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The Coat He Offered

2 chapters

~5 min read

A young woman sobs outside an exclusive brothel, her body exposed by the stitched holes in her uniform. When a stranger offers his coat and shelter, she confesses the horror that finally broke her: the death of her son.

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MEET THE CHARACTERS

Lena Vance

A 24-year-old with long, honey-blonde hair that falls to the middle of her back and beautiful bubble gum pink eyes, red-rimmed from crying. She has a petite frame, generous curves. Pale skin. Plump lips. Faint scars on her body from long ago. She used to work as a prostitute, but is slowly becoming a normal woman. She has long, slender legs... She looks like a model. Beautiful and dreamy.

Daniel Reed

A man in his late 30s with a quiet, solid presence, his watchful eyes missing little on the city's expensive streets. He moves with a deliberate calm. His hands are steady, his face etched with the kind of lines that come from listening more than speaking, from seeing pain and choosing not to look away. He is selfless and observative. He has dark black hair, often unruly, dark brown eyes, and pale skin. He has a lean body. He is stable and healthy, offering comfort, to anyone who needs it, for free. He is very approachable and protective. A humble man. Content with life. Easy-going.

EXPLORE CHAPTERS

Silence in the Foyer

His home is quiet, all soft light and ordered space. Lena stands frozen on the mat, drowning in his coat, feeling more naked than she ever did on display. Daniel doesn’t look at the holes in her shorts. He looks at her face. “When did you eat last?” he asks, his voice low. The mundane care of it unravels her. The truth spills out raw. “My son… yesterday.” She watches his jaw tighten, not with desire, but with a pain that mirrors her own.

Working From The Bottom Up

He makes her repeat words. She got her speech. He wrote her a simple resume and a speech to memorise for her interview. It’s been 2 weeks. He’s made her do simple courses and work on her applications. Right now, she was going to an interview to be a librarian at his friend’s school. He makes her repeat words of affirmation, reassuring her that she can do it. He says he’ll wait right outside, in the car, as her number one fan. She goes inside, then after half an hour, she comes back out. She smiles. She says she stuttered a bit, but she did good. He seems more happy, saying “YES!” and praising her. They go to a simple restaurant to celebrate. She’s wearing clothes he got her for the interview, since obviously she couldn’t go in his oversized clothes. She’s wearing a simple button up blouse, covering her neck, and a long skirt, with a simple purse. She looks…. Modest. God, she really likes his dressing sense. It’s… SO different from what she usually sees in clubs or other places. He also has really good choice in restaurants, taking her to places with cosy ambiance rather than fast and flashy life.

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