• tab A rhymthmic plip-plop of rain drops. I took my umbrella out, raised it over my head. The rhythm was still there, and I could see the rain, but at least I wasn't wet.
    tab At least I'm not wet...
    tab I shook the thought out of my head. Why did I think that in the first place?
    tab Susan! I reminded myself, mentally shouting in my brain. Think about Susan! It was then when I heard a voice behind me.
    tab "Looks like you came after all." I turned around, already knowing who it was.
    tab "How could I have not?" I asked. Susan rushed up to me, and gave me a tight squeeze. I felt my dry shirt drench with tears. I looked down at her. She was hugging me, and finally I let go of the umbrella, and hugged her back.
    tab "I'm glad you came."
    tab "I'm so sorry for what happened to you."
    tab "And for my dad..." she whispered, finally releasing me, "right?"
    tab "Yeah," I replied agreeingly. "And for your dad."

    tab My future seemed to be laid out there, right in front of me after that Christmas. I had a wife, made bonds I would never lose, and I, on a lighter note, grubbed up enough money to move to a different apartment with my new wife. I was looking forward to having kids, raising a family, and now just forgetting everything bad that had ever happened to me.
    tab I shouldn't have even entertained the thought.
    tab Where to begin...After Christmas, everything got off on the right start. Susan was back on her feet, now with the forgiveness of her father. I could only imagine how that went...Years and years departed, and finally, he forgave her. It must've been that unreasoned love, that love between a father and daughter that could never have been taken away, no matter what.
    tab I was happy for her. Happy that she found a new life for herself, happy she was on the way to becoming something much better than she was before.
    tab Happiness, though, never lasts.
    tab Wonderful and inspiring as it sounds, Susan's forgiveness didn't solve money problems. And Susan was short. Really short.
    tab And Susan's dad was sorry. So sorry for what he did to Susan, he had to get the money. Somehow. Somehow, he had to pay back for what he did to her.
    tab And it didn't matter whether that meant doing something criminal, he would do it.
    tab But eventually, his daughter's salvation would lead to his own downfall.
    tab Happy endings? Who ever said that was the way it always was in real life?