Ten Years a Ward
e roar of a car engine outsid
curled up on her bed,
call from her mother. After a m
. "You've really brought shame upon us! Climbing
fter her parents' divorce, her mother had
she had actively shown "concern" were to berate
e trembling. "Why do you
with disgust, "If you jeopardize my position in t
stared at the black scre
ard, refusing to
spised would be leaving th
home. Ava was busy with her preparation
g app and clicked on his contact, which was pinned to the t
n ten years she hadn't wi
ived a flight reminder. Tw
new post. It was a picture of her and Etha
eived a messa
birthday with just me. I
s lying on a waterbed in a bathrobe. Chloe's
silently closed the app and began to c
he took out her sketchbook an
She threw away every last thi
a night lamp on the coffee table in the living room
r light. From now on, she would be
ck of the painting she had made of
I wish you a happy life-one
ontacts, deactivated her accoun
she had lived in for ten years an
sky illuminated the city lights be
d never