Then, I turned back to Logan. He was sitting on the couch, relaxed like he belonged there.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered.
“Family. This is normal. You’ve just forgotten what it’s like. I’ll remind you.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“You have no right.”
“I’m her father. And I will win you back.”
I grabbed my phone.
“I’ll call the police.”
“Go ahead. And tell them you left your daughter alone… while popping painkillers.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
He pulled a pill bottle out of his pocket with my name on it.
“Remember how you screamed at the office? We’ve got the footage. I installed the cameras.”
“That’s not mine! You planted it!”
“Can you prove it? They’ll believe me. I’m… a role model.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“What do you want, Logan?”
“You. And Ellie. Or… lose everything again.”
“You won’t dare! I rebuilt my life from ashes!”
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
***
I realized there was no protection. The police wouldn’t help. My coworkers were still hypnotized. I had to act alone.
And suddenly, I wasn’t scared anymore. I was angry. Not just for me — for every woman he ever fooled.
But William, seeing my burning eyes, stepped in.
We hatched a plan.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I created an anonymous page. I posted stories about women who survived emotional abuse. Seemingly fictional. But each one was a piece of the truth. We needed Logan to react.
William used his media skills to target those posts directly at our coworkers. Every one of them saw the stories, including Logan.
A few days passed. William placed a tablet in front of me, showing analytics from the anonymous page we had just launched.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Look at this,” he said. “They’re reading. They’re talking. If we keep the pressure, he’ll crack. That’s when we hit record. Let’s take his mask off.”
Logan didn’t know it was us, but he felt it. That afternoon, I saw him in the glass hallway by the elevators. Alone. He thought no one was watching. His fists were clenched. He slammed a folder onto the windowsill.
“Idiots!” I heard him hiss under his breath.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
Logan glanced around, forced a smile back on his face, and walked away like nothing had happened.
He tried to keep the mask, but it no longer fit. People in the office started whispering. And he felt it.
At the significant conference where I was to speak, Logan sat in the front row. Smiling. As always. Pretending.
Finally, I stepped onto the stage. My hands were damp.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I knew one wrong word could cost me everything — my job, my daughter, and my sanity.
But if I stay silent, he wins. Again.
I looked out into the crowd. I saw William in the back.
I have such a support system. We’ll win.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I began my speech.
“We’re here to talk about strength. About women who survived. Who made it through darkness…”
I paused.
“And about those who pretend to be the light but are the darkness itself. Let’s talk about the men who live among us — perfect on the outside. But if you take off the mask…”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I looked at Logan. He didn’t even shift.
“I once met such a man. No one but me saw what lay beneath. But today… I have the chance to show you.”
I played the video footage from my home. Every second felt like an hour. I kept my eyes on the screen, not daring to look at the crowd.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Then I heard it. His voice. The voice I had once loved — at that moment, pure venom:
“And I’ll destroy it again. I have enough power.”
This is it. This is how I finally take back my power.
Suddenly, Logan jumped up.
“It’s edited! It’s… a lie!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
“Is it, sweetheart? When you reappeared in my life, I took precautions. Spent quite a bit on a modern surveillance system. Video, audio. And today, it was worth every penny.”
Logan snapped and lunged at me.
“No one will believe you! You’re nothing without me! You were nothing before me, and you’ll be nothing after I’m done!”
His wild eyes, his voice, his screams — all recorded. Everyone saw it.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You’ll regret exposing me. Even if they cancel me — I’ll still win. Because deep down, you know I made you.”
William was there, waiting. He stepped in and stopped Logan.
“Great headline for tomorrow’s paper,” William muttered, though his jaw was clenched.
The mask was off. Logan’s image crumbled. An investigation began. On my way out, I passed Mia in the hallway. She didn’t say a word. Just looked at the floor.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
***
That evening, I picked Ellie up from her friend’s house. She ran to me and hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
“You look like a superhero, Mommy,” she whispered.
And at that moment, I believed her.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
I quit the next day. Walked out of the office in silence. Head held high.
Today, I run my own project — a small women’s center. It’s just two rooms above a bakery and a second-hand couch I found online.
But every week, women walk in who remind me of who I used to be — scared, silenced, surviving.
And now, I help them remember they deserve more than survival. They deserve to live.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Midjourney
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For 10 Years Old Man Sits on a Chair by the Sea Daily, One Day Two Boys See the Chair Empty – Story of the Day
Two brothers would see an old man sitting by the sea every day on the same chair. One day, they were bothered when they found the chair empty and decided to find out why.
Adam, 8, and Peter, 10, visited the seaside with their mom Alice every day. They would walk together along the shore, enjoying the sea breeze.
Every single day, they would come across an old man who would sit motionlessly on a chair, watching the waves. “Mom, is that man okay?” Adam asked one day.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“He is, sweetheart. He just likes to be alone. People have tried to talk to him, but he always just tries to avoid people. Let’s not bother him,” Alice replied.
The brothers couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the old man. They were curious as to why he would sit motionlessly on the same chair every day.
One day, they thought of a plan to approach him. While playing catch, they threw the frisbee in his direction so that they could come closer. When they ran up and apologized, the old man said, “You threw it here on purpose. I know you did… You,” he said, pointing at Adam, “you are great at throwing. And you,” the old man smiled, pointing at Peter, “are great at catching. So I know this was not an accident.”
The brothers’ eyes widened in shock. They didn’t know that the old man had been observing them, too.
For some reason, despite Alice knowing that the man didn’t talk to other people, he indulged the two boys in a long conversation. After they introduced one another, Peter finally asked the question they’ve been longing to ask: “Sir, why do you sit out here every day and watch the sea?”
“Well, I am here waiting for my brother. I have been waiting here for 10 years,” he responded. Adam and Peter looked at each other, confused.
“We were in the army together and were separated and sent to different countries. This happened a long time ago. When we last saw each other, we promised to meet at the same place, right here, where we constantly used to walk with our mother,” the old man explained.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“You wait for your brother every day?” Adam asked. “How do you know he’s still coming?” he asked. The old man smiled at Adam’s innocence.
“That’s the thing. I don’t know if he’s coming. I used to come, years ago, but my work transferred me to another city. Now, for the past 10 years of living here, I’ve been coming daily. They gave me his army dog tag, but they never found him. He is still missing,” he said, taking his brother’s dog tag out of his pocket.
Adam and Peter were sitting beside each other at that moment. The old man patted their heads and said, “That’s why you must take care of each other, boys. Brotherly love is the greatest strength in the world.”
After sharing his story, the old man introduced himself as Walter. The boys enjoyed his company that ever since that day, they would make it a point to spend time with him, bringing sandwiches and drinks. They would spend the afternoons talking and listening to each other’s stories.
One day, Walter and the brothers were surprised to see each other walking in the same direction while on the way home. “We live near each other!” Peter exclaimed. Walter couldn’t help but smile.
“I guess we do, sweet boy,” Walter said, waving before he entered his house.
The two boys felt extremely close to Walter already, after days of talking to him. They were so moved by Walter’s story that they decided to use social media to spread it, hoping to find his brother.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
One day, they went to the beach to find him and tell him about what they did. But when they got there, he was not at his usual spot. “He comes here every day! Every single day! Why isn’t he here?” Adam asked his mom.
“This can’t be. Something must have happened to him. We need to go to his house,” Peter said. At that, Alice allowed them to check Walter’s house by accompanying them there.
When they got there, they knocked. After a couple of seconds, Walter opened the door. The boys exhaled with relief. “Walter! Why didn’t you come to the beach today? Have you given up?” Adam asked him. Walter was smiling. Behind him stood a man who looked exactly like him.
The two boys were taken by surprise when the man suddenly shouted, “IT’S THEM! THOSE TWO BOYS POSTED ON THE INTERNET! I RECOGNIZED THEM RIGHT AWAY!”
Walter’s brother, James, found him thanks to the publication that Adam and Peter had put up. Walter smiled and hugged the two boys. “Thank you for finding my brother after forty-four long years,” he said, giving them both hugs.
It turns out that James was injured at the battle he was in, and he ended up losing his memory. He was sent back to the US, where he was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia caused by the overwhelming stress brought about by the war.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I was told I would likely regain my memory either slowly, or all at once. In the past few decades, I slowly started to remember things like my first name, the fact that I lived in California, but nothing conclusive enough to bring back my old life,” James explained.
“Then one day, I was looking through the internet when I saw a post by these two sweet boys. It had a photo of you, Walter, and I suddenly remembered you and our brotherhood. I just knew we were brothers. I made my way to the address they posted right away,” he added.
At that, Walter and James took out their army dog tags from their pockets and handed one each to Adam and Peter. “We no longer need this. Because of you, we’ve found each other again. These are yours now. May it be a reminder to always take care of each other,” Walter said.
As they lived near each other, Adam and Peter would always visit Walter and James, who ended up moving in with his brother.
What can we learn from this story?
Keeping the faith can be rewarding. Every day, Walter hoped that his brother would show up. One day, after choosing to share his story with Adam and Peter, his brother eventually showed up.
The most unexpected relationships can mean the most. Adam and Peter never thought they’d get close to Walter, but when they did, and it brought about life-changing memories for everyone.
Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day.
If you liked this story, you might like this one about a little boy who received a birthday cake with a note hidden in it.
This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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