All Chapters of Our Simple Peace: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Bailey's POVInside the cramped, sweltering room, which reeked of grease and sweat, I could still hear the crude, filthy language of the workers outside loud and clear.Mom’s arms shook violently as she held me close.I covered my ears, nodding frantically. "I only want you, Mom. Wherever you go, I go.""Okay. Then we leave tomorrow."Mom began packing our things. In reality, our luggage was incredibly simple. Everything we owned could fit into a worn duffel bag.Suddenly, Dad pushed the door open and walked in.Nervously, I stepped in front of Mom. To my surprise, he took one look at what we were doing and actually looked somewhat relieved."It's about time you threw those rags away. It keeps this place from looking like a homeless shelter."He tossed a plastic bag toward us. "I brought you some leftovers."I used to see this kind of food all the time when I helped the adults pack scraps for dogs. I didn't move, and Mom held me steady."No, thank you. I took Bailey out,

Chapter 2

Mom and I looked up at the same time.Guilty, Dad looked away under our furious stares. "A house is a prerequisite for marriage! Abigail is young, after all, and she's never had a hard day in her life. I can't exactly have her living on a construction site, can I?"It works out perfectly, anyway. You go over and handle the cleanup. It saves money on a professional deep clean, and doesn't that help you out too?"Acting casual, he reached out to grab Mom. "Don't worry. You'll get to live there too when you help Abigail keep the place running after the baby is born."Mom dodged his hand, her eyes growing even redder. "She's already pregnant? What about Bailey?"Bailey has lived on a construction site for six years! Why didn't you buy her a house?"Feeling embarrassed in front of Abigail, Dad snapped, displeased. "Who do you think earned all the money? You two haven't gone hungry, so what is there to be dissatisfied about?""It's not like the construction site is unlivable. Wh

Chapter 3

"Those two are definitely bad luck and jinxed me! Why else would I suddenly get into a car accident out of nowhere?"Before we even stepped through the door, we could hear Abigail throwing a tantrum inside the hospital room.According to the doctor, the accident happened because she was driving the wrong way down a one-way street and got sideswiped. She didn't even have a scratch on her. Yet, my dad was worried sick, buying the highest-grade organic fruit to bring to her."Hurry up and apologize!" Dad glared fiercely at my mom.Mom clenched her fists tightly. Finally, her shoulders slumped, and she defeatedly muttered, "I'm sorry."Dad’s phone rang with a call from the construction site. Before he left, he shot another warning look at Mom, telling her not to even think about running away.Once he was gone, Abigail started frantically ordering Mom around. One minute her back was itchy, the next she wanted sliced apples. Mom rushed around for three straight hours without a si

Chapter 4

My mom paced frantically out of sheer panic. With no other choice, she went back to find Dad."What exactly is Bailey's Social Security information?!"Dad, who was busy holding Abigail, shoved my mom out of the way with total impatience.Abigail rolled her eyes at my mom. "My son is going to be an only child. Why on earth would we register a money-sink like your daughter in the system?"As if only just realizing it, Dad showed absolutely no remorse. "I never filed her birth certificate or got her a Social Security card. If she's not on the grid, the government can't come after me for child support later. Besides, it's not like she needs it now."Mom's eyes flared with pure, hot rage. "But Bailey is supposed to start elementary school soon! Right now, the hospital won't even admit her!"Abigail clutched her stomach, leaning weakly into Dad's arms. "Honey, every time they get close to me, my entire body feels uncomfortable."Dad, who had been about to reach out and touch my

Chapter 5

Chris’ eyes widened.A wave of uncontrollable panic washed over him. That tin shack was the only place his daughter and her mother lived. He didn't dare follow that train of thought to its conclusion, as a cold sweat broke out across his back.His mind was a chaotic mess, and his only instinct was to get back as fast as possible."Honey, what's wrong?" Abigail asked, noticing his sudden change in demeanor.Chris went rigid, instinctively throwing her hand off his arm. "Nothing. Just a minor issue at the site. I need to go check on it. I'll be back soon."He stumbled all the way to the parking lot. When he started the car, his hands shook so violently that he could barely grip the steering wheel, his fingertips slick with cold sweat."Bailey, Mandy, please be okay..." he muttered frantically under his breath. Even he didn't understand why he was suddenly this terrified.The scenery blurred past his windows, but none of it registered. He reached into his pocket for his pho

Chapter 6

"No one?"Chris went completely cold, staring at the rubble in disbelief. "That’s impossible... How can it be empty? They live right here! They don't have anywhere else to go!"Suddenly, he remembered the employee who had called him. "You said you saw them! Where are they? Where the hell did they go?!"The foreman, choked by Chris' tight grip, turned pale and gasped for air. "Chris, it was the middle of the night. I just got up to use the bathroom and saw some silhouettes over by the tin shack from a distance."I couldn't even see clearly if it was them, and it's not like I was paying close attention. The storm got too heavy, so I went back inside. I swear, I really don't know where they went!"Chris let go of his collar, staggering back a few steps as his brain went completely numb.Mandy’s earlier words flashed through his mind. She had said she was taking Bailey and leaving. The moment that thought surfaced, the panic in his chest intensified. Mandy didn't have a dime to

Chapter 7

Hearing this, a sudden, inexplicable rage erupted from deep inside Chris' chest. He frowned, lowering his voice into a harsh growl."Shut the hell up! Accidents happen on construction sites all the time. What are you screaming about?!"Just worry about the pregnancy. Stop overthinking. The sky isn't falling!"However, Abigail refused to listen. "I'm scrolling through the comments online, and everyone is tearing you apart! They’re saying you cut corners on construction materials, and that’s why the structure collapsed and killed people! "Even if you don't go to prison, you're going to have to pay a massive settlement, aren't you?!""Chris, give it to me straight. If you lose every single dime paying them off, what happens to me and the baby I'm carrying? You can't honestly expect us to suffer along with you!"Her words completely ignited the fuse on Chris' growing frustration. He instinctively looked back toward the mangled wreckage of the collapsed site, and a sudden image

Chapter 8

Chris felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped directly over his head."That makes no sense! My daughter still has a fever, and she's suffered severe blood loss. How could they let her leave? Did she say where she was going?"The nurse’s tone grew slightly more impatient. "How should I know where they went? When they finalized the discharge, they didn't say a single thing. They just signed the papers and walked out."The urgency and relief from moments ago were instantly replaced by panic. Chris turned back to beg the officer."Officer, please, I beg you, help me track down where they went. My daughter is so sick. Her body can't take this kind of strain. She needs proper rest! A woman out there all alone with a sick child, it's way too dangerous!"The officer gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Calm down first. We will keep an eye out as part of our follow-up, and we'll contact you the second we get any word on them."However, we just received notice that seve

Chapter 9

Bailey's POVMom and I still went to visit Dad."Mandy! Bailey!"Dad bolted upright instantly, his voice thick with excitement and desperation. "I knew you wouldn't just leave me to rot!"His eyes locked onto me. "Bailey, look at you! I knew you’d be fine. Get your strength back, okay? I'm going to take such good care of you from now on."As he spoke, he reached his hand out to touch my head, but Mom blocked him."I didn't come here to visit you or bail you out. I came to get my three hundred thousand dollars in cooking wages. You owe me, and it's time to pay up."The smile on Dad’s face instantly froze. He stared blankly for a second, then quickly switched back to begging."Mandy, I know I messed up."Help me find a way out of this. Find me a lawyer and help me fight this lawsuit, okay? I don't want to go to prison, and I don't want to pay that massive settlement."Mom forcefully shoved his hands away. "You used substandard materials and cut corners, costing two people t

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP