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