Five Years, A Million Lies

rob in my head was now a sharp, splittin

on," she said softly

ooking worried, then left. A flicker of something stupid-hope, maybe-died in

n the chair by my bed, his face arran

re you feelin

ammed into the floor,"

f line. But you can't just go around slapping people. Ashl

e sheer audacity of his

e offering me a generous gift. "If you apologize. Just a s

mean the five years you lied to me? The million dollars I slaved

e told me that honesty was the most important thing in the world to you.

"Chloe, that

r line in your script? Another piece of the

id, getting defensive. "You w

world, we don't destroy people for sport. I

led it out. Ashley's nam

hone. For a second, I saw a fl

it wa

said, standing up.

g back, leaving me alone with the smell

over. There was nothing left to save, nothing left

a single bag with my few clothes, my mother's picture, and my high

ved. I needed to see her. I needed to take her with me,

at a rose bush. Her eyes were cloud

I said

us, heart-stopping moment, h

and reaching for mine. "My ba

ing down my face. "I'm going to take you

hen a shadow passed over her face. Her e

d back. "You can't. That nice gir

ped. Ashley h

whispered, her voice full of shame. "She said you

true," I pleaded. "

s lost again, trapped in the nigh

er voice shrill. "You're not my dau

den, past the nurses who tried to stop her, and out the f

creaming her name.

A sickening thud.

the world fell away. My phone start

my hand movi

ed, his voice impatient. "Ashl

ld hear music and laughter. He

voice a dead, hollow thi

ng with annoyance. "Can't you handle anything on your own

"Is that your little charity case agai

up th

just went to the morgue. I identified my mother's body. I

t was left of my heart. As the plane took off, I looked down at the city lights shrinking below, a