THE TWO FACES +18

part 1 : Mary

My name is Mary, and I am twenty-three years old. I work as a police investigator. It wasn't a dream for me, but after thinking about it, I decided to choose this profession, perhaps because I enjoyed solving many puzzles that could save others' lives. My life wasn't ordinary and peaceful; it was filled with adventures and events because of my job.

I lived alone in my house, with no family or relatives. Yes, I was an orphan with no parents or siblings since I was nine years old. My family died in a car accident, and I was the sole survivor. For reasons I didn't know, none of my relatives were willing to take care of me, so I was taken to an orphanage. There, I met several children my age, and gradually, I considered them my siblings and found some of the affection I had lost before. However, not all of them were like siblings to me. There was only one boy, about two years older than me, who also lived in the orphanage. Despite his young age, he was wise, kind, and calm, as if he were the older brother among us, and everyone sought his advice.

At first, I wasn't accustomed to his presence and couldn't handle it, so we never spoke, even though we lived in the same place. He was mysterious and reserved, but I vividly remember our first conversation. It was strange. Our first topic was about how to get revenge on the bullies at school. One day, after being attacked and beaten by some students at school, while I was telling the caregiver what happened, he was looking at me from afar. Then he approached me and said, "Just take revenge, and I'll help you."

And indeed, he did help me, and the problem was resolved quickly. He said he would be my older brother, and I remember being happy back then, but deep inside, I didn't consider him just a brother; I admired him. As time went on, our relationship improved, and we became close. His name was Daniel, and his distinctive feature was his red hair. He was extremely handsome, and everyone acknowledged that until that day.

When one of the orphanage children, his younger brother Marlo, died, Daniel changed a lot. He no longer smiled, and his life became sadder. We stopped talking like we used to, and he became more withdrawn and isolated than before. He seemed burdened and in pain, and I couldn't do anything about it because I felt the same way about losing Marlo. Eventually, Daniel's family decided to adopt him, and he left the orphanage, but I never forgot him. He was my first love, and we never met again. Years passed, during which I completed my studies and graduated from college, but despite my search, I couldn't find him.