waking

Chapter 17 

Shawn’s voice was deep and captivating. The idea that his legs were crippled was just a sham. Wouldn’t Naomi have suspected that the scars on his face might also be a sham? However, she was the first person to say his face hurt so much. 

Rumors had it that he was ruthless and decisive, known for a hot temper. People were scared to even be near him, let alone get close. Even Cheryl, who had played the loving girlfriend, didn’t hesitate to leave him the second he had that car accident. That was why he believed women were untrustworthy. Cheryl and Barbara were untrustworthy, and so was Naomi who was in front of him. 

“Go get some rest. You’re coming with me to the Fischer residence this afternoon,” Shawn said. 

He let go of Naomi and headed back to his big office chair, his gaze getting chillier as he read the email on the screen. 

Naomi didn’t go off to rest. Instead, she was piecing together memories from her previous life. According to the timeline, she was brought back by Freddy to donate blood to Rosalind once again, which led to her falling seriously ill and yet struggling to update her comic. 

This time around, she hadn’t gone back to the Edwards family, and she definitely hadn’t given Rosalind any blood, so she was feeling pretty good. After changing her author’s account password, Rosalind couldn’t log in anymore, so it was one less thing to worry about. 

But if Rosalind was okay, who was her new donor? Naomi felt it was high time she figured that out. 

“Mr. Fischer, may I leave for a while?“Naomi asked. 

་ ཆ ༔ 

Shawn didn’t restrict her activities, but she still felt the need to inform him. 

“Sure,” he murmured without even looking at her. 

Naomi picked up her bag. “I’ll be back soon.” 

“Come here.” Out of the blue, Shawn stopped her. He pulled out a black card from his wallet, thought for a second, then took a thick wad of cash from his drawer and handed it to her. 

“Take it,” he commanded, leaving no room for argument. 

“Thanks, Mr. Fischer.” Naomi’s heart warmed and she almost cried. She calmed herself and fit the card and money into her purse neatly. 

But the cash was too much. It wouldn’t all fit in her small wallet. She secured the card and stuffed the excess cash into a side pocket of her bag, leaving just a few bills in her wallet. 

“Mr. Fischer, I’m off then,” Naomi said. 

“Okay,” Shawn replied. 

Naomi headed straight to the hospital to see Oscar. He was pretty surprised to see her but didn’t ask too many questions. Without any hassle, he pulled up the surveillance footage from that day and gave the girl’s information to her. 

Naomi studied the footage carefully and, with the girl’s info in hand, thanked Oscar and left. No sooner had she stepped out than Oscar was on the phone with Shawn. 

Shawn had made it clear to Oscar to just cooperate and keep the questions to himself. Oscar, with a laugh, agreed and even asked how he was sleeping these days with Naomi’s help, but Shawn just hung up. 

Oscar jotted down a note in his log, marking the first day of his experiment under the insomnia entry. 

After leaving the hospital, Naomi started the white Ferrari that Shawn had given her and zoomed off to Sunshine Children’s Home in Atopan. 

The girl who had donated blood to Rosalind was there. Naomi herself had spent her days in an orphanage until she was ten, so after checking the info given by Chandler, she bought a ton of gifts before knocking on the door of the orphanage. 

As Naomi walked in, a crowd of kids eyed her curiously. A brave little girl with neat bangs and worn but clean clothes stepped forward and asked, “Are you here to adopt one of us?” 

Naomi crouched down and patted her head. “I’m actually looking for Zoey. Is she around?” 

“That’s me!” Zoey emerged from the back, sizing Naomi up. Despite Naomi’s simple outfit, the gifts she carried seemed just right for the kids. 

1/2 

Chapter 17 

+5 

Grinning at the sight of the gifts, Zoey said, “I’m Zoey, the only girl who has the surname Allison around here. But you’re a stranger to me.” 

Naomi handed over the gifts. “Let’s share these with the kiddos first!” 

“Sure thing,” Zoey agreed happily. 

Sunshine Children’s Home relied on donations from kind souls all over. Businesses and conglomerates like the Fischer Group would also chip in regularly. But sadly, after passing through many hands, the donations dwindled to a fraction before reaching the orphanage. 

Zoey had sold her blood because her little brother was seriously ill and needed surgery ASAP. Freddy offered to buy her blood for much more than the going rate, so she took the deal and told Freddy to contact her if he needed more. 

Now, Zoey was willing to do almost anything for money. 

Every year, the Fischer Group makes regular donations to all the orphanages in Atopan, but someone had been bold enough to siphon off the philanthropic dollars. 

Chandler hinted to her that this issue could be reported to the higher–ups at the Fischer Group through her connections. Then she could get some brownie points from the orphanage. They would owe Naomi a favor and look up to her with respect and gratitude. That’d make her own future moves a breeze. 

After thanking him, Naomi couldn’t help but inquire, “Chandler, is this suggestion coming from you, or is it Mr. Fischer’s idea?” 

There was a chuckle from Chandler on the other end of the line. “Of course, it’s Mr. Fischer’s idea, Ms. Edwards. My role is to just help you gather info. But providing guidance? That’s something Mr. Fischer would do.” Suddenly, it all clicked for Naomi. She expressed her gratitude again before hanging up and stepping out of the car. 

After she and Zoey had distributed the presents to the eager kids, Zoey led Naomi inside. The walls bore murals, many of which were faded and peeling. The furniture was shabby. Tables and chairs were repaired time and again. 

Zoey didn’t say much. She simply guided Naomi around, who couldn’t help but think back to her own time in an orphanage, the Safe Harbor Children’s Home. Vera, the director there, was kind, but taking care of thirty–some kids by herself meant she couldn’t always keep up. 

As a kid, Naomi was the belle of the ball at Safe Harbor Children’s Home. She was pretty, hardworking, and smart enough to help Vera with all sorts of chores. She was also great at looking after the younger kids, which made Vera quite fond of her. But Naomi’s charm and usefulness only sparked jealousy in some of the other children. 

When Vera hit the sack at night, the green–eyed gang would pounce on Naomi, punching and smothering her cries with their hands while she lay helpless in her bed. 

“Will kids get beat up by their fellows at night here?” Naomi’s voice was soft. “I grew up in an orphanage, too. SafeHarbor Children’s Home. When I was ten, my parents brought me home but I became a blood donor for my big sister.” 

She added, “My parents didn’t have much love for me, and my sister disliked me. On day one at home, they took me to the hospital to donate blood to my sister. That went on for a whole decade.” 

Zoey looked at Naomi, her eyes brimming with sympathy. 

“Just recently,” Naomi continued, “because I refused to donate blood during my heavy period. My sister and my boyfriend lured me out and pushed me down a hill.” 

When Zoey heard that, her eyes went wide with shock. 

2/2 

SEND GIFT