Anna returned home from the cafe, packed her belongings, and drove to her grandfather’s house in the countryside. It was a small blue cottage with a wooden door, very different from Anna’s in Cleveland, but here she could find peace and a well-deserved break from housework and, especially, Edward’s lies.
The woman creaked open the gate upon arrival, but as she took a step forward towards the front door, she noticed a man lying unconscious in the yard with a shovel beside him. Blood had covered every square inch of the shovel as if someone had hit him on the head with it.
Anna called 911 right away and rushed the man to the hospital. Fortunately, they made it in time, and the man was out of danger. But when she got home from the hospital, she had another surprise in store for her. Her dear husband Edward was waiting for her at the cottage.
“I have been searching for you the whole day, Anna! You just disappeared without a trace. Where have you been?” Edward inquired.
“Because you were so preoccupied with your work and ‘client meetings,’ I decided to take a vacation with my baby,” Anna said indifferently. “It’s not as if I have to ask you for your permission for everything. Anyway, what are you doing here?”
Edward’s tone abruptly shifted. “Are you upset about something, honey? Do you want me to get you something?”
“No, Edward,” Anna retorted. “Right now, all I need is sleep. So, please move. And, yes, I’ll be sleeping alone, so you can sleep outside on the couch!”
Anna went to bed, but her thoughts kept returning to the man she’d discovered unconscious in her yard. What exactly was he doing here? Was she on the lookout for something? Is he familiar with me? And how did he get a head injury? Her head was racing with questions.
Anna fell asleep while trying to find answers for her inquisitive mind and was awakened by the sun the following day. It was mildly cold, so she reached out for the blanket, but she couldn’t find it.
She awoke, irritated, and was about to yell at Edward if he’d pulled it to his side when she realized she’d been sleeping alone.
However, as Anna looked around the room, she noticed it was in a terrible state. The blanket had been thrown on the floor, her room’s cupboard had open drawers, and her luggage had been opened and rummaged through.
If this is you, Edward, I swear you’re dead today! Anna was furious as she dashed into the living room. But that space was in no better shape. It was even messier than she’d found it when she first entered the house, and Edward was nowhere to be found.
She was about to go outside and check the yard for him, but just then, her gaze was drawn to a crumpled sheet of paper on the ground. When she picked it up, she discovered it was a blueprint for her cottage with a red circle at its center.
She dashed to the loft as it came under the circled region and discovered that, too, was messed up. Edward had vanished as if he didn’t exist, and the yard had been dug out in one corner.
Worried, she was about to call him, but just then she heard a voice from behind. “I’m sorry, but I hope I didn’t disturb you!” it said.
Anna turned around and discovered the man she’d saved the previous day standing at the doorstep. “Oh, it’s you! Are you all right now?” she worriedly inquired.
The man sighed as he looked around Anna’s house, which was in a state of disarray. “I was taken to the hospital on time thanks to your assistance,” he said. “By the way, my name is Andrew. Can I come inside, if you don’t mind? I’d like to speak with you about something…”
Anna offered tea to Andrew, and that’s when he started telling her the whole story. Andrew turned out to have cared for Anna’s grandfather in his final days. So, before his death, her grandfather told the kind man about the treasure hidden in the yard near his house.
“He also gave me a letter,” Andrew explained, “and it was addressed to you to an address in Florida. I went there, but you’d already left, so I waited until you came back so I could give it to you. I wasn’t there on his funeral day; otherwise, we could have met that day.”
Anna opened the letter and began reading it.
“Dear Anna, I hope you’re doing well,” the letter began, “I know it might come as a shock to you, but I have a box hidden in my yard, and there’s a map to it.”
“My grandfather gave it to me before he died, and I wanted to give it to you on your wedding day, but I’m sorry to say that your husband already has his eye on it. Edward is not who he appears to be. He came to see me after you two got married and overheard me talking to Andrew.”
“By the way, Andrew is the man who will most likely deliver this letter to you. The brooch you’ll find inside the box is worth millions of dollars, and it is a relic of our ancestors that has been passed down to us. Edward will not find it as long as he does not obtain the map. I hope you find it and keep it in a safe place. Love, Grandpa Silas.”
As Anna finished the letter, she showed a picture of Edward to Andrew. “Have you seen him around, or do you know him?”
“Oh, yes, he’s the man who comes here often. When I came here that day to clean the yard, I found him here, and he hit me over the head with a shovel.”
When Andrew said that, it all made sense: Edward’s sudden appearance at the cottage and his sudden disappearance. Anna immediately called the police and informed them of the situation. In no time, Edward was apprehended, and he confessed to the theft, and Anna was able to recover the brooch.
After the incident, Anna decided to cut all ties with Edward, who’s serving time in prison, and she and Andrew are now raising her son, Brandon, together.
What can we learn from this story?
You can’t escape karma. Edward decided to flee with the ancient brooch, but he was apprehended and punished for his actions.
Everything in life happens for a reason. If Anna hadn’t caught Edward cheating on her that day, she would never have found out the truth about Edward.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young mother who found an old crib on her doorstep with an envelope inside.
A Vietnamese Tattoo Artist Gives People Beauty and Confidence by Hiding Their Scars Under Her Designs
Without a doubt, every body is beautiful. However, individuals with delicate scars or other visible undesired marks might find it challenging to embrace this perspective. Keeping this in consideration, Ngoc Like, a skilled tattoo artist hailing from Vietnam, is performing remarkable feats with her extraordinary talent.
Her expertise lies in concealing scars and other bodily blemishes with exquisite tattoos. As a result, she enables people to rediscover their confidence and reclaim contentment with their bodies.
During her college years, Ngoc Like underwent training to become a professional designer. SShe believed that relying on artistic talent alone was not enough to effectively camouflage different types of scars. As a result, she dedicated herself to extensive research. In her opinion, each individual type of scar has its own set of characteristics and properties.
Therefore, it’s essential to invest time and effort into researching carefully in order to cover the scars in the most optimal way.
Ngoc Like holds the belief that tattooing serves not only to enhance the appearance of her clients but also to safeguard their health. Drawing from the desires and inclinations of the client, along with careful consideration of the scar’s arrangement and composition, she formulates a tailored design concept. This concept is fashioned to harmonize with both the scar’s attributes and the individual’s distinct personality.
For her, perfection is not the goal, because she believes that the most important thing is to turn one’s flaws into their advantages.
Imperfections elicit feelings of shame and discontent among individuals, driving them to seek transformation. Numerous clients have approached Like, expressing that they had never previously contemplated getting a tattoo due to the negative implications traditionally linked with such body art. However, witnessing the endeavors she pursued altered their perspective, prompting them to take the leap and place their faith in her skills.
Most of her customers are adults in their fifties to early nineties. Like says they are all polite, lovely people from all over the country. She also often spends time chatting with them so that she can share, learn, and listen to their interesting experiences.
Ngoc Like has been trying to develop her business and do her job better by building a Youtube channel, Ngoc Like Tattoo, to convey the message of daily self-love by taking care of both the body and mind to the fullest.
She also hopes to contribute to the changing view of society toward the career that she is pursuing. Other than that, Like hopes to be able to take business trips to more cities around the world as soon as possible.
When asked how her clients react when the tattoos are done Like says it’s very emotional. She conveys that it’s akin to a weight being lifted from their hearts, liberating them from long-held preoccupations. Numerous individuals reach out to her, articulating that they perceive a sense of rebirth, shedding the burden of inferiority and embracing a profound sense of wholeness, assurance, and radiance. Witnessing their newfound joy stands as the most invaluable reward for her.
Making the world a better place is something each of us can do. You don’t have to be popular, rich or powerful to do it. It is enough to make people around you happier, as Ngoc Like does. While some people with tattoos make people more confident, others show by example that all people are not perfect. And that’s a great thing.
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