Chapter 16

Patrick's worst nightmare had finally come true.

When Emily woke up, she started packing her clothes. So much had gone down lately, and she needed to see Lisa back in the old neighborhood.

Emily thought, 'Mom's probably cooled off by now.'

When she got there, Emily climbed the stairs, thinking about how to convince her mom to go to rehab. She knocked on the door a bunch of times,but no one answered.

Emily pulled out her phone and called Lisa, but there was no answwer.

'Maybe she's still mad at me, Emily thought as she turned to leave.Just as she was about to walk out of the building, she bumped into Carol, who was coming back from grocery shopping.

Carol said, "Emily, you're back! Come on in, your mom left the key with me."

"The key?"

Emily followed Carol inside, confused.

Carol handed Emily a key and a letter.

Carol said, "Emily, your mom's been having a rough time. She didn't want to drag you down. The day you left, she regretted it right away,regretting the harsh words she said to you..."

Emily forced a smile."Carol, I get it."

Holding the key and the letter, Emily opened the door to her home.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow in the living room. Emily felt a sense of peace as she looked around at the familiar surroundings.

She sat quietly on the couch and opened the letter.

Lisa: [My dear Emily, by the time you read this letter, I will have already gone to rehab. Don't worry, Patrick has covered the costs. He told me everything about you two. I misunderstood you, and I owe you an apology. Emily, my good daughter, you've suffered a lot with me these past few years. But I only have you and your brother. I've thought a lot and decided I can't continue like this. So this timne,please believe in me! Please check on your brother often and take care of yourself.]

Emily held the letter, curling up on the couch.

Had she really misjudged Patrick?

She wasn't sure. But at this moment, she felt a bit grateful to Patrick.At least he had helped her maintain a good image in front of her mom.

As Emily pondered the letter, her phone suddenly rang.

She glanced at the screen; it was a call from the special school. An ominous feeling washed over her.

"Hello, is this Emily? I'm Gordon's teacher. I'm sorry to bother you.but there's something I need to tell you. Gordon's gone missing!" The teacher's voice was filled with urgency.

Emily's heart skipped a beat, and she could almost hear her own heartbeat.

She tried to stay calm and asked, "How did this happen? Isn't he supposed to be at school?"

"Yes, he was supposed to be. But this afternoon, there was a special donation event at Seaside Splash Park. We counted everyone before leaving, but when we returned, we realized Gordon was missing. We've contacted the park staff and checked the surveillance footage.Gordon did get on the bus, but we've searched the playground and the school, and we can't find him."

The teacher's voice carried a hint of guilt.

Emily couldn't listen to the teacher's explanations anymore. She hung up, grabbed her car keys, and rushed out. She wanted to find Gordon!

Emily drove frantically to the special school. She burst in, seeing the teacher and several staff members anxiously searching.

"Emily, you're here. We've already called the cops; they'll be here soon. Don't worry, we'll figure this out together," the teacher said,walking up to Emily.

Emily nodded, trying to keep it together. She started searching the campus, checking every nook and cranny. She called out Gordon's name, hoping he'd hear her and respond.

As time ticked by, Emily's anxiety skyrocketed. She had no clue where Gordon could be or if he was in danger.

Just then, her phone rang again. It was Marlon.

"Emily. I heard about your brother. I'm on my way. Don't worry. we'll find him together." Marlon's voice was both urgent and comforting.

Emily felt a warmth in her heart and nodded. saying. "Okay."

Marlon showed up quickly, and together they kept searching for Gordon. They asked everyone who might have seen him but got no useful info.

"Could Gordon still be at Seaside Splash Park?" Emily wondered aloud.

As it got darker, Emily could no longer stay calm. She grabbed the teacher's hand, asking desperately, "Are you sure he got on the bus?"

"Emily, if the surveillance shows Gordon got on the bus, he must have returned. Don't worry, I've contacted the park, and we'll get the video soon," Marlon said, gently patting Emily's shoulder.

"Let's think again. Are there any places we might have missed?"Marlon asked the teachers and staff.

"We've searched everywhere," the young teacher said, her voice trembling.

Just then, the park staff sent over the video. The footage showed Gordon getting on the school bus, followed closely by a slender

woman.

"Wait, who is that?" the young teacher asked, pointing at the woman behind Gordon.

Emily and Marlon exchanged puzzled looks.

"She's not from our school!" the young teacher exclaimed,showing the phone to the principal.

The principal tried to zoom in, but the woman was wearing a tracksuit,sunglasses, and a mask, making it hard to identify her.

"Could she be a kidnapper?!"

Everyone fell silent, feeling a wave of despair.

Just then, a staff member, who had been watching the video,said,"I think I saw this boy run to the storage room behind the school building this afternoon."

Emily and Marlon were overjoyed and rushed to the storage room without hesitation.

The door was tightly shut. Emily pushed it open, and a musty smell hit her.

They stepped inside, looking around. Suddenly, Emily saw a familiar figure curled up in the corner, like a trapped puppy.

Without thinking, she ran over and hugged Gordon, tears streaming down her face.

"Gordon,you scared me! If something happened to you, what would I do? What would Mom do?" Emily cried.

Gordon stared blankly at Emily.

"Why did you come here?" Emily asked anxiously.

Gordon, frightened, struggled and broke free from Emily, running outside.

Marlon quickly stepped in to help chase after Gordon.

Marlon caught Gordon, holding him gently and speaking softly to calm him down.

After some effort, they finally managed to soothe Gordon.

Emily stroked Gordon's head, saying, "It's okay now. I won't ask anymore. Don't be scared. We're going home,right now."

On the way home, Marlon tried asking Gordon what happened, but he stayed silent. Fearing more harm, Emily interrupted Marlon's questions.

"I thought it was Emily, so I went to wait," Gordon stammered.

Emily and Marlon exchanged confused looks.