Alice switched off the persistent buzzing of the alarm and looked sadly at the gray sky, heavy with leaden clouds. It had been raining for three days straight.
Watching how peacefully her daughter snored, wrapped in a warm fleece blanket, she smiled and gently kissed Chloe's cheek. The little girl was sick again. All night, a choking cough had kept both mother and child awake. It wasn't surprising, really. They lived in a cramped, damp room in a run-down boarding house.
In the summer, the living conditions were somewhat bearable, but as soon as the cold weather hit, water literally trickled down the walls in thin streams. The building had been condemned for at least five years, but of course, no one was in a hurry to respond to the residents' numerous complaints, citing a lack of public housing for relocation.
It was incredibly difficult for Alice to raise her daughter alone. There were times when, in her despair, the thought crossed her mind to put Chloe into foster care. But looking at her daughter, Alice knew she could never do it. She had to work from dawn until late at night just to make ends meet.
At seventeen, she had become a total orphan. She had lived her whole life with her single mother in that tiny room, dreaming of a better life with a reliable man she loved.
And it had seemed like she'd found him—the one she'd waited for all her life. Mark was a rising star on a college soccer team, showing great promise. But Alice wasn't drawn to his athletic talent; she loved his sincerity and kindness. After six months, he proposed. Alice had burst into tears then, unable to believe that finally, after losing her mother, she had someone who would be by her side forever and never betray her.
But fate had other plans. Just before Mark was set to leave for a regional training camp, Alice found out she was pregnant. She didn't dare tell him the news right away, deciding to wait until his return to arrange a romantic dinner and surprise the father-to-be. But they were never destined to see each other again.
The man she loved didn't even bother to call. He simply sent a text: "Don't wait for me. I've fallen for someone else, and I'm never coming back to this town."
To say she suffered would be an understatement. In that moment, it felt as if she had died, vanished from the face of the earth. Only a faint kick in her side reminded her that she wasn't alone—that a tiny life was growing inside her, a life for which she was obligated to pull herself together and keep going.
Soon, Alice gave birth to a lovely daughter who soothed all her sorrows and gave her life meaning.
As for men, she simply ignored them, deciding once and for all that she would never let anyone into her heart again and would devote her life entirely to Chloe.
***
"Good morning, Mrs. Gable. How was your night? I brought you some sweet clementines," Alice smiled, entering the elderly woman's hospital room.
"Oh, Alice, you're too much. You're practically swaying in the wind yourself, skipping meals, yet you bring me treats. You're a kind soul, just a misplaced one," the old woman remarked.
"It's nothing. You're sick; you need the vitamins more," Alice brushed it off, setting the modest gifts on the nightstand.
Alice was very grateful for this side job. A month ago, Mr. Sterling, a longtime friend of the elderly woman, had called her saying he was urgently looking for a caregiver for just a couple of hours a day. Hearing the pay, Alice had joyfully agreed. For that same amount of money, she usually had to spend a whole month scrubbing floors and washing dishes in a diner.
"Sit down, Alice. I have something serious to discuss. I've been watching you for a long time, and today I'm more convinced than ever that I made the right choice. I feel that I'll be leaving this world soon. But before I go, I want very much to change your destiny.
I am wealthy, but unfortunately, I have no heirs. I have a magnificent estate in the countryside—it's the historic manor of our family. I'm going to sign the house over to you, but I have one condition you must fulfill."
"Mrs. Gable, are you feeling alright? What wealth? What manor?" Alice asked, frightened, and pressed the call button for the nurse, assuming the poor woman was delirious.
A minute later, a young doctor appeared in the ward. He wanted to check the patient's blood pressure, but she simply waved him off, asking him not to interrupt the conversation.
"Alice, I'm telling the truth. And Mr. Sterling is coming here now with the documents. He has been my attorney for many years."
As if confirming her words, a trim, silver-haired man entered the room. He smiled at Alice and kissed Mrs. Gable's hand.
"Do you agree to my client's proposal?" he asked in a businesslike tone to the bewildered Alice.
"What proposal?" the woman stammered.
"I am deeding my home to you, but with one condition. You must move there immediately after my death and care for a relative of mine. Don't worry, he won't be much trouble. It's just important that you are always there," the old woman explained.
"But that's impossible. I have to work. I have a daughter," Alice said, still not believing what was happening, not fully understanding what this strange woman wanted from her.
"Everything is possible. I have family jewelry. There are enough diamonds alone to last you three lifetimes. It wasn't the custom in our family to sell them; they were passed down from generation to generation. But it seems a curse was placed on our line. It turned out that I have no blood heirs. I am bequeathing the jewelry to you as well; you are free to do with it as you wish. I suggest you don't sell it all at once. Such money shouldn't be kept in the house, and certainly not in a bank."
The lawyer turned around and only then noticed the doctor, who was standing by the door with his mouth agape.
"Please leave us. Mrs. Gable does not require your assistance at the moment." The doctor hastily retreated, and the man turned back to Alice.
"Do you agree?"
"I... I don't know," the stunned woman murmured.
"I see no reason for you to refuse my client's offer. As far as we know, you are living with a child in a condemned building under deplorable conditions. You are forced to work from dawn till dusk, while your daughter spends most of her time in daycare.
Now you are being offered a life in the country, in a cozy, large house, the chance to never work a day in your life, to never know poverty, and to give all your free time to raising your daughter.
In exchange for all this, you only need to bring a bowl of soup to a man who cannot look after himself. It seems to me there is no reason to hesitate. You should accept while you have the chance."
"Alice, my heart will only be at peace if you live at the manor. Please, agree. Fulfill my last wish," Mrs. Gable said weakly.
"Yes, of course I agree," Alice smiled, brushing away a tear. "It's just all so unexpected. Thank you so much."
Alice hugged the old woman, feeling deep regret that the poor lady's days were nearly numbered. She felt as if she were in a fog as she signed some papers and a contract for the lifelong care and maintenance of a person unknown to her.
She didn't want to pry into Mrs. Gable's soul or ask questions about him. It seemed obvious that he was likely her helpless husband; they probably had no children and were left alone in their old age. Alice realized then that Mrs. Gable had never really spoken about her private life, only about her career as an opera singer who was once famous nationwide.
"Miss, do you need a lift?" Alice jumped at the sudden voice. Turning around, she saw the doctor—the same one who had come into the ward earlier.
"No, thank you. I'm taking the subway. It'll be faster."
"So, is our old lady really that rich?" the young man asked suddenly.
"I don't think so. You can see the state Mrs. Gable is in," Alice said, not knowing why she lied to him. Perhaps it was because his gaze held a coldness that pierced right through her.
"Right," the doctor sneered maliciously. Getting into an expensive car, he quickly drove off the hospital grounds.
A few days later, Mrs. Gable passed away. She went quietly and peacefully in her sleep, with a smile on her lips.
***
"Don't cry, my dear. She lived a bright, interesting, and long life. She was a kind woman. She left a warm mark on our hearts forever," Mr. Sterling said sadly, hugging Alice.
"I will handle the funeral arrangements. You prepare to claim your inheritance and move into your new life."
A month later, Alice and her daughter stood in the courtyard of a massive house, gazing at the local beauty with awe. The woman still couldn't believe her luck. It felt like a pleasant, vivid dream—that she would wake up any second in her damp, miserable room and run to scrub floors until late evening.
"Where is the person I'm supposed to look after?" she asked Mr. Sterling tentatively.
"In the house, most likely. He's very withdrawn. He hardly ever goes outside and isn't very talkative. I don't think Mark will cause you many problems."
"Now, I will hand over the late woman's jewelry to you, and with a sense of duty fulfilled, I'll head back to the city. If you'll allow it, I'll visit you once a week. And if you ever need anything, call me at any time of day or night."
Alice gathered her courage and, holding her breath, crossed the threshold of the house. In a large living room by the window sat a man in a wheelchair. Hearing someone enter, he turned sharply. Alice covered her mouth with her hand to keep from screaming in shock.
It was Mark. Her first and last love, Chloe's father.
"Hello," he smirked. "So you sniffed it out and found me after all. You wasted your breath. Get out of here."
"Mark, control yourself! Is that any way to speak to a lady? Especially since Alice is your new guardian. You have to live under the same roof, after all. I suggest you don't make life difficult for her or yourself," Mr. Sterling exclaimed, outraged.
"Is that so? Well, it seems I underestimated you. Mr. Sterling, I insist on being moved to a nursing home tomorrow. I have no intention of living under the same roof as her," Mark turned pale.
"As I understand it, you two are acquainted? I suggest you don't make any rash decisions. I'll stop by the day after tomorrow. I hope you find common ground, and you, Mark, don't make any foolish, ill-considered choices. Alice, here are the jewels Mrs. Gable bequeathed to you."
The lawyer took a neat jewelry box from his briefcase, placed it on the dresser, and hurried to leave, leaving a bewildered Alice alone.
"Mark. Maybe you can explain what's going on? How did you end up in Mrs. Gable's house? And why are you so sure I was looking for you? One text was enough for me to erase you—and every other man—from my life forever.
I am happy with my daughter, and believe me, I would never sink so low as to seek a meeting with a man who walked all over me. Where is your 'beloved woman' for whom you crushed my heart? Why don't I see her here? Did she leave you?"
"There was no woman," Mark sighed wearily. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I knew my aunt had left everything—including me—to some 'kind and gentle woman,' but I never expected to see you here.
I suffered a serious injury years ago at that training camp. I had surgery that same day at one of the best clinics in Tokyo. But after it, I never felt my legs again. The doctor just shook his head and said surgery couldn't help anymore. Everything depended on my own body.
I was young, but I knew it was a life sentence. That was the moment I decided to vanish from your life. I sent that text. I lied about meeting someone else. After I was discharged, I came to live here with my aunt. That's everything. I will never agree to let you change my bedpans, so I'm not changing my mind. I demand to be sent to a facility."
"Not even your daughter will stop you?" Alice asked quietly. "Don't you want to be a part of Chloe's life?"
Mark's face transformed as he looked out the window at the little girl playing carefree in the yard. It was clear how hard this moment was for him.
"No. I don't want to be a burden to you or her. That's it. Conversation over," the man said, and retreated to his room.
***
Alice couldn't recover. She spent the entire day in a daze. She couldn't allow Mark to go to a nursing home because of her; she knew what kind of life awaited him there.
The woman decided to renounce the inheritance and the care contract. It would be better for everyone, including herself. Mark had changed so much over the years. He had become a stranger, distant. The Mark she had loved was gone and would never return.
She prepared dinner, silently brought it to Mark's room, fed her daughter, tucked her in, and went to bed herself. That night, sleep eluded her. She tossed and turned; for some reason, she felt eerie and uncomfortable in this huge, strange house. Sinister rustlings seemed to come from everywhere, and the hoot of an owl outside only added to the dread. She finally managed to drift into a fitful sleep late in the night.
Hearing a crash and the sound of breaking glass in the room, she bolted upright and screamed in terror. Chloe woke up too, throwing her arms around her mother's neck and sobbing loudly. Seeing the silhouette of a man in the room, Alice froze, realizing this was the end. At that moment, the light flickered on, and another intruder jumped through the window.
"You?" she gasped, recognizing the doctor.
"Hi there," he smiled with a predatory grin. "Where are the stones?"
"What stones?" the woman whispered, realizing why the doctor had come.
"Don't play dumb. If you want to stay alive along with your brat, tell me right now—where are the diamonds?"
But Alice clearly understood that the doctor wouldn't leave any witnesses alive, regardless of whether she gave him the jewelry or not. She remembered that the jewelry box was still sitting on the dresser in the hallway. Apparently, the thieves didn't know their loot was so easily accessible.
"Maybe we should hang the girl by her foot out the window; then Mommy will be more talkative," the second thug laughed so hard the walls seemed to shake.
"Help! Mark, help!" Alice screamed, clutching her daughter to her, knowing that despite his best efforts, Mark was powerless to help them.
"Is that your cripple you're calling? Go on, scream louder," the doctor sneered.
Mark hadn't slept that night either. He had heard the window break on the second floor. He had heard the men talking and Alice's scream. He knew that somewhere in the kitchen, behind the refrigerator, there was a panic button his aunt had told him about. The police wouldn't reach such a remote area for at least two hours.
Wheeling silently out of his room, he headed for the kitchen. But only as he reached the fridge did he realize he could never reach the button. To do so, he had to stand up and reach behind the appliance.
Hearing Alice's desperate scream again, he closed his eyes in pain and, not even believing in himself, pushed himself up from the chair with his arms. In the next moment, he stood on his feet. Taking an unsteady step, he reached his goal, and an instant later, a loud siren wailed throughout the neighborhood.
"What's that?" one of the intruders shouted in fear, quickly jumping out the window. The doctor followed him without a word.
Alice, still holding her daughter, ran down the stairs. Seeing Mark lying on the floor, she rushed to him.
"Are they gone?" he asked.
"Yes. They ran as soon as the siren went off. How did you turn it on? And why are you on the floor?"
"Alice, I can feel my legs. But I couldn't stay up long; they're so weak," Mark admitted.
"Really?" the woman rejoiced. "That's wonderful! We're going to the clinic in the morning."
"Were they looking for the jewelry?" Mark asked.
"Yes. They were. They probably didn't even imagine the diamonds were just sitting on the dresser in the living room. It was the doctor from the hospital where Mrs. Gable stayed. He heard our conversation and apparently lost his mind following me. We need to call the police immediately. But none of that matters—the main thing is that you stood up!" The woman was as happy as a child.
"Forgive me for everything," the man smiled.
"Sweetie, were you really scared? Don't be afraid. Daddy won't let anyone hurt you," Mark took his daughter's hand, making it clear she was under his protection.
***
Six months later, a few guests gathered at Mrs. Gable's estate. Among them was Mr. Sterling, who was smiling the whole time, happy for the newlyweds.
"Congratulations, my dears. It seems Mrs. Gable got her way after all; everything worked out."
"What do you mean?" Mark raised an eyebrow. "Did my aunt know about me and Alice?"
"Of course she knew. As they say, there are no accidental meetings. Every meeting is either a test, a punishment, or a gift from fate," the lawyer noted philosophically.
"In our case, it's a gift from fate," the young couple said in unison and laughed.
It goes without saying that they were happy. It was written in their eyes, in every cell of their bodies and souls.
Alice and Mark had endured difficult trials, but they had finally found each other again—this time, forever.
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