Chapter 12 Spotless
ANNA'S POV
After crying myself to sleep the whole night, I was up early in the morning, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.
My eyes rested on my legs with a kind of emptiness that made my chest ache. I could barely feel anything or think of anything. My heart was drained, my body tired. The silence in the room pressed down on me like a heavy blanket.
But I couldn’t remain in this state forever.
What had happened… had happened. There was nothing I could do to bring back the past or fix what was already gone. The only thing I could do now was focus on what lay ahead of me on what was still in front of me.
There were too many questions swirling around in my mind, too many things that didn’t make sense. And I couldn’t get the answers I needed if I kept sitting here drowning in my pain.
I drew in a long breath, pushed myself up, and walked toward the bathroom. The room still felt unfamiliar, the kind of large, spotless space that didn’t feel lived in yet. My eyes caught sight of the counter, there was already a toothbrush waiting for me beside the sink, neatly laid out, like someone had been expecting me to use it.
I picked it up and squeezed some toothpaste on it.
The paste came out red.
The color made me pause. It reminded me too much of the pool of blood I had lain in that night.
A sharp shiver ran down my spine.
If not for my mother showing up when she did, would I even be alive now?
Then something hit me — something I hadn’t thought about until now.
How did she find me that evening?
The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.
She had appeared right at the moment I needed help most.
Was she following me? Watching me somehow?
The questions echoed in my mind as I slowly brushed my teeth, my movements heavy and uncertain.
When I was done, I turned on the shower. The water came out warm, streaming down my skin in comforting waves. The hot water felt good against my tense body, easing the stiffness in my shoulders. I stayed under it longer than I should have, letting it wash away the lingering exhaustion from the night before.
By the time I stepped out, the mirror was fogged up. I wiped a small circle with my palm and stared at my reflection. My eyes were still puffy, the rims red from crying. I sighed softly, pulled my hair back, and got dressed in a clean set of clothes.
It was time to face the day.
And maybe… get some answers.
I walked out of my room and began to make my way down the stairs. The scent of mashed potatoes and butter drifted up from below, mixing with the faint smell of coffee. It felt oddly homey, something I wasn’t used to anymore.
As I reached the last step, I saw them — my new family both sitting at the dining table. My dad had a tablet in his hand, eyes scrolling through the screen, while my mom sipped slowly from a white coffee mug.
It didn’t take long for them to notice me.
“Oh, here she is,” my dad said, smiling warmly as he looked up from his tablet.
My mom immediately took off her glasses and rose from her chair. Her face lit up with a gentle smile as she walked over and wrapped her arms around me.
“Good morning,” she said softly. “I hope you slept well.”
“Good morning,” I replied, my voice quiet. “Yes, I did.”
I took my seat at the table while my mom returned to hers. As she sat down, my gaze fell on her face. There were faint traces of puffiness under her eyes, and her expression looked tired, worn even.
“Your eyes… they’re swollen,” I said, frowning slightly.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” my dad said before she could answer. “She was the one who caused that herself, crying all through the night.”
“Crying all through last night?” I repeated, a little confused.
“Yes,” my dad said, lowering his tablet. “But don’t worry about it. She was crying because she finally found you after all these years.”
My mom gave him a small look, the kind that carried quiet emotion, then turned to me with a weak smile.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” she said softly.
I nodded slowly, still trying to process everything they were saying. Found me? After all these years?
I hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question that had been pressing in my mind since morning.
“How did you find me, though?”
The words left my mouth, and both of them went still. My dad stopped whatever he was doing on his tablet, and the two of them exchanged a brief, silent glance. Something about that look made my heart tighten a bit.
My mom took a small breath, resting her elbows lightly on the table as her face turned more serious.
“We were lucky enough to find you again through that,” she said finally, pointing toward the necklace that hung around my neck.
Instinctively, my hand went up to touch it. The familiar pendant was cool against my fingers. I glanced down at it, then looked back at her, my brows furrowed in confusion.
“My necklace?” I asked. “How were you able to find me with this necklace? It doesn’t look like there’s any tracking device in it.”
She smiled faintly and shook her head. “Trust me, it’s just an ordinary necklace… but it’s a special one. So special that there are only two of them in this world.”
My confusion deepened.
“Only two?” I repeated softly.
“Yes,” she said, reaching for the neckline of her dress. “The second one is with me.”
She pulled out a chain from under her clothes, and my eyes widened.
At first, it looked like a regular necklace, but when I looked closer, I realized it was exactly like mine. The same silver design, the same small, teardrop-shaped gem in the center.
“Now, you might think it’s just a coincidence that we both wear the same necklace,” she said, holding it out where I could see it clearly. “But it’s not. There are only two of these in the world. I gave you the one you’re wearing when you were still very little.”
Her words echoed in my mind. My fingers slowly traced the outline of my pendant, feeling every small ridge, every smooth edge. This necklace had been with me for as long as I could remember. I never knew where it came from. I always thought it was a gift from my late dad, so I never questioned it.
I wore it all the time, no matter what. It was the one thing I always kept close to my heart literally. Even when things got bad, even when I had nothing, I never took it off.
And now, knowing what she just said…
Was this why I had always felt strangely attached to it?