I Walked My Neighbor’s Daughter to School Every Morning — One Day, My Life Turned Upside Down Because of It

For two years, I walked my neighbor’s daughter to school. She called me Daddy. Then one morning, a man who looked just like her showed up, grabbed her hand, and told me he had a deal that changed everything.

Two years ago, after finishing my night shift, I was walking home when I heard a child crying.

It wasn’t loud, you know?

Just the kind of crying someone makes when they’ve already been crying for a long time.

I followed the sound. What else was I supposed to do?

It led me to a little girl sitting by a dumpster behind an apartment building.

She was wearing a school uniform, knees pulled to her chest, backpack on the ground beside her.

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