The Kiss that Sparked it All

The kid was kicking and screaming, making it impossible for Ellinor to control him. She had no choice but to put him down again, “Fine, we’ll stay put for now. Chill here for a bit longer”

Baber was back on the ground, retreating to a corner like he’d seen a ghost, curling up into a ball, and hugging his knees tightly.

Ellinor looked at his pathetic state, and her brow furrowed, “I’ll be out of here soon. How long do you think you can hide here by yourself? What will you do if you get hungry or thirsty? The Howards will find you sooner or later.”

The word find sent shivers down Baber’s spine, scaring the hell out of him.

Ellinor couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. She’d been in his shoes, alone and helpless.

Her unreliable mother had entrusted her to Arnold Mendoza out of desperation. However, Arnold dumped her with country relatives instead.

At the Mendozas’ country relatives’ house, she was even more of an outsider. They only took her in to get Arnold’s monthly child support.

It turned out that Arnold only paid for two months and never did so again.

From then on, the relatives treated her even worse, not even letting her share meals.

village kids knew she was an unwanted child and made a game of picking on her.

no one cared about her and no one would stand

the relatives’ kids and pushed into a dried-up well at the edge of the village. She was stuck there for three days and nights, and her cries for

still felt sick thinking about that fear, desperation, and

for three full days and nights, and not a single relative came looking for her. They were glad to have her gone; at least they

and pulled her out of the well. He

online and accused by their neighbors. They hated her even more but couldn’t do anything because of the

were bland but better than the scraps

one bullied

was nice, and she

and borrowed money for Ellinor’s schooling, giving her

started winning scholarships and secretly running

convent, and made sure those who bullied her got their