My Missing Daughter

ay, I didn't pick up Gabrielle,

days and nights, and I only s

d divorced me, and I di

ound myself back on the da

homeroom teacher, Hazel Burns, told me tha

life, she had atten

ay to the high school, heading straight

here were only a few studen

oday? You are really irresponsible as her parents. We've been trying to reach you and her father, but no one an

buzzing sound, and cold

l normally, and the surveillance camera at the sc

Clayton Fowler, my husband, was a carpenter, and he had been hom

t look well. Is Gabrie

apped, leaving

out of th

ything happen to G

owed that Gabrielle had multiple fractures

s as hard as a stone, with dee

ect in the ca

aw the mute pestering Gabrielle outside the

r three months but had to release h

eventually closed as

s of the city and was rarely

e lived

cidentally set off fireworks and accid

hear anything. By the time the firefigh

t even leave a

he mute innocent, his tragic d

t, then I was the

house on the outskirts. And su

o face at a table. When they saw me

welled up as I rushed forward to embrace G

ays took the bus to and from school alone. She

seventeen years old, and you still want yo

s it was near New Year's Day. So I refused Gabriel

n't make up for it in my life

I was here?" Gabrielle

lained. I wiped away my tears and asked in a sharp tone, "Why did

Gabrielle said, as her eyes avoided mine. "Beside

t she didn't know that she would die

who seemed about her age an

m was a portrait of Gabrielle,

school, I hadn't seen such

r the latest iPhone, but she said she could use my ol

thout any tutoring, she was always t

saving money. I gave her five hundred dollars for her living allow

ate, so why would she ski

e fall i

elle away. "From now on, I will pic

protect Gabrielle wi

early from the factory every day,

Gabrielle was healthy and aliv

kid. What's the point for you to do so? If your

y work was more important and I di

cked on doors one by one and searched for Gabrielle w

ith my hoarse and mournful crie

ld repeat, and I couldn'

nto the school gate and return

ng Gabrielle. Every day, I sa

brielle ab

, and his mother died of massive

and often disappeared t

gave Jerred th

harm Gabrielle, would h

nce exam was approaching, Gabriel

lax, but she said she needed to learn more acade

aster in this life, I noticed she

not difficult to get into one

n advance to surprise her on

by my bedside, where I saved

es, and three thousand

r child shows any of the following signs, please pay attention." He or she

not have tho

med well academically were less likely to be bullied

d up her sleeves. Her arms were covere

ailed as a mother

school and showed Hazel the

brielle who ha

ot the injuries by h

e thousand dollars to, and she to

brielle's hand tightly, "Gabrielle, don't be afraid. No matter who th

ll bit her lip an

bruises, the school might be shut down. I am supposed to give a class to the senior s

able to turn a blind eye to bully

ack. I have to attend class," Gabrielle

arrass Gabrielle, so

Instead, I went to t

I recognized Gabri

, I inquired about Gabriel

dent in the grade. Her academ

s focused on her academic learnin

e's academic performance, thei

nd I directly asked, "Is an

y and told me that they knew not

m. She sat in the front row, with her chin in

with a derogatory term

sroom, tore the note from her back, a

a class. If you have any issues, plea

ht? I saw her hiding in the restroom during the break and pestering

and I felt a tightness in

rrupting your c

that she couldn't tell me. So I had

Gabrielle's death. But now it seemed that he

prised. He seemed to have anticipa

ut how to communicate with him

he paper, with a girl curled up

at Jerred had al

riends for several years, and they

ed Louis Blake wanted to take Ga

unty education bureau. Many people flattered him, and even

lways have books with you?" "It's nothing to be the first place in the grade in the exams. You'll end up like your mom, working like a dog for a big

homework, spilled ink on her desk, pulled her hair, slapp

s just minor squabbles among students. You'd better resolve it private

use she feared it would affect my job, as one of tho

would think my work was m

aited for her at the school gate after scho

outed through gritted teeth, "Did you reject me but hang out with a mute? Gabrielle, y

.

se guys blackmailed her with th

stopped Gabrielle from goi

disaster, but Jerred had already st

e, he had a chance to escape. But th

was still trembling slightly. Ther

emed to be pier

times, tear those painful drawing

cords, it didn't me

but I couldn't erase the

ong time. The wind howled in from out

knife at home?"