Ten Years a Ward
than Hayes. After my family fell apart, he too
I gathered all my courage
fore. He swept my birthday cake to the floor an
painting I had spent a year
he brought home h
called me his brightest star, had vanished. My decade of
to protect me had become t
n my hand. I had to leave. I had to pull him
hone and dialed m
, "I've decided. I want to c
pte
than Hayes began with Ava deleting t
d shot she had
n, a financial magazine resting on his knee. He was looki
ge of eight to eighteen, this ma
sorrow, her entire wor
to extinguish that s
een wen
black, leaving
t the phone down and picked up the glass
sliding down her throat, but it couldn't s
n and dialed a number she ha
uickly. A man's gent
v
ice a little hoarse. "I got
ith unconcealed joy. "That's wonderful! Ava, congratulation
e
ded? You're com
rip on the phone tightening.
his place. She wanted
er voice. He sighed softly. "Is it because
t just keep living in his house as his ward, not now. It feels wron
silence
"My poor Ava. It's been hard on you all these years, living in that house because
ck on track. You don't need to depend
is words made A
olding back the
at herself in the mirror. H
ull ten years loving a man w
ad to
ut of her heart, piece by pie
ut of her room. The light in the s
s still
lked over, clutching the NYU accept
n door. Through the gap, sh
amp cast a soft glow on his sharp profile, outlining a face so handsome it seemed unreal. A pair
family's business crumbled. When her parents divorced and her mother left the country, it was her father,
, with no bl
had secretly lov
ut softly, her voic
w furrowed slightly as h
as cold and di
ut to speak when his phone on the
e saw the caller ID. A gentleness she h
d, his voice
fiancée,
. He listened to the person on the other end, the corner of his mouth cur
he door, her hands an
her hand felt like it w
o months ago. She had gathered all her courage to give h
girl followed a man's bac
her con
as a fury she had
off the table, the cake
s eyes red with rage. "Are yo
re not related by blood! My dad trusted you! And the way you've always
lty. "Can't you tell the difference between familial
lessly torn her paintin
backward glance, leaving her alon
fully taping them back together. But the pai
she hadn'
good enough, as long as she got in
graduation, he brou
ith a smile. "Ava, this
the momen
truly
love for the past ten yea
be the one to ex
et him out o