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00:04i was born in a town so small it didn't even have a traffic light my father was a hardline
00:09patriarch who was obsessed with having a son to work the farm and girls just left when the
00:14doctor said it's a girl my mother didn't cry my father did not from joy from disappointment
00:21we were already dirt poor two daughters one collapsing farmhouse bill stacked higher than
00:28the corn silos and then there was me the third girl my father told everyone it was god's mistake
00:34he didn't even look at me he wrapped me in a thin blanket and started walking toward the edge of
00:39the woods probably planning to leave me at some abandoned trailhead but he ran straight into the
00:44local pastor hill pastor hill knew exactly what was happening he talked my father down arguing that a
00:50girl could at least do the chores and keep the house clean he even promised to help settle some
00:54back taxes the family owed that's the only reason my father didn't leave me for the coyotes that
00:59night two months later my mother was pregnant again they became obsessed pouring what little
01:04money we had into miracle cures to ensure the next one was a boy i survived on powdered milk and
01:09scraps
01:09fed to me by my seven-year-old sister sarah years later she joke she was so tough she could
01:15eat solid
01:16food at six months i wasn't being tough sarah i was starving finally the heir was born my mother acted
01:24like she birthed a king she'd strut through the local market wanting my brother to every woman who
01:29didn't have a son finally feeling like she had some status in her miserable life nobody had time for me
01:35most days i was literally tethered to the bedpost with a nylon rope so i wouldn't get in the way
01:39of my
01:39brother's royal playtime it's a miracle i didn't die when i turned five it was time for school but my
01:46parents refused to pay for my supplies or the bus fees they didn't see the point in educating a
01:51girl then i got hit with a brutal lung infection i was burning up coughing until i choked night after
01:57night eventually my brother started coughing too and that's when my parents actually started to care
02:03not about me but about him they took us to a local clinic the doctor told them plainly the girl
02:09has a
02:09severe infection she needs a real hospital or she's not gonna make it and you need to
02:15quarantine her or she'll kill your son on the walk back my mother clutched my brother and took off
02:20walking as fast as she could to get him home i was gasping for air my chest tight as a
02:26vice i kept
02:27screaming mom but she never even glanced back she was leaving me behind literally and figuratively
02:33the cold was bone deep my vision blurred my stomach was a knot of hunger and then the world just
02:39went black
02:39i collapsed in the tall grass by the roadside when i woke up i was under a thick warm quilt
02:45three boys were hovering over me whispering and looking at me like i was some kind of strange
02:50creature they'd found in the woods a kind sturdy woman mary miller walked in with a bowl of chicken
02:56noodle soup i inhaled it but once i finished she told me she had to take me home in a
03:02town this small
03:03everyone knows who everyone belongs to her sons followed us calling my name and trying to make me
03:08laugh halfway there it started to snow the oldest boy leo took off his oversized gloves and slid them
03:15onto my tiny frozen hands when we reached the porch i heard sarah's voice from inside where's maya
03:21she's been gone all night my mother's voice was cold and sharp i hope the cold got her at least
03:26she
03:26won't be here to make your brother sick anymore i let out a jagged painful cough when my mom opened
03:32the
03:32door and saw me the look on her face wasn't relief it was pure disappointment my father just growled
03:38from the couch god she's still alive mrs miller looked at them then at me she didn't say a word
03:45just turned and started walking away with her boys the snow was coming down in thick sheets now leo let
03:51me keep the gloves but the warmth was gone i felt like a ghost standing in my own yard my
03:56father barked at
03:57me to go out and slap the hogs when i didn't move fast enough he grabbed a heavy broom and
04:02lunged at me
04:02but then mrs miller's truck screeched to a halt she'd come back she jumped out and stood between
04:09us staring my father down with a look of pure steel she looked at my bruised face then at him
04:14and said you know what give me the girl i've got three boys and no daughter since you clearly don't
04:19want her i'll take her we did it by the book as much as you can in a place like
04:25this mrs miller made
04:26them sign a notarized relinquishment form right there in the pastor's office so with 50 bucks the
04:32deal was done and just like that i became mrs miller's daughter as i was leaving linda leaned
04:38against the porch spitting sunflower seeds she's a sickly little jinx she's your problem now don't
04:46come crawling back in a month trying to get a refund because we aren't taking her back
04:52mrs miller my new mom dressed me in her youngest son's oversized hand-me-downs and bought me a
04:57pair of thick wool socks and sturdy boots for the first time in my life i had a warm breakfast
05:02every
05:02single morning at night she'd tuck me into bed and hold me close she smelled like laundry soap and
05:08wood smoke when i tried to muffle my coughs so i wouldn't bother anyone she just gently rubbed my
05:14back until i could breathe again my three new brothers treated me like a fragile treasure always
05:19letting me have the last bit of dessert or the best seat by the fire it felt too good to
05:23be true
05:23i spent every day waiting for someone to wake me up from this dream then winter really hit and mr
05:29miller came home he'd been away working a grueling construction job across the state only coming back
05:35for the holidays he was a giant of a man worn down by hard labor and quiet as a grave
05:40when mom introduced
05:41me he just stared at me with a deep scowl i could tell instantly he didn't want me there that
05:47night
05:47i pretended to sleep while they argued in the next room we're living paycheck to paycheck mary
05:52i heard him growl we can barely feed the boys what were you thinking bringing another mouth to feed
06:00into this house she hardly eats anything it's not just about the food mary you take a kid in
06:06you're responsible for her for life we can't afford that kind of commitment i'm out of cash and she
06:13needs a doctor that cough is getting worse do you have anything left from your paycheck there was a
06:20long heavy silence followed by the sound of him sighing in defeat and the rustle of his work clothes
06:25hitting the floor before the sun was even up mom woke me people in this town can't afford insurance
06:30on a seasonal workers wage so a trip to the clinic was a massive financial blow you usually just prayed
06:36and hope you didn't die i gripped the doorframe refusing to budge i was terrified that if they spent
06:42too much money on me they'd realize i wasn't worth the cost and send me back to frank and linda
06:46we were at a standstill until dad walked over without saying a word he scooped me up tossed me over
06:52his
06:52shoulder like a sack of grain and walked out into the cold maybe someone up there was finally looking
06:57out for me halfway to town we ran into an old retired doctor visiting family he took one look at
07:03me
07:04listened to my chest and told my parents it wasn't terminal just severe malnutrition and exhaustion
07:09he said he gave us some medicine for free and didn't charge for the visit after three days of
07:14rest i could finally take a breath without feeling like my chest was exploding by late december the
07:20whole town was buzzing for the holidays there was a huge christmas market in the town square and when
07:25mom found out i'd never been she insisted on taking me and the boys dad stayed behind his foreman had
07:31asked him to fix his roof for free dad hated being used as free labor but the guy still owed
07:36him two
07:36months back pay he figured if he did the favor he might actually get his money wage theft was a
07:41way
07:42of life back then you could break your back for a year and end up with nothing but despite the
07:47struggle
07:47the market was packed with people trying to find a bit of holiday joy mom bought me a huge candy
07:52apple
07:52none of my brothers got one but they didn't even complain i was staring at the lights and the crowds
07:58trying to soak it all in that's when i saw him in a sea of happy faces there was this
08:03little boy
08:04two adults had him pinned between them clutching his arms way too tight he was fighting tears streaming
08:10down his face his mouth was wide open gasping for air like a fish out of water but no sound
08:16came out
08:16i tugged on my mom's sleeve mom look at that boy something's wrong mom took one look in her face
08:23went
08:23pale the boy was dressed in fancy clothes but he was barefoot even worse his feet were raw and bleeding
08:29from being dragged across the asphalt mom's eyes narrowed tracking them like a hawk the couple
08:35looked frantic trying to shove the kid into a beat-up old truck but my mom she's got a heart
08:40of gold and
08:40a backbone of steel he grabbed us and marched straight into their path the man had a thick
08:45out-of-state accent hide this is my son this is a family matter but when mom looked the boy
08:53in the eye and
08:53asked if he knew them he just sobbed and shook his head violently a crowd started to gather
08:59show me some id her voice echoing in the square either we see some papers or we're calling the
09:04sheriff right now that broke them realizing they were about to get busted they literally shoved the
09:08boy to the ground jumped in their truck and floored it leaving a cloud of exhaust behind mom was leading
09:13us toward the station when a neighbor came running up mary what are you doing out here your husband just
09:18fell off a roof at the construction site you got to get to the hospital fast i saw the color
09:23drain
09:24from mom's face she was just a substitute teacher making pennies dad was the one keeping the lights
09:29on if something happened to him we were finished my brothers were also freaking out but she didn't
09:35crumble she gave a quick statement to the police about the boy then turned to leo my oldest brother
09:41he was only 11 but she looked at him like he was a man she squeezed his shoulder hard leo
09:47you're in
09:47charge now look after your brothers and maya the snow started coming down and heavy blinding sheets
09:54leo led us home through the drifts but the joy of the christmas market was gone i looked at the
09:58candy
09:59apple in my hand now covered in gray slush i took a bite it tasted like bitterness leo made some
10:05plain
10:05oatmeal for dinner but none of us could eat only the mute boy we saved ate a full bowl an
10:10old neighbor
10:11lady came over to stay the night with us she kept stroking our hair and sighing that heavy god help
10:16us kind of sigh the wind held against the house all night and i couldn't close my eyes for a
10:21second
10:21at dawn mom came back her eyes were bloodshot and she looked 10 years older she started grabbing
10:27everything of value the laying hens the cured meat from the cellar and then she put on her boots to
10:32go
10:32door-to-door begging for loans dad was in bad shape the surgery alone was going to be eighty thousand
10:38dollars
10:38and without insurance that might as well have been a billion dollars to us dad had been making sixty
10:43dollars a day his foreman was a total scumbag he claimed dad tripped on his own and only offered
10:48two hundred dollars for hush money he even tried to say he'd already paid dad's back wages knowing
10:53dad was unconscious and couldn't call him a liar mom scoured the whole town and only came up with
10:58about a thousand bucks she was packing to head back to the city hospital when i ran after her with
11:02a
11:03small carton of eggs i'd found in the kitchen mom maybe you can sell these too that was the first
11:08time i
11:08called her mom i was terrified that if the money ran out the love would run out too she teared
11:13up
11:13and stroked my hair keep them for your brothers maya and listen to me no matter what happens you are
11:19our
11:19daughter forever before she left she gripped leo's hands look after maya and the quiet boy she whispered
11:27keep them safe leo don't you worry about your father i'm going to handle it i'll find a way i
11:33watched
11:33her walk away into the blizzard until she was nothing but a shadow in the white out later when
11:37the water ran out leo went to the well and i followed him a group of local women were huddled
11:43there gossiping linda was right in the middle of them one woman looked at me inside if the millers
11:48go broke over this accident they won't be able to keep that girl she'll probably end up back where
11:53she started she's a jinx things were fine for them until she showed up there's no way that little
11:59brat setting foot in my house again not a chance i won't have her cursing my precious son she can
12:05rot in the street for all i care leo grabbed my hands so hard it hurt he stood tall and
12:10stared them
12:11down maya is my sister as long as i have a crust of bread she'll have half of it we
12:16are never giving
12:17her up tears stung my eyes for the first time ever i felt like i had a real family linda
12:22just rolled
12:23her eyes and scoffed you brat you don't call the shot leo leo's face was beat red with rage finally
12:29mrs smith snapped for god's sake linda shut up that girl came out of your own body don't you have
12:36a
12:36shred of decency left oh i hope she finds everyone here started murmuring in agreement but linda just
12:43gave a nasty little smirk oh i have gotta gotta dance a girl but let's be real she ain't born
12:50for
12:50happy endings for lunch that day i only took a tiny scoop of mashed potatoes i figured if i didn't
12:56eat
12:56too much maybe my parents wouldn't have to worry about one more mouth to feed maybe that money could
13:01go to the hospital but leo saw right through me he grabbed my bowl piled it high with a second
13:07helping
13:07and scraped the last of the scrambled eggs onto my plate here you go maya his voice firm but kind
13:12he turned to the runaway boy we'd rescued and gave him an extra scoop you too kid you need your
13:18strength
13:19the boy struggled for a long time his jaw working as if he'd forgotten how to use it thank you
13:26so he wasn't mute after all his voice sounded like gravel grinding together probably from the trauma or
13:31some infection he caught while on the run toward evening sarah snuck over to our porch
13:36she stared at my clean warm sweater
13:43i nodded did mrs miller buy that for you yeah my mom got it for me listen linda said that
13:50if the
13:50millers go broke and try to return you she's not taking you back she's already talking to some creepy
13:54guy in the next county who's looking for a live-in maid she's gonna sell you for cash maya i
13:59only came
14:00here to warn you because we share the same blood mom stayed at the hospital again that night the old
14:05neighbor lady mrs gable came over to tuck us in but the house felt empty and haunted without mom's warmth
14:14i had a horrific nightmare i dreamt i was back in frank and linda's shack locked in a rusted dog
14:20kennel while they stood over me with a belt i woke up drenched in cold sweat my heart hammering against
14:25my ribs like a trapped bird suddenly a violent pounding erupted at the front door mary leo open
14:34up it was the pastor hill's voice and he sounded frantic my first thought dad is gone leo bolted
14:40upright and scrambled to the front door it wasn't the sheriff's bad news about dad it was the quiet
14:45boy's parents his name is ethan you could tell just by their clothes designer coats and expensive leather
14:51boots that they were from a completely different world their faces were etched with pure raw
14:56desperation the moment the woman saw ethan rubbing his sleepy eyes in the hallway she let out a choked
15:01sob and threw herself at him clutching him like she was afraid he'd vanish if she let go ethan
15:06struggled for a moment his voice still raspy and broken but then he managed to choke out one word
15:10mom that broke her she started sobbing even harder ethan used a mix of broken words and frantic
15:17gestures to explain everything that had happened since those kidnappers snatched him mrs harrison
15:21kept kissing ethan's forehead then she reached out and squeezed my hand her eyes shining with
15:26gratitude maya she said maya you saved our son tell me honey what do you want i'll get you anything
15:34in the world i looked down at my scuffed boots and whispered i want my dad to wake up the
15:41pastor hill
15:41stood in the corner and let out a heavy sigh they adopted this unwanted child and now the child's
15:47father is critically ill with medical bills piling up they're good people it's just life hasn't been
15:53kind to them lately mr harrison finally spoke up in my world kindness like that doesn't go on reward
16:00he walked over and placed a reassuring hand on my head don't you worry maya your father is going to
16:06be just fine i'm gonna make sure of it they stayed the night in our cramped little house the next
16:13morning the harrisons loaded all of us into their sleek black suv to head to the city hospital it was
16:19the first time i'd ever been inside a car that didn't smell like wet hay and gasoline back then
16:23nobody cared about seat belt laws or overcrowding we kids were squeezed together in the back seat half
16:29scared and half amazed watching the mountains blur past the window the surgery had already started when
16:35we reached the hospital we found mom in the hallway literally on her knees begging the head of billing
16:40to authorize dad's surgery but rules were rules no cash no surgery mr harrison didn't say a word he
16:48just walked straight to the counter pulled out a black credit card and cleared the entire eighty thousand
16:52dollar balance in seconds minutes later the hospital's chief of staff personally came down to
16:57greet us suddenly dad was a priority they moved him to a private suite and paged the best neurosurgeon in
17:04state by that afternoon the atmosphere changed completely a guy in an expensive suit the owner of the
17:10construction company showed up with dad's sleazy foreman in tow they were sweating bullets bowing and
17:16scraping to mr harrison like he was the king of the city turns out mr harrison sat on the city
17:21council
17:21and oversaw all their building permits the foreman who had been laughing at us two days ago suddenly found
17:27the missing back pay he handed mom an envelope full of cash and stammered that the company would cover
17:32every cent of dad's recovery they were terrified of what mr harrison could do to their business we were
17:37all standing there in shock trying to process how our world had flipped upside down in three hours
17:41mom couldn't stop crying clutching mrs harrison's hands and thanking her over and over
17:46mrs harrison just held her tight mary i thought ethan was gone for good you saved him
17:53this means far more to me than words can express her voice broke and right there in the middle of
17:58the sterile hospital hallway
17:59these two women from completely different worlds just broke down and sobbed in each other's arms
18:04as i listened to them talk the pieces started to fit together the harrisons were heavy hitters from
18:09the capital back in this tiny mountain town to visit their old family estate for the holidays
18:14they'd spent years struggling with infertility before ethan was born so he was their miracle child
18:18they usually had a full-time nanny but they decided to handle the trip alone this time one split-second
18:25distraction at the market was all it took for those monsters to snatch him if it wasn't for mom's
18:29meddling heart ethan would be a statistic by now and the craziest part the shock of being saved by us
18:35actually broke the selective nudism ethan had struggled with for years he was finally talking
18:40when dad finally rolled out of surgery the lead surgeon gave us a thumbs up his leg was saved it
18:46was
18:46only then that i realized it was christmas eve mr harrison ordered a full catering spread from the
18:51best steakhouse in the city for our christmas dinner i sat there staring at the prime rib and
18:55loaded potatoes realizing there were flavors in this world i couldn't have even imagined in my wildest
19:00dreams after dinner it was time for the harrisons to head back to the capital ethan wouldn't let go
19:06of my hand he looked at his parents then at me maya come with us mrs harrison talked to mom
19:13in hush
19:14tones for a while then she knelt down to my level maya sweetie how would you like to come
19:19live with us in the city you'd have your own room you could go to the best private school with
19:24ethan
19:24and you'd never have to worry about a meal again i looked at mom my heart sinking was she trying
19:30to
19:30get rid of me did she finally believe linda's words about me being in jinx mom's eyes were brimming
19:35with tears as she stroked my hair they're kind people maya they can give us a life we only dream
19:41of
19:42you deserve that i grabbed mom's hand and shook my head so hard it hurt i didn't want a mansion
19:48i wanted her mrs harrison pulled me into a hug smelling of expensive you're a loyal soul sweetheart
19:55you love your family more than gold and that makes you special i believe i'll see you soon as i
20:02watched their suv disappear into the snowy night i reached into my coat pocket my fingers brushed
20:07against something thick and paper wrapped it was a massive roll of hundred dollar bills dad's leg
20:12never fully recovered because of the delay in getting him to the city even with the best surgeons
20:17he'd always have a slight limp when he walked too fast but in our town keeping your leg at all
20:22was
20:22considered a miracle around here people die or end up disabled every day because they can't afford a
20:27doctor mom told everyone who'd listen that i was the reason our family was still whole she called me
20:32the hero who saved the millers even dad started calling me a brave kid everyone in town was praising
20:38me except for frank and linda just rolled their eyes telling people that if i hadn't brought my bad luck
20:43to
20:43the millers the accident never would have happened in the first place they still hated me but honestly
20:49i didn't care i had a dad and mom who loved me and brothers who protected me that was my
20:55real wealth
20:56a few weeks later the harrisons came back for a visit their trunk was overflowing with gifts imported
21:02chocolates high-end electronics and brand new designer outfits for all of us kids but they weren't just there to
21:08bring gifts mrs harrison had an offer she pulled some strings to get dad a job as a security supervisor
21:14at a major tech plant in the city it paid triple what he made on the farm had full benefits
21:19and was a
21:20lot safer than climbing roofs for mom they found an opening at a prestigious charter school in the city
21:25they'd set up an interview for a teaching position that could eventually lead to a full-time
21:30tenure contract and for us four kids they'd already looked into the school districts so we could all
21:35transfer together my parents were hesitant afraid of being a burden but mrs harrison just laughed it off
21:41it's not a favor mary it's an investment i just want ethan to grow up surrounded by kids as brave
21:48and kind as yours ethan had gone silent again the second they got back to the city it wasn't until
21:55mrs harrison mentioned coming back to visit us that he finally started talking in his broken raspy voice
22:00he was attached to us to me news of our lottery win spread through the mountains like wildfire
22:05before the harrisons could even pack their suv frank and linda showed up looking like they just
22:10smelled money linda had this fake sugary smile plastered on her face that i'd never seen before
22:15you know i went through 18 hours of labor for this girl she told mrs harrison i'm her real flesh
22:23and
22:23blood her only mother her eyes were darting toward the harrison's expensive car dripping with greed
22:30if you're handing out rewards shouldn't the real parents be getting paid frank stepped up too grabbing
22:36my other arm like i was a piece of property arthur arthur arthur we just can't bear to be apart
22:44from
22:44maya we're taking her back she belongs with her real family mary was frantic let her go you're hurting
22:53her please just stop but they didn't budge they held on to me like i was a golden ticket they
23:00were
23:00afraid to lose mr harrison watched them with a look of pure disgust mrs harrison knelt down in front of
23:06me ignoring the shouting maya are these people really your parents i pressed my lips together paralyzed with
23:14fear of course we are ask anyone in this god forsaken town we shared the same roof for five years
23:21mrs harrison
23:22looked conflicted playing along for a second look we're reasonable we're reasonable you just get our
23:33son into one of those fancy prep schools in the city that's all we ask you are important people
23:39a few phone calls from you and our lives will be settled the neighbors were all gathered around
23:46watching the drama unfold maya are these your parents of course we are biological siblings
23:54mrs harrison kept her eyes locked on mine i gathered every ounce of courage i had no mary and arthur
24:00are my
24:00parents these people are strangers linda's face twisted into something demonic screaming curses
24:08at me frank lost it he raised his hand to backhand me across the face but before he could connect
24:14arthur stepped in and shoved him back so hard he nearly hit the dirt don't touch my daughter
24:20it was the loudest i'd ever heard him speak he scooped me up and handed me to mom take my
24:26inside right
24:27away my dad usually the quietest man in the county grabbed a heavy garden hole from the porch
24:33he stood his ground like an iron wall if maya says she's staying she's staying you'll have to go
24:40through me to get to her the yard turned into a chaotic shouting match finally the pastor hill stepped
24:46in listen frank you signed the paper took the money and the whole town is watching
24:53you can't sell your child and then come back to take her away when she becomes valuable the neighbors
24:59started jeering calling frank and linda out for their disgusting greed the tide was turning against
25:04them linda was swimming her face bright red i gave to her and this is an unchangeable
25:12fact mrs harrison stepped forward a cold elegant smile on her face linda let me make it clear we
25:20won't repay those who give birth to children but only those who've raised children well we are grateful to
25:26those who showed kindness to my son not to those who abandoned their own daughter she picked up a box
25:32of expensive chocolates and tossed it toward linda take this and go home don't ruin everyone's holiday
25:38you won't get a single cent more we're just an ordinary family linda we don't have some magic wand to
25:45fix lives for people who won't help themselves linda and arthur realized the well had run dry and slunk
25:52away like beaten dogs i stood there tears blurring my vision terrified that i'd caused too much trouble
25:58for my new family mrs harrison knelt down and wiped a tear from my cheek oh sweetie it's fine it's
26:04not
26:04your fault and you did nothing wrong you were so brave just now you chose the people who love you
26:10and that's never a mistake it took a week to pack up our lives after the holidays the car sent
26:16by the
26:17harrisons picked us up as we drove toward the city i watched the mountains shrink in the rearview mirror
26:22leaving the darkness behind arthur's size and honest face made him a perfect fit for the security team
26:27at the plant the captain liked him instantly and mary stayed up late every night prepping for her
26:31teaching demo she taught every grade back home and her passion blew the interviewers away the harrisons
26:37helped us find a rental just a few blocks from their estate they wanted ethan and me to stay close
26:42hoping our bond would keep him moving forward ethan and i started at the same elementary school
26:47he was brilliant a literal genius but his stutter made him a target for the local bullies
26:52i was terrified of the bully myself but seeing them pick on ethan made my blood boil every time
26:58someone tried to shove him i was there standing in front of him like a human shield growing up in
27:03a
27:03house full of my noisy brothers forced ethan to find his voice by third grade his stutter was gone
27:08and he was topping every class he'd even help me with my math homework teasing me and calling me a
27:14mommy when i couldn't get the equations right i wasn't the academic star of the family my grades
27:19were always just average but my brothers they were crushing it constantly making the dean's list
27:25mom worked harder than anyone she knew she'd gotten her foot in the door because of a favor
27:30so she felt she had to prove she belonged there she spent her weekends tutoring kids for extra cash
27:35never taking a day off when her first class graduated with the highest honors in the district
27:39the school finally offered her a permanent tenure contract she took us out for a huge celebratory
27:45dinner that night but later i caught her crying in the kitchen tears of pure relief dad was the
27:51backbone of that factory while other guards slept through their night shifts arthur patrolled every
27:55inch of the grounds he was too kind for his own good always covering shifts for guys who wanted to
28:01stay home
28:02i was in middle school when it happened dad had agreed to cover another late shift around 2 am
28:09two intruders cut through the perimeter fence the other guards saw their knives and froze in fear
28:13but not my dad even with his limp he chased them down one of them turned and buried a blade
28:19in dad's
28:20shoulder but he didn't let go he pinned the guy to the ground and held on for dear life when
28:25the cops
28:25finally arrived they found the thieves carrying sensitive blueprints proprietary tech that would have
28:30destroyed the company if it leaked my dad the limping security guard had just saved the entire
28:35corporation the burglars confessed they were hired by a rival competitor to steal those blueprints
28:39when mrs harrison came to the hospital to check on dad she was nearly in tears arthur you can't throw
28:45your life away for a company nothing is worth more than your breath dad just gave her that humble
28:52tired smile of his you stuck your neck out to get me this job mary i couldn't let you look
28:58bad besides
29:00if a man takes a paycheck he owes the man his best work mrs harrison went silent clearly moved by
29:08his
29:08old school integrity the corporate exacts weren't blind to it either since the head of security was
29:13retiring the ceo announced that dad was taking the spot he'd earned it in blood and no one dared to
29:19complain luck was finally on our side the company had a program helping senior staff buy homes in a
29:24new development dad wasn't technically eligible yet but because of his bravery they fast-tracked him
29:29with a small loan from the harrisons and years of mom's savings we moved into a beautiful three
29:34bedroom condo my parents had their room my brother shared the largest one and i for the first time in
29:39my life had a room of my own i used to dream of this but i never thought it would
29:43be real when we
29:44went back to the mountains for the holidays everyone treated us like royalty everyone except linda she
29:50cornered me in the kitchen hissing don't get too comfortable in that fancy condo you're a girl
29:57one day you'll belong to some man and this room will go to your brother she stared at my brand
30:02new
30:02sneakers with pure envy what size are those they look like they'd fit finn
30:10that backpack looks expensive too her eyes roaming over my things and i bet you got plenty of christmas
30:17cash give some to your brother it made my skin crawl as far as i was concerned i'd had three
30:22brothers since i was five ssat were looming mom hired a tutor and ethan spent every free second trying
30:28to drill math into my head but i just wasn't built for academics no matter how many late nights i
30:33pulled
30:33my grades barely budged the night before the big test mom brought me a glass of warm milk just do
30:39your best maya if the elite high schools don't take you we'll look into a trade school don't carry
30:47the world on your shoulders after the exams my adoptive grandma fell ill so we went back to the
30:55mountains to care for her she had several grandsons but i was her only granddaughter even
31:00though we weren't blood she treated me like her own sneaking me dollar bills from a little cloth
31:04pouch under her pillow the day after we arrived linda showed up at the front door she wasn't alone
31:10she was trailing a massive middle-aged man who looked like he'd been carved out of salt pork
31:14sweaty arrogant and eyes that felt like slime what's the point of education maya we all know you aren't
31:19the smart one linda said gesturing to the man behind her this is peter he owns the biggest industrial
31:24pig farm in the tri-state area well he's not as young as you are but he's wealthy you'll be
31:29set for
31:29life if marry him you'll be the queen of that farm isn't that better than failing exam
31:38peter sized me up from head to toe a greasy smirk on his face he held up two fingers acting
31:43like a big
31:43shot i'll write a check for two hundred thousand dollars right now provided she's still you know
31:49intact and if she gives me a son another one hundred thousand dollars bonus linda pulled mary aside
31:56whispering like she was closing a business deal look mary i'm being generous here i'll take 150k for
32:03the delivery fees and you keep 50k dollars for the maintenance see raising her wasn't a waste of
32:08time after all mary looked like she was about to have a stroke maya's barely 16 she's a child linda
32:17didn't even flinch that's exactly why she's worth so much wait until she's 20 something and used up
32:22nobody's gonna pay a dime for her then my grandma sat bolt upright in her sick bed shaking with rage
32:27as
32:28she reached for a broom my uncles men with short tempers and big hearts instantly grabbed their
32:32farming tools my brothers followed suit picking up anything heavy they could find no uncle daniel jammed
32:38his hoe toward peter's chest you think your dirty money buys you a seat at this table go find a
32:44mirror you pig-faced creep you aren't fit to breathe the same air as my niece my aunt ran out
32:51of the
32:51kitchen brandishing a butcher knife pointing it straight at linda maya is the only girl in this
32:56family and we aren't letting a vulture like you sell her off if this pig is such a catch why
33:01don't
33:01you marry him you look like you got the hips to pop out a dozen airs for him yourself mom
33:06pulled me
33:06behind her shielding me with her body maya is my daughter her legal papers are with the millers
33:13i am responsible for her future linda if i ever see you near her again i'm calling the police get
33:18out
33:22peter was sweating for his silk shirt terrified but linda wouldn't shut up fine kick us out but face
33:29the facts she's failing school she's got no future no one else is ever gonna offer you this kind of
33:35cash
33:35for a girl with no brains right then mom's phone started buzzing it was my homeroom teacher the
33:43entrance exam results were in who says maya can't make it my daughter is brilliant she's going to the
33:50best high school and after that elite university she's gonna be someone you can only dream of being
33:56i hadn't just passed i peaked i scored 50 points higher than my best practice test with the threat of
34:02my uncle's axes linda and peter scramble for their car and step away maya the world is harder on women
34:08like us you have to work twice as hard just to stand still but you showed them today don't ever
34:16stop
34:16trying you'll get there ethan and i both made it into the city's top high school he was ranked first
34:22in the district i was well let's just say i barely scraped in he was in the honors wing on
34:27the first floor
34:28and i was tucked away on the fourth but every single day without fail he was waiting for me at
34:33the bottom of the stairs he was popular the school's golden boy everyone was constantly whispering
34:38wondering who the average girl always by his side was the pressure was suffocating one day on the walk
34:45home i couldn't take it anymore ethan maybe we should stop walking together he stopped in his tracks his
34:51eyes narrowing why people are talking ethan they think there's something between us he didn't even
35:01look up from his textbook did you finish your calculus homework i stammered no not yet then you
35:10clearly have too much free time if you're listening to school gossip despite the rumors he kept waiting
35:15for me at the bottom of the stairs every day when the principal finally called him into the office to
35:19discuss distractions ethan just gave him a cold calm look she's family watching out for her is like
35:25a habit the administration kept an eye on us for a few weeks but since ethan's grades didn't drop and
35:30we weren't making out in the hallways they eventually let it go but then came a new headache half the
35:35girls in school started using me as a mailbox for their love letters after i delivered a few ethan
35:40actually snitched on me to my mom he told her i was neglecting my studies to run a courier service
35:45which got me grounded and made me an enemy to half the cheerleading squad my grades were still a
35:50disaster even mom had started looking into trade schools but ethan refused to give up he spent every
35:55night tutoring me explaining the same concepts over and over with the patients i didn't know he had
36:00i felt too guilty to slack off so i pushed myself just to keep from drowning senior year hit like
36:05a
36:06freight train a few weeks in ethan's world imploded mr harrison was taken away for a federal investigation
36:13his mother was forced into administrative leave in just a few days i saw the light fade from ethan's
36:18eyes he looked like he'd aged 10 years overnight i couldn't wrap my head around it the harrisons
36:23were the best couple i ever seen how could they end up like this mom just sighed and tucked a
36:28loose
36:28strand of hair behind my ear maya in the world of power it's not always about right or wrong
36:33sometimes just standing on the wrong side of a line can destroy you
36:40over the years my parents hadn't actually spent much time socializing with the harrisons
36:44mom always said that true friendship doesn't need to be flashy they were there for us when
36:49we were at our lowest and we didn't need to suck up to them when they were at their highest
36:53but now that the harrisons were toxic everyone who used to beg for their favors had vanished
36:57except for my mom she took our family's entire life savings and went to see mrs harrison
37:03they talked for a long time when they finally emerged from the room mrs harrison's eyes were
37:08clearly swollen from crying mary i'm gonna be blunt this amount won't even scratch the surface of our
37:14legal fees keep it for your kids but if things go south for us please just look after me mom
37:21gripped
37:21her hand her voice shaking but certain i swear to god mr harrison he is my son always ethan tried
37:29to act
37:29like he was fine but i could see the cracks for the first time ever he dropped out of the
37:34top three
37:34in our monthly rankings i was terrified for him i started dragging him to lunch forcing him to study
37:40with me and sticking to him like glue one saturday i forced him to go for a walk by the
37:45river to clear
37:45his head the weather was turning the cold biting wind was whipping across the water and the trails
37:51were nearly empty just as i was about to head back i saw a splash an elderly man had lost
37:56his footing
37:57and fallen into the freezing current he struggled for a second then his head dipped below the surface
38:01i didn't think i didn't even look at ethan i kicked off my sneakers and got straight into the ice
38:07cold
38:07water growing up near the mountains i've been a fish in the water since i was three when we moved
38:14to the city mom even enrolled me in swimming classes but real life rescue that was a different
38:19in the panic of the moment the elderly man grabbed my neck like a drowning sailor clinging to a mask
38:24i swallowed lungfuls of freezing water the weight dragging us both under thank god for ethan he
38:30found a long wooden pole and hauled us both toward the bank the second i called onto the grass coughing
38:35and gasping he exploded are you insane maya what were you trying to prove playing the hero if i hadn't
38:40found that pole you'd be at the bottom of the river right now he was terrifying i gotta say but
38:44i
38:45could see his hands shaking i huddled into a ball shivering violently ethan i'm so cold his eyes were
38:50a bloodshot filled with a fear i've never seen before he ripped off his coat and wrapped it around
38:55me pulling me tight don't ever do that again maya he whispered into my hair promise me the paramedics
39:03arrived and rushed both the old man and me i felt okay just cold but ethan wouldn't take no for
39:08an
39:08answer he made the doctors run every test in the book mom and mrs harrison arrived soon after pale with
39:14worry they both gave me the same lecture about reckless bravery their voices trembling with relief in the
39:19middle of the lecture there was a soft knock a distinguished looking man in his 60s stood there
39:25excuse me is this maya miller's room mrs harrison turned around and her entire posture changed
39:32she looked stunned almost breathless it's the state governor mr davis what what are you doing here
39:41mr davis's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked between us wait sophia you know this girl
39:48it clicked i'd seen his face on the news just last week ethan had stared at the screen with
39:53a dark expression and muttered i hope he's as honest as they say he's the only one who can give
39:57my dad a fair shake mrs harrison hesitated she's the daughter of a close friend i caught my mom's eye
40:04and she gave me a tiny imperceptible nod i knew what i had to do god ma'am what's wrong
40:10i chirped putting
40:11on my best innocent daughter act a friend's daughter aren't i your favorite god daughter
40:16mrs harrison froze for a split second then a look of realization dawned on her she reached out and
40:22patted my head oh you silly girl what i have saved is mr davis's father i shook my head pointing
40:29at
40:29ethan it wasn't just me sir if it wasn't for ethan both your father and i would be gone he
40:34was the
40:34one who kept his head and pulled us out mr davis looked at ethan with genuine respect sophia you've
40:42raised a fine son courage clearly runs in the family mrs harrison gave a modest smile he gets
40:47it from his father mr davis thank you after mr davis left mrs harrison came back into the room
40:52her eyes shining with something like hope thanks for that maya how did you know to call me god mom
40:58in
40:58front of him i glanced at mom feeling a bit shy mom always said if there's a chance to help
41:08you i
41:08should take it helping you means helping him but a man like mr davis didn't get to where he was
41:14by
41:14being naive mr harrison told us later that he had the police review the traffic cameras they confirmed
41:19his father had simply slipped and that ethan and i being there was nothing more than a lucky coincidence
41:24it wasn't the first time ethan and i had played the good samaritans helping old ladies carry
41:28groceries or walking lost kids home was just something we did we've been lucky so far never
41:33ran into trouble just people who were genuinely grateful about a month later the investigation
41:37cleared mr harrison it turned out he kept his nose clean but the same couldn't be said for his boss
41:42his superior was caught in a massive corruption scandal that took down half the department
41:46in the vacuum that followed mr harrison was the only one with a clean record left to leave
41:51he didn't just keep his job he was promoted to the top spot the harrison estate was buzzing with
41:56people again mom was thrilled for them but she started keeping her distance you don't show you
42:01care by hanging around when people are successful you keep them in your heart and that's enough
42:06mr harrison didn't see it that way as the holidays approached she insisted on taking mom and me out for
42:12dinner
42:16mom thought it would just be a quiet family dinner but when we arrived mrs harrison introduced us to
42:21the superintendent of the city's school district the conversation stayed light mostly just small talk
42:25over wine but the message was clear as we were leaving mom whispered to mrs harrison you didn't have
42:30to do this for me sophia mrs harrison just squeezed her hand i know about this and it's exactly what
42:38you
42:39deserve you deserve this by the time the new semester started mom had been transferred to the most
42:45prestigious elementary school in the city on new year's eve mr davis sent a car to bring ethan and
42:50me to his home for dinner his place was surprisingly modest filled with old books and worn in furniture
42:55mr davis's father pulled out a pearl necklace and a pocket watch here one for mike he whispered with
43:01a glassy look in his eyes merry christmas kids i later found out that mr davis had a younger brother
43:08and sister who had tragically drowned decades ago the old man's dementia had convinced him that ethan
43:13and i were those lost children come back to life it broke my heart to see him smile at us
43:17like that
43:18that spring dad's company went through a massive restructuring people were being laid off left and
43:22right but arthur was untouchable he kept his role as head of security got a larger team under him
43:28and even a modest raise but i barely noticed any of it my entire world had shrunk down to one
43:33thing
43:33the sats were coming and my future was on the line
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