Nobody was looking at my scars.
They were all looking at Chloe.
Part 3: The Truth She Couldn’t Remember Changed Everything
For a long moment, Chloe simply stared at me as though she had forgotten how to breathe. She looked at my parents, desperately searching for someone to deny what she had just heard, but neither of them could speak. My mother’s
tears flowed freely while my father stood frozen, his silence confirming everything I had said.
Finally, Chloe shook her head.
“No.”
“That’s not possible.”
“You would’ve told me.”
I held her gaze without anger.
“We wanted to.”
“The doctors said forcing you to remember the fire could destroy you.”
“So Mom and Dad chose to protect you.”
“And I chose to help them.”
The confusion on her face slowly gave way to panic.
“What fire?”
My father stepped forward, his voice trembling.
“The night our house burned down… you were trapped in your bedroom.”
“We couldn’t reach you.”
“Maya ran back inside.”
My mother covered her face as she struggled to continue.
“She carried you through the flames.”
“You survived because she refused to leave you behind.”
Chloe looked at me again, her eyes filling with tears.
“And… these scars…”
I nodded gently.
“They happened while I was bringing you
