saved almost all of my $20,000 earnings since I had no expenses for food and lodging. Aron invested $100,000, and I promised to share future profits with him.

I rented a small shop, renovating it, buying basic equipment, and hiring a staff member. Initially, I targeted middle-to low-income groups for promotion, but Aron advised focusing on high-income women who cared about their maintenance. His advice made sense, so I adjusted my target audience.

In late May, I heard about a cocktail party at the largest club in Seabreeze Harbor, attended by prominent figures an excellent promotion opportunity. However, with my belly already showing, attending seemed impossible. Then, an unexpected opportunity came up.