Guo was happy when he married Consuela. She brought an endless flow of smiles and joy into his life. Beautiful, kind, and compassionate, she was a dream, not just a woman.
They loved each other, as they often write about in books. But life, alas, is not a story written by an author. When Kela became pregnant, Guo faced challenges.
The pregnancy was difficult, and his wife had to quit her job to avoid harming the baby. Guo tried his best supporting Consuela, and they eagerly awaited the new addition to the family. Both he and his wife wanted children very much and often discussed what they would name them.
But when it came time to give birth, everything turned upside down. The delivery was very long and extremely difficult. The baby was positioned incorrectly, and doctors had to assist the mother.
However, as soon as the baby was born, the doctors immediately turned their attention to his mother; she had internal bleeding. While Guo paced nervously in the corridor, awaiting news, the doctors fought for the life of his beloved wife. The operation lasted almost eight hours, but in the end, the woman's heart could not withstand the strain that followed the difficult childbirth, and Consuela passed away.
The day that was supposed to be a celebration for their family was overshadowed by the death of Guo's lifelong love. When they showed the daughter to the father—a tiny bundle lying in the crib among other vulnerable newborns in the ward—the man burst into tears. The baby didn't yet know she had lost her mother, and the only one left for her was her father, who felt despair and immense sadness after losing his wife.
While the baby was still in the hospital, she was helped not only by the nurses but also by several other mothers who learned of the girl's difficult fate. The maternity ward was filled with kind souls who held the girl, giving her what she lacked: her mother's touch, the warmth of her body, and the much-needed milk. Immensely grateful to these kind women, Guo couldn't grieve for long; he had to think about what to do next now that he was completely alone with his daughter.
He named the baby as Consuela wanted to name their daughter, and the girl became Lucia. His workplace understood the situation, and Guo was granted a short leave to arrange his wife's funeral. During the few days when he dealt with organizational matters, he cried for his wife many times and despaired.
However, each time he counted down, remembering the vulnerable bundle waiting for him in the hospital. The child was an innocent soul whom he now had to take care of, and he had to do it, if only for the memory of his deceased wife. He had to pull himself together and become a worthy parent to their child.
After the funeral, where Guo heard many kind words and wishes, the man returned to work with a heavy heart, not delaying the difficult conversation with his boss. Antonio Torres was a man of old-school toughness: strict, stern, but fair. That's why, despite many subordinates fearing him, Guo respected this man.
At that moment, Antonio frowned, listening to his subordinate's story about being left alone with a child in his arms. "I understand how this might sound; however, I can offer you a decent solution to this situation. Usually, maternity leave is taken by women for obvious reasons, but our company's policies do not prohibit men from taking such leave.
" "I didn't know," Guo admitted honestly. "Unfortunately, such leave is hardly paid," Antonio interrupted the subordinate's surprised exclamation. "However, Guo, I also understand that if women have husbands who can support them during this time, you have no one.
So here's my proposal: you take maternity leave but continue working from home. Some of the work you can do remotely, and I am willing to provide you with the opportunity to work so that your child doesn't go hungry. " "Antonio, you have no idea how much this will help!
" Guo was ready to fall to his knees before his boss to thank him. "I'll give you as much time as you need. You're a diligent, reliable worker, and I wouldn't want to lose you because of life's twists and turns.
Your daughter is not at fault in any of this; she needs to eat. So don't worry about the money. I'll discuss all this with the department, and we'll arrange tasks so that everything you can do remotely will be sent to you.
But remember one thing: the little one also needs time and care. " "Of course," Guo grabbed his boss's outstretched hand, squeezing it firmly. "I won't forget this.
" Antonio simply nodded in response. Since then, Guo rarely appeared in the office unless absolutely necessary. Fortunately, he very rarely attended meetings, and some could be conducted by phone or video call.
As soon as Guo took Lucia from the maternity ward, he realized how difficult it was with a newborn in his arms. He was torn between many tasks, encountering new problems all the time. He had never imagined before how hard it was to take care of children, and his little girl turned out to be restless.
As soon as he tried to feed her with formula, she would start fussing and spitting it out. So he started going to the milk kitchen every day to ensure his daughter always had something to eat, leaving formula for the most extreme cases. For three months, he adjusted to the fact that the child constantly demanded attention, combining caring for the little one with work, which he always tried to do when the sleeping daughter fell silent in her cradle.
Then one day, everything went wrong. Guo was late for the milk kitchen, and there was nothing to feed Lucia with except formula, which the. .
. The girl didn't like it. For several hours, the man tried to feed his daughter, but she whimpered and wouldn't eat, being capricious, and Guo struggled to hold back tears.
How did women manage all this? Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and the man wiped the tears that had welled up in his eyes before opening it. Standing at the threshold with her hands on her hips was his neighbor, Mariela.
The man knew that she had recently given birth too, and the stern expression on the woman's face made him feel ashamed. His daughter must have woken up her baby, Dio. The woman nodded to the man, who was rocking his whimpering daughter.
"Mariela, I'm sorry—Lucita. " The woman raised her hand, cutting off his words, and shook her head. "Here's the thing, neighbor: I hear your little one crying almost every day.
It's because of the formula. She doesn't like it. " The widower tried to justify himself.
"Great," the woman's gaze brightened, "so we can help each other. " Guo frowned in surprise. "Help?
" "As you already know, I gave birth to a son. " Mariela stepped closer, looking at the girl in his arms. "Unfortunately, I have too much milk.
I have nowhere to put it. Pouring expressed milk down the drain breaks my heart, and your daughter needs milk. I won't take no for an answer.
I can't listen to your child cry with a calm heart. " Guo almost cried. Although the woman spoke sternly, he was immensely grateful for her kindness and offering to help the single father, who had already begun to despair.
Thus began the friendship and mutual assistance between neighbors Mariela and Guo. The woman not only provided the man with excess milk but also took his daughter in when he needed to go somewhere. In return, the man started going to the store for groceries for the woman.
She would give him a list, and he would leave his daughter with her to shop, not only for himself but also for her. Undoubtedly, Mariela was an angel sent by God himself to help Guo, and in return, he tried to help her too. Sometimes the woman needed rest and fresh air, so Guo would take the children, and Mariela could take a stroll without worrying about the child being unsupervised.
Months passed, the children gradually grew, and Guo began to realize that even with part-time work, he was running short of money. Children's things were expensive, and the little girls seemed to be growing not by days but by hours. Mariela came to his rescue again, offering to watch the girl if he decided to switch to a part-time job in the office.
Guo was grateful to his neighbor for such a generous offer, although he doubted it at first. "Don't worry, Guo. Luci is just an angel when she's not forced to drink formula.
It's not difficult for me, and you can be assured that she's in good and caring hands while you're at work," Mariela replied to his doubts, smiling. "And my son has become like a little brother when she's around. " Thus began their further cooperation.
Guo went to work, leaving his daughter with Mariela for the first half of the day, and then he would pick her up, continuing to work from home. Years passed. Lucita and Mariela's son, Dante, started kindergarten.
Guo and Mariela arranged it so they took turns taking the children to and from kindergarten together. The neighbor helped the man get closer to his daughter, and he gradually learned from Mariela how to braid his daughter's hair or tie ponytails, pick out dresses and shoes that delighted Lucita. Mariela's husband, Waen, initially wary of his wife's relationship with the neighbor, soon realized that his kind-hearted Mariela had simply befriended the widower to help him with his daughter, about whom the man knew almost nothing about caring.
He didn't feel jealous, even when they went out together with the children to the park on weekends, and enjoyed watching Dante and Lucita play together as if they were brother and sister. For Waen, it was no longer surprising to come home to find men's shoes in the hallway, and Guo and Mariela sitting at the table, chatting over a cup of tea while the children played around. He understood perfectly well that his wife needed a friend.
After they moved to the city, she hadn't made friends with anyone, and when she got pregnant, she spent too much time preparing for the arrival of their firstborn. Guo, who had helped them so much after the birth of their son while Waen was at work, became a real friend to Mariela, ready to help out when her husband wasn't home. Before the birth of their son, Waen often saw his wife sad with a ball of yarn; she often knitted, distracting herself from loneliness while her difficult pregnancy kept her at home.
As soon as she offered help to the neighbor, she cheered up and smiled more often. For this, Waen was grateful to Guo, who himself needed friendly interaction after his wife's death. Years passed.
The children grew up, having become such close friends, like brother and sister. They didn't stop being friends even after they started school, and even in the same class. Finally, Guo resumed working as before, returning to full-time hours.
Moreover, an agreement with the neighbors allowed him to return to his long-abandoned hobby. Guo retrieved the almost forgotten fishing rods and tackle boxes once given to him by Consuela and began to occasionally go fishing. Those days spent in silence and tranquility helped Guo restore his mental balance.
He realized how incredibly lucky he was in life, even though a cruel twist of fate took away his dearly beloved wife. That same day, he gained a daughter whom he loved with all his heart. With each passing day, he saw more.
of his wife reflected in Luca. The girl grew beautiful, and her father bitterly realized what that could mean in the future. He was right.
At 12, Luca reached adolescence, bringing a new dose of chaos into their lives, which Guo feared. The gap between father and daughter widened, and he dreaded the thought of his little girl soon starting to attract the attention of boys who would surely not fail to notice such a beauty, with her thick wavy hair the color of raven wings and big brown eyes on her delicate face. Mariela helped Guo as much as she could, but Dimo had to deal with his daughter's sudden mood swings and new whims.
One morning, barely awake, Guo was preparing breakfast, contemplating whether he should send Luca to school on a full stomach before he himself went to work. But a sudden cry from his daughter's bedroom filled him with such horror, as if he had been struck by an electric shock. Rushing to his daughter, fearing that something irreversible might have happened, he burst into the room to find Luca tearing the sheets off the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
The panic-stricken man noticed a bloodstain on the sheet and the sweater tied around the girl's hips. “Lucita, what happened? ” Guo caught his daughter, embracing her.
She cried, trembling in his arms, unable to calm down enough to tell her father what had happened. He didn't press her for details, already suspecting what had occurred. He tried to calm himself as well.
If his suspicions were correct, he faced a very difficult conversation with his daughter. While comforting Luca, he managed to send a message to the girl’s school and his workplace, informing them that they would likely both be late to start the day. He also sent a message to Mariela but did not specify the reasons, only stating that Luca was unwell.
Finally, the girl stopped crying, and Guo heard her trembling voice. “Dad, I think I'm dying,” Lucita sobbed. “My dear, I'm sure that's not the case,” her father replied, patting her shoulder.
“But I'm bleeding, and I can't stop it! ” With a heavy heart, the man tried to explain to his daughter that everything happening to her was a normal thing for any woman. He tried to tell her everything he knew, recalling what he had been taught in biology class at school about human anatomy and what he had learned while living with Mariela.
Luca listened attentively, though she could see the embarrassment on his face; it was awkward for him to discuss all this with her. “I'm sure Aunt Mariela can tell you more about what to do in these situations,” Guo finally concluded. As if by fate, just at that moment, Mariela appeared at their apartment door.
The woman, having sent her son to school, immediately came to help her neighbor with Luca's “illness. ” “Aunt Mariela! ” the girl rushed to the woman, embracing her and bursting into tears again.
Mariela gently patted the girl's back, meeting Guo's gaze. He sighed. “Mariela, please help me again.
Luca started her period. I told her everything I knew, but you know. .
. ” Mariela's face lit up with a wide smile; she had already started to worry that something serious had happened, but then such news! “Oh, sweetheart!
” the woman leaned in towards the girl, wiping away the tears from her face. “Come with me; today will be your day! No school, no worries.
I'll help you with everything you need. ” “Guo,” she looked at the man, and he nodded, grateful that his neighbor was such a kind and caring woman. For a single father, this was truly a stroke of luck.
“Luca, don't worry about school today,” he said to his daughter. “I'll call them and let them know you won't be coming. Mariela will help you with everything else.
” And although Guo handled the day with dignity, the gap between him and his daughter grew wider over time. The father struggled trying to raise a teenager. Luca began to transform into a beautiful young woman, and the man started to look suspiciously at her increasingly shorter skirts and gradually emerging light makeup.
Luckily, Mariela continued to help the man, often taking the girl with her when she went shopping for clothes and cosmetics. She even taught Lucita how to apply makeup to make it neither vulgar nor too provocative. It was precisely the lack of knowledge on such matters that made Guo an enemy in the eyes of the teenage girl.
Conflicts began to arise, and everything her father said was taken the wrong way by Lucita, who often slammed the door to her room. By the time Luca turned 16, the conflicts had reached their peak. The girl often yelled at her father, threw tantrums, and increasingly tried to act like an adult and be independent.
Guo remembered the chubby little girl he used to spoil when she was small, and he felt a creeping sense of despair. Luca was growing up and was no longer the little girl who asked him to braid her hair and help her pick out a dress and shoes for the first day of school. Following Mariela's advice, Guo backed off slightly, stopping trying to force his company on her.
It didn't change much, but Luca yelled at her father less, and he saw it as a good sign. On weekends, the man still went fishing. It helped him clear his mind and gather strength for the new work week and the emerging disputes with his daughter.
However, despite Guo starting to give his daughter some freedom, she grew further and further away from him until one day, he returned home to find the apartment completely empty. Luca's room was vacant, as was her school backpack, although her books and notebooks were scattered on her desk. Luca didn't answer calls; messages remained unread.
By morning, the worried Guo discovered. . .
That his daughter's phone was turned off. Nervously, he went to work without sleep, spending the whole day in a daze, constantly reaching for his phone and trying to call his daughter. Dio became increasingly worried—what if something had happened?
As soon as he finished work, he immediately headed home and, not finding Lucita again, decided not to waste time and went to the police station. The law enforcement officers listened to him but reluctantly filled out the paperwork, saying that his daughter probably just went out with friends and her phone died. Listening to all these excuses, GMO realized with horror that the officer did not see the problem at all.
His daughter—his only daughter—was missing, and they didn't even intend to look for her. From that day on, his life became a kind of nightmare. He would wake up reaching for his phone and trying to reach his daughter, but her phone was still off, diverting him to voicemail.
He would go to work, still hoping that returning home would find Luca in her room, just as disobedient and capricious, resenting her father for talking to her. He would return to the empty, now uncomfortable apartment. He would call the police station asking if they had found his daughter, but it was all in vain.
On the first weekend after Luca's disappearance, for the first time in a long time, he didn't go fishing and spent those days alone, sometimes breaking into tears and sometimes soothing himself with the thought that Luca could show up at any moment. The second weekend became so unbearable that on Sunday he grabbed his gear and went fishing just to distract himself from the dark thoughts swirling in his head. "I'll be back, and Luca will be home," he whispered like a prayer while sitting on the pond's bank.
But upon his return, he still didn't find his daughter. So he took time off from work and went back to the police station. This time, he wasn't just nervous; he was furious.
With shouts and pleas, he forced the officers to listen to him again. He retold everything over and over, first to the desk sergeant, then to another officer. This second one turned out to be more thoughtful and took Guo seriously.
It was then that Luca's missing person case was finally opened. They kept him at the station for hours as he gave descriptions of his daughter, what she might be wearing, which friend she might turn to. He didn't leave until evening, exhausted and drained, but with a sense of assurance that now the police would truly search for his daughter.
Yet another week passed with no news, then another and another, but Luca remained missing. Guo despaired of finding his daughter, though he still called the police to inquire about any progress. At first, he did this weekly; then the calls became less frequent—once a month, once every two months—and so two years went by.
During this time, Guo lost weight, grew thinner and older as the worries about his missing daughter took their toll. If it hadn't been for Mariela and Dante, who regularly visited him in the evenings, he might have given up entirely. But his kind neighbors helped him hang on and made sure he didn't go hungry.
"You'll see, Guo," Mariela would always reassure him. "Luca will come back, and you'll be back to guessing how to please that little devil. " Guo tried to smile, though he no longer truly believed that his daughter would be found.
But the hope with which Dante and his mother spoke of it kept a tiny flame of belief in him that someday he would return home and Luca would be there—grown-up, wiser, still as beloved as she was before, despite all her whims and arguments. On that Saturday, Guo took his place on the bank of a large pond, which always held a special place in his heart. It was the same pond where he used to picnic with Consuela while his wife was still alive.
Although he still regularly visited Consuela's grave, it was in this place that he felt a special connection to his deceased wife. Fishing was not going well. Dio kept thinking about his missing daughter, and it constantly distracted him from watching the float.
Finally giving up, he put down his fishing rod and simply sat on the bank, pondering what could have happened to his daughter and praying to God that Luca would be found. Even after such a long time, he still believed that his daughter would return to him. He didn't immediately hear the noise coming from somewhere nearby, but when he finally turned around, he noticed a very young boy struggling in the water.
The boy wasn't screaming, trying with all his might to stay above the water's surface, but the panic on his face was evident enough for Guo to realize immediately that he was drowning. Without a second thought, the man rushed into the pond. Reaching the boy was not difficult for Guo; however, it took some effort to grab the panicking child.
He thrashed and resisted, as if not comprehending that someone was trying to save him. But eventually, the man pulled the boy onto the shore, where he found that, despite swallowing water, he was relatively okay. The frightened child, barely eleven years old, struggled to catch his breath and regain composure for a long while.
And while Guo comforted the boy, he suddenly noticed a pendant around the child's neck, which shocked him. He looked at the simple silver pendant shaped like a very small arrowhead and couldn't believe his eyes. It was the pendant he had ordered from the jeweler for his daughter.
Guo was certain it was Luca's ornament. He had spent hours with the jeweler creating a unique pattern on the facets of this arrowhead. Though the pendant seemed simple, the patterns.
. . were unmistakable.
Within the seemingly wavy lines were hidden birds and leaves, creating a pattern reminiscent of Damascus steel. "What's your name, boy? " Guo finally found his voice.
Javier, the man, hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Beautiful pendant! Where did you get it from?
" "Dad gave it to me. " Although Guo wanted to ask more, at that moment a group of boys approached, led by an older boy, apparently the older brother of one of the rascals. They surrounded Javier, asking if he was okay, and the eldest turned to Guo.
"Thank you! We lost sight of him, and you were there at the right moment. " "Oh, it's nothing.
I was just fishing by the shore and saw the drowning child. What kind of person would I be if I allowed him to drown? " Guo brushed off, regretting that he couldn't inquire more about the rescued boy and the pendant.
The teenagers thanked the man for a long time, and when they left, guided by the older brother of one of them, the fisherman sat on the shore for a long time, pondering that he couldn't be mistaken—the pendant undoubtedly belonged to Lucita. Perhaps she lost it or sold it to earn some money to buy a ticket somewhere. Guo didn't know what to do with these conjectures.
Deep in thought, he went home. The visiting neighbors found the man in such a gloomy state that they tried to find out what had happened—why Guo was so despondent. Did the police finally find Lucita?
The news was not at all cheerful, but Guo remained silent, lost in thought, and Mariela and Dante left without disturbing him. The evening of the next day, the man decided to visit his friend. But when she opened the door, he saw that she was nervous.
"Mar, what's wrong? " Guo immediately forgot the reason for his visit. "Oh, it's my husband.
Something happened at work, but I still haven't understood what exactly. Come in. Maybe he can tell you what's bothering him.
He's not himself. " The woman invited him inside. Already at the kitchen table, Guo gratefully accepted a cup of fresh coffee and saw Mariela's husband sitting, lost in thought.
"You know our boss, the owner of the factory, is looking for someone," Juan spoke, looking bewildered. Guo frowned. "Looking for whom?
" "They say someone saved his son from drowning in a pond—some fishermen, apparently. " The man shrugged. "And now my boss wants our entire department to find this savior.
Probably wants to reward him. " "I don't know. .
. " There was something about the way the speaker delivered all this that didn't sit right with Guo. It seemed like such news should have been interesting to the man, but for some reason, he was tense and spoke reluctantly.
Guo knew that Juan had been working at the factory for years, and he understood that his superiors could easily appoint a bonus to whoever found the rescuer. Was that the reason Juan was so tense? "Darlings, why are you so dejected?
" Mariela, his wife, attempted to support him. "Listen, Juan, I don't know why you're so sad, but I came by to apologize to Mariela and Dante for yesterday. When they visited me, I wasn't in the mood, and all because the day before, I saved a boy from the pond while fishing.
It threw me off so much that—” “Hold on,” Juan looked at his neighbor. “Are you saying you saved the boy? ” “Yeah.
Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. ” Juan grabbed his phone and hastily typed a very long message to someone. Only when it was sent did he relax.
“Here’s the thing, neighbor,” he exhaled. “I know for you it’s probably nothing…” But Juan's phone pinged with a notification, and he read the received message. His face lit up with a smile.
“Guo, my friend, the factory manager wants to see you personally to thank you for saving his son! ” Guo pondered but realized that meeting the father of the rescued boy might provide him with answers to some questions, so he didn't resist and gave Juan permission to arrange the meeting, which Juan was delighted about. Evidently, he was indeed expecting a reward for finding the rescuer.
A few days later, Guo arrived at the address Juan had given him and was surprised to see a large, luxurious mansion, where he was immediately allowed entry. Parking his car, he stood for a while, looking at the mansion, unsure of what to think. Although Javier, the father of the boy, had invited him, Guo felt heavy-hearted.
He still harbored the same questions that troubled him on the day he saved the boy from the pond and saw the locket around his neck, which he had previously seen on his daughter. As soon as the doors opened, Guo saw a tall, imposing man who was smiling widely at his guest. “So you're the one who saved my son!
” A firm handshake turned into a hug in an instant. Taken aback by what was happening, Guo didn't resist, understanding perfectly well that the boy's parents simply couldn't contain their joy at finally seeing their offspring's rescuer. “Oh, come on!
” Guo tried to deflect. “No, no, no! You're a hero, at least in my eyes.
Javier told me everything straight. You saved my son; that means a lot to me! Come in, come in!
Let's have a drink and celebrate the fact that there are still decent people in the world! ” Guo was practically pulled inside and almost immediately handed a glass of fragrant, expensive drink. The man didn't beat around the bush for long and, slightly tensing up, asked, “I couldn't help but notice the wonderful locket around the boy's neck.
Where did he get it from? ” There was something about the change in the demeanor of the factory owner that didn't sit right with Guo. He seemed to tense almost.
"instantly, as if getting nervous, he jerked his head. 'The locket! I think I found it somewhere at a flea market when I was out on errands.
Maybe you can remember where exactly. . .
! ' 'Listen, hero, forget about the locket. We're celebrating the rescue of my son!
' The man tried to change the subject. 'We should thank the Lord that you were there on the shore and happened to be at the right time in the right place. ' 'Yes, that's true.
It's just, what's your interest in this trinket? ' The abrupt change in tone to a more angry one revealed that the factory owner was trying to hide something. Guo sighed, setting aside his drink, and shook his head, realizing he wouldn't be able to uncover everything he desired.
Something was off, and he didn't like being in this mansion at all. 'I won't waste your time. ' Guo turned and walked away.
The mansion's owner shouted something after him, trying to call him back, but Deo wasn't listening, leaving the opulent yet inhospitable place where he had hoped to find answers to his questions, only to encounter suspicions and the odd behavior of the host. Disappointed by the wasted time, Guo had almost reached his car when the boy he had rescued caught up to him. 'Mister!
' the boy called out as he approached. 'Mister, please wait! ' Deo sighed but turned to the child, forcing a smile.
'Hello, Javier! How are you? Feeling better?
' The boy glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice as if afraid of being overheard. 'I need to talk to you. ' The man frowned, seeing the seriousness and determination in the boy's eyes.
When the boy gestured for him to bend closer, Guo didn't object. But as the child began to whisper, the man almost staggered. The boy was telling him that his beloved father wasn't a good person at all.
Javier recounted to the man that there were many people at his father's factory who worked there against their will. The boy had seen them, emaciated and miserable, living in the same place in sheds and in horrifying conditions. At first, it was hard to believe, but the boy spoke so quickly, coherently, and with such detail that Guo couldn't doubt the child was undoubtedly telling the truth.
When Javier finished his tale, he looked hopefully at Guo. 'I love my father with all my heart, but I can't keep this secret anymore. These people—they have families, loved ones—and this.
. . ' The boy raised a trinket.
'Dad gave it to me after visiting the factory. You know him, right? ' 'Yes,' Guo breathed, barely managing to control his voice.
'I know him. ' 'So someone you know among those poor souls? ' Guo glanced towards the mansion, his thoughts swirling.
'Here's the thing, Javier: you want to help these people your father keeps in the factory, don't you? ' 'Yes,' the boy nodded. 'Then meet me tomorrow at noon near the police station.
' Guo saw the boy nod again. 'Promise? ' 'I promise.
' Javier attempted to remove the pendant and give it to Guo, but he shook his head. 'You'll give it to me when we find my daughter, all right? ' The boy hugged the pendant to his chest and nodded.
'I'll help you find her, Mister. I promise. ' Leaving the mansion grounds, Guo felt genuine hope for the first time in a while.
The boy's words not only horrified him but also allowed his heart to feel warmth again, to feel the thirst to know: was his daughter really at that factory? The next day, he eagerly awaited Javier at the police station's doors. Though he didn't wait long, he began to fret and doubt.
What if the boy got scared and didn't come? But, contrary to all his doubts, he suddenly saw the child riding his bicycle, heading straight for him, the same collected and confident expression on his face. Without wasting time, they both entered the station, and Guo demanded to see the officer in charge of his missing daughter's case.
They had to wait nearly an hour, and when they were finally ushered into a separate office, Guo saw a weary police officer who clearly didn't want to face another desperate parent, only to inform them that there had been no progress in the case. However, this time the conversation with the law enforcement officer took a different turn. Guo told the policeman everything he had learned from Javier about how the boy's father kept people locked up and forced them to work in inhumane conditions.
The officer listened with a skeptical expression, as if not believing a single word. But then, Javier stepped forward and pulled out a pendant from under his collar. 'Look!
I got this pendant from my father. He gave it to me after visiting his workplace. I saw everything with my own eyes!
' The officer frowned and examined the pendant shown by the child. 'Look at the photos of my daughter that I gave you. It's the same pendant!
I had it custom made. There are no others like it anywhere! ' confirmed Guo.
The policeman took out his daughter's case file and found several photos provided by the girl's father at the beginning of the investigation. In all these photos, Luca was smiling, and the pendant gleamed on her neck—undoubtedly the same one Javier was wearing now. Tensing up, the policeman pondered for a long moment, then became serious and composed.
'So, I see,' he exhaled. 'Javier, please tell me again what exactly you saw at your father's factory. ' The boy understood that they finally believed him, and without hesitation, he recounted everything he knew.
He remembered the box of documents he saw in one of the offices when he accompanied his father around the factory, and the exhausted workers who seemed worn out and sick from work—and everything else, including the dirty mattresses he noticed barely hidden behind the partially opened door. . .
" Open the door of one of the utility rooms. The officer listened to the boy jotting something down in his notepad, and when he finished asking clarifying questions, he put down his pen and looked GMO in the eyes. "Well, we have a lot to do.
I'll be in touch, but don't worry. If your daughter is there, we'll get her out," reassured the policeman. "But right now, I need to process all the necessary paperwork so my colleagues can enter the factory.
" The police acted swiftly; a search warrant was obtained in record time, and the subsequent raid on the factory caught everyone working there off guard. Everyone who had helped Javier's father illegally detained workers was arrested, including him, who was also aware of what was happening. Documents and personal belongings confiscated from the workers were discovered, as were the rooms where they were held, and the victims themselves, who were so exhausted and sick that most of them had to be transported by ambulance.
The case made headlines. The victims of the factory owner included women and men of all ages—both locals reported missing and newcomers from other cities and districts. Among them was Luca, who had disappeared two years ago, foolishly and boldly running away from home from her caring father.
While the victims were being treated for horrific injuries on their hands due to constant work on the machines and beatings received during their captivity, the police gradually interviewed them. The victims' testimonies combined with all the evidence found on the factory premises were sufficient for the court to sentence the owner and his accomplices to several years in prison. After her father was sent behind bars, Javier stayed with his mother, a woman who had long suspected her husband of dirty dealings.
She honestly admitted in court everything she had suspected. When her husband was imprisoned, she didn't hesitate to file for divorce, as she didn't want anything to do with a man who resorted to slave labor. The money received after the divorce the woman didn't spend, although it could have been enough for her and her son's life until the end of their days.
Moving to another city, she enrolled Javier in a private school and did everything in her power to ensure the boy never became like his father. Meanwhile, Guo reunited with his daughter and rejoiced every time he visited the girl in the hospital. Although she, like the other victims, underwent long treatment, she continued to cry every time her father entered her room.
"Forgive me, Dad," she heard from her for the hundredth time. "I was such a fool. " The man hugged his daughter and stroked her shoulder, already rejoicing that after two years, he finally managed to find Lucita.
It took the girl several weeks to recover from the horrible years spent in the factory, and although she used to scream at her father, refusing to listen, now she reached out to him and cried tears of happiness every time he hugged her. "I missed you so much, Dad," she whispered to him. "And I missed you, daughter.
I missed you so much," Guo replied. "Forgive me for running away, for yelling at you, for thinking that living with you was hell. I was so wrong.
" "It's all right now. The main thing is that you've returned. Don't cry.
" Guo didn't know how to comfort his daughter, but he remembered how he used to take her to the pond where he used to fish, even after her disappearance. "Come on, let's go fishing together or have a picnic by the shore of that same pond where we used to stroll—the one where you always talked about Mom. " The man nodded, smiling.
"Yes, yes, that one where we used to have picnics with her. Let's have a picnic. " The girl nodded, wiping tears from her eyes.
When Luca was discharged, she was greeted not only by her father but also by Mariela and her son Dante. Both were happy to see the girl return. That day, they all celebrated as if they were one big happy family.
The story could have ended with this reunion, but life went on, and a year later, Guo and Mariela couldn't resist anymore—their friendship turned out to be much stronger than they had thought before. The woman divorced her husband, who ended up in prison on charges of colluding with his bosses who used slave labor. Half a year later, Mariela and Guo got married, where Luca and Dante became brother and sister.
The young people entered the same university, and ever since, Dante has been looking after Lucita just as before—as like a brother he had long considered himself to be. Dear viewers, if you enjoyed the story, please support the video by liking it and leaving a comment. Thank you very much.
