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When Truth Comes to Light

Rena_Conel
14
chs / week
The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 14 chs / week.
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Synopsis
Ellen, a determined and resourceful woman, rises from the ashes of her traumatic past—the cruelty she endured from her family, friends, and life itself. From those wounds, she carves her strength and eventually becomes one of the top detective agents in the country. Yet despite her success, her personal life crumbles. She falls deeply in love with someone she thought would stand by her forever, only to be abandoned when she becomes pregnant. The father of her child chooses his first love over her, leaving Ellen devastated. From that heartbreak, she resolves to stay strong—not for herself, but for the child she carries. As she struggles to balance single motherhood with her demanding career, Ellen stumbles upon clues that shake her to the core. She realizes she may not be who she always believed herself to be—that she and her child deserve a far better life than the one forced upon her. Determined, she begins investigating her own past. What she uncovers are shocking truths about her identity, twisted perceptions built by her family, and secrets she was never meant to face. Each revelation forces her to confront the very past she tried to escape—including the hidden truths about who she really is. With this newfound knowledge, Ellen must rebuild her life and redefine her purpose. But will she find the closure and healing she longs for—or will the truth shatter her world all over again?
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Chapter 1 - CHAPTER 1: Selfless Devotion

ELLEN POV

The city lights glimmered like scattered stars—diamonds painted across the canvas of a dark urban night. Skyscrapers wore crowns of neon, and billboards flashed in vivid colors, a symphony of light and sound pulsing with the rhythm of the city below.

It was a view meant to distract, to make you forget the ugliness of life. For a fleeting moment, I let myself believe in that illusion. The breeze touched my skin, cool and gentle, like a promise that life could be kinder.

Then a voice broke through.

"There you are, El."

I turned, startled. Benjie stood a few steps away, his face softening the moment our eyes met.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he sighed, walking closer until he stood beside me, sharing the view. Benjie was more than a cousin. He was the only one who never left me—my companion in every grief, my silent witness in every torment.

His eyes dropped to my arms. "El… what happened? Why do you have so many wounds?"

I swallowed, my throat tightening. Silence felt safer than truth.

"Ellen," he pressed. Just my name, but heavy, firm, and unrelenting. He wasn't going to let it go.

The bruises burned beneath his gaze, and in my mind, the morning replayed like a cruel film.

I had woken before dawn, at exactly 4:00 AM. Like every day, I swept and scrubbed every corner of the house, prepared bathwater for my siblings, and by five, I was already in the kitchen. Breakfast was arranged on the table, perfect and neat, before hunger tempted me to steal a single cookie.

That was when Mother saw me.

Her eyes locked on me—cold, sharp. I braced for scolding, for hurtful words. But none came. Instead, her silence felt… different. For the first time, I thought perhaps she was starting to accept me. The hope was fragile, but it was mine.

It didn't last.

My siblings entered in, followed by Father—the man the community admired for his fairness and success, Edmundo. To them, he was a leader. To me, he was a stranger.

As I carried a jug of juice to the table, disaster struck. The glass tipped, spilling onto Alaiza.

Her slap came fast. Pain exploded across my cheek as she yanked my hair, her voice ringing with venom. "You're useless! Even when you try, you fail!"

Before I could recover, Brett—my brother—shoved me into shards of broken glass. Blood bloomed across my skin. My siblings only watched, their eyes blank, void of pity.

The brief warmth I had clung to from Mother's silence earlier shattered into pieces, replaced by cold needles driving deep into my heart.

"Ellen child, come. Let me clean you up," Nely whispered, pulling me from the wreckage.

Her hands were gentle as she dabbed at the cuts, but the sting in my chest numbed me more than the sting of alcohol on my skin. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she worked.

"Nely," I whispered, calling her as I always did.

"El, I know this life has given you nothing but pain," she said, her voice shaking. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you."

I forced a weak smile. "I know it hurts you too. But… maybe one day, they'll accept me."

Her eyes filled with sorrow. "Aren't you tired, child?"

"When it comes to them? No. Not until my heart grows too numb to care."

She had raised me, loved me when no one else would. She was my strength, the only reason I hadn't broken completely.

But the bruises still marked me. The shame lingered, heavy as I trudged through another day. That was why I ended up here, beneath the city's glow, searching for air that wasn't poisoned by cruelty.

"Why don't you just leave?" Benjie's voice was quiet, but firm.

"I can still endure it, Benj," I whispered.

He turned to me; eyes sharp with worry. "But until when?"

I smiled, bitter and broken, staring out at the city lights.

Until when, indeed?

The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken truths. The city below sparkled like it had nothing to do with the ugliness of my life, mocking me with its brilliance.

Benjie shifted, his jaw tight, his eyes refusing to leave my face. "You keep saying you can endure it. But El, you're not made of stone. Every time I see those bruises… every time I hear what they do to you…" His voice broke, anger and sorrow tangled in it. "I can't just stand by and watch you disappear piece by piece."

I hugged my arms, the sting of his words cutting deeper than the wounds themselves. "If I leave, Benj, where would I even go? Who would take me in? You know Father's reach. He'll find me. And if he doesn't… I'll still be no one."

Benjie stepped closer, his hand brushing mine as if anchoring me. "You're not no one. You're Ellen. You're stronger than they think, stronger than you even believe. You've survived what would've broken anyone else. Don't you see that?"

His words were fire against the cold emptiness inside me.

I shook my head. "Strength doesn't change the fact that I'm trapped."

"Then let me be your way out," he whispered fiercely. "I'll stand with you. We'll find a way—school, work, anything. I'll never let you fight this alone."