Chapter8
“Excellent. A shuttle will pick you up at South Station in Westhaven two days from now, at 8 a.m. sharp. Welcome aboard.”
“Understood!”
I hung up.
For the first time in forever, I felt… free.
In just two days, I’d leave Westhaven. Leave Mom. Leave Chase.
And once I was gone, no one would ever find me again.
It was almost time. I started packing my suitcase.
Mom walked by and frowned when she saw me folding clothes.
“Sierra, we already said we’re taking Maddie to vacation tomorrow. What’s the packing about?-there’s no space for you.”
“I don’t want to go with you.” I pulled up my early admission confirmation to show her. “Mom, the scores dropped today. I
got-”
Before I could finish, Maddie swooped in, playing the worried little sister.
“You didn’t bomb the test, did you?”
“What?” Mom’s face twisted in disbelief as she looked at me, eyes full of disappointment. “Is that true, Sierra?”
Dad had overheard from the living room and came marching over.
“Your sister did well in the exam. She can choose any school in Westhaven or even Columbia. What about you?”
The anger and doubt on their faces hit like a slap.
Suddenly, I didn’t want to say anything at all.
All those years of trying, all the pain I’d buried… it all bubbled up.
“You assume I failed without hearing a word from me. Is that really how little you think of me?”
“When I got first in the whole school, you called it cheating. Said it was dumb luck. When I stayed up late studying, you
said I was pretending for attention.”
“But when Maddie barely scraped into the top hundred, you said she was hardworking. When she stayed up past 9:30
doing homework, you said she was amazing.”
“Mom. Dad. We’re both your daughters. So why does it feel like I’ve never mattered?”
Mom said nothing. Dad, furious, slammed his palm against the doorframe.
“Watch your mouth!”
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“We’ve always treated you two the same!”
“Maddie’s never caused trouble. You’re the one always testing our patience. And now you want to turn around and blame
us? What kind of ungrateful daughter are you?”
Still seething, he threw down the final blow.
“If you really think we’re unfair-get out. You’re eighteen. We’re done raising a thankless brat like you.”
“You didn’t get into college? Fine. Go make your own damn living!”
Mom tried to rein him in, pulling him toward the door. But before she left, she still tossed one last dagger over her
shoulder.
“Sierra, I gave birth yto you. I love you. But you’ve disappointed us too many times.”
Then she left with Maddie in tow.
I clenched my jaw and shut the door behind them, locking myself into the silence.
I curled up on my bed, staring at the photo on my nightstand-our “perfect” family of four.
In the picture, my parents held five-year-old Maddie in the center like a precious gem, while I stood quietly on the edge,
wearing the same princess dress.
But love? Love was never equal.
I didn’t see it clearly until I was eighteen.
I tore the photo out of the frame and ripped out the little girl version of me.
“Sierra Hayes,” I whispered, “from now on, be strong. Be proud. Love yourself the way no one ever did.”
Tears poured down as I clutched that torn paper to my chest.
That little girl who was never loved-I was holding her now. I’d heal her myself.
My childhood? I’d fix it.
My future? I’d build it.
I cried for what felt like hours, raw and aching.
Then, out of nowhere, Chase called.
“Hey, Sierra. Did you check your SAT score yet? I just got a special offer from Columbia! Did you get a call from them too?”
He sounded so excited.
But my heart had gone still.
“I did.”
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Just not from Columbia.
He didn’t know the truth. On the other end, he let out a happy whistle.
“That’s awesome! We can go to college together! There’s gonna be fireworks by the riverside tomorrow night. Let’s
celebrate, just the two of us?”
I hesitated, then said softly, “Sure.”
I had already said goodbye to my family.
Now it was time to end things with Chase.
My childhood. My youth. Everything I’d been through….
Before I left, I needed to write the final chapter myself.
