The End of My Life?

Jayden held Layla's hand as he pressed the elevator button and they entered. They headed down to the ground floor VIP section. Jayden was on the phone with someone using the Bluetooth headset in his right ear. "Yes, I'll be there after this." Jayden ended the conversation with a sigh. Lately, his company's situation was very busy, so Jayden often had to go to the office without regard for time. The elevator doors opened, and Layla immediately ran towards the exit. Jayden looked at her small back, his heart aching because he didn't have much free time to play with his daughter. Being both a father and a mother to Layla turned out to be not as easy as he had imagined. Jayden didn't expect Layla to have difficulty interacting with others, so she was often taken care of by her grandmother from a young age. Forget about hiring a babysitter, Layla was even indifferent to her stepmother. Jayden didn't know the exact reason, but Layla became colder since she was physically assaulted by a woman two years ago. "Can I still hope for that girl?" Jayden wondered as he exited the elevator and hurried to catch up with Layla. "Layla, don't run!" Jayden shouted. Before he could reach Layla, the little girl had already stopped and squatted down, gasping for breath. "Daddy ...." Layla winced, sitting while holding her chest. "Layla!" Jayden widened his eyes, quickly hugging Layla and telling her to sit on a long bench. "Layla, calm down first. Breathe in and out slowly," Jayden gently instructed while holding her shoulders. Layla weakly nodded, taking deep breaths and slowly exhaling. Jayden continued to rub Layla's shoulders with a worried look. Of all his worries, it was Layla in moments like these that scared Jayden the most. After a few minutes, Layla was able to breathe normally again. The girl immediately threw herself into Jayden's arms. "Why can't I be strong like other kids, Dad?" Layla whispered. "I hate this weak body." Jayden rubbed Layla's trembling back. He shook his head firmly. "You are strong, Layla. You are daddy's strongest princess in the world. You shouldn't hate your body. You shouldn't consider it weak just because it causes you pain." "That's a lie!" "Layla, do you know?" Jayden released his embrace, looking deep into Layla's teary eyes. Layla sniffled softly. "What?" Jayden tucked a strand of hair behind Layla's ear, then his lips formed a gentle smile. "In this world, no matter if you're a weak or strong child, we are all the same in God's eyes. However, you are not weak, Layla. You are special. Other children may not be as strong as you if they were in your shoes." "Is that true?" Layla looked at him uncertainly. "I'm not a weak child?" "Do you think daddy would say something wrong to his beloved daughter?" Layla lowered her head, playing with her fingers. Jayden sighed, then reached for Layla's hand and held it tightly. Jayden invited Layla to stand up. "Hey, didn't you want to go out earlier because you wanted to buy sausages? Come on, the vendor might close soon." Jayden deliberately changed the subject to get Layla excited again, just like when they first came here. And it worked, Layla's eyes immediately lit up. "Can we have hamburgers, too?" Jayden nodded and smiled. "Anything for Layla." "Thank you, daddy handsome!" Jayden chuckled briefly and ruffled Layla's hair playfully. They walked south to visit the hamburger vendor that had become their regular spot. "Oh, by the way, I want to tell daddy something," Layla suddenly said. Jayden stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow. "What is it, hm?" "It's about Aunt Agatha." Layla looked enthusiastic. Jayden was taken aback. "Oh, really? What is it?" "She's very kind, Dad. This afternoon, before we played, Aunt Agatha asked me which games I could and couldn't play. She said it was so that I could play comfortably and nothing bad would happen. She is truly attentive." Layla smiled widely. Jayden was astonished. "Did she say that?" "Yes, Dad. Aunt Agatha seems to not want to make me tired." *** Agatha walked along the sidewalk occasionally passed by pedestrians. She had already entered a big city several meters away from the apartment complex. Agatha suddenly remembered the incident from yesterday when she left the luxury apartment. Yes, now Agatha was walking on the same street she had walked in the morning. "I still don't know who took me to the luxurious apartment that night. When will I have the chance to meet him? I really want to thank him," Agatha muttered as she kept walking. Two suitcases, one large backpack on her back, and a shoulder bag slung over her shoulder. People looked at her with curiosity, but Agatha wasn't embarrassed, she felt rather uncomfortable. Some small merchants on the side of the street occasionally asked her questions. Agatha didn't expect such a bad fate to befall her so quickly. As she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city at night with various sounds of commotion and laughter, Agatha's gaze suddenly caught someone. Yes, a kebab vendor. It was right on time that her stomach suddenly growled. Ah, Agatha forgot that she hadn't eaten lunch yet. What a bad habit. "It seems I still have some money." Agatha quickly checked the loose change in her pocket, luckily she had enough to buy something to eat. "Oh, thank goodness. I have some here." As the kebab vendor was across the street, Agatha lazily crossed the wide and crowded road. As usual, she always looked left and right. When it was finally clear, Agatha started to walk. "I always hate crossing such a big road like this," Agatha grumbled. Before the sound of the traffic startled her, she turned her head. A sedan car that ran through a red light was seen speeding. Agatha, who had already reached the middle of the road, couldn't avoid it. She momentarily widened her eyes, unable to shout as her body was hit and fell onto the cold asphalt. Agatha groaned in pain. Unluckily, the car that grazed her didn't stop. Agatha's body went limp. Her vision slowly blurred. A buzzing sound greeted her ears, making her unable to hear the shouts of people who started to run to help her. The pain in her head throbbed. Agatha could barely feel the pain because she was too shocked. "Is this how my life ends?" Agatha thought sadly, her lips forming a bitter smile. "Mom, Dad, I will join you ...." Agatha had already lost consciousness. Even the shouts of someone who ran towards Agatha couldn't awaken her. "Aunt Agatha, wake up!!!"