Chapter 9 · I Came Home, They Had A New Daughter

Chapter 9

I woke up in the hotel's soft, spacious bed. Sunlight was already flooding the room with harsh white light through the gap in the curtains.Surrounding me was an unfamiliar ceiling, a strange scent, and an unfamiliar quiet.It took me a few seconds to figure out where I was.Then, the memories of last night washed over me like a tidal wave.The tightly closed bedroom door, my parents' faces twisted in shock and anger, Camille crying her heart out, and my own resolute figure storming out and slamming the door behind me.All those memories swirled together, slicing at my heart again and again like a dull blade.It wasn't a dream. Every bit of it was real.I reached for my phone, and the screen lit up, showing dozens of missed calls and hundreds of unread messages.Almost all of them were from my mom.My dad, still the silent, aloof head of the family, hadn't sent a single message or made a single call.Maybe, to him, what I did made me unworthy of any attention from him.I opened my mom's messages, and a flood of voice notes and texts popped up.Mom: [Jess, where are you? Please, say something to me. I'm so worried about you.]Mom: [Are you mad at us? We are sorry. Please come home, okay? It's Christmas Eve, and we can't stop worrying about you being out there all alone.]Mom: [Your dad lost his temper for a moment. He really loves you, so don't let it get to you.]Mom: [We can't keep your 15,000 dollars. Please come back and take it.]Mom: [Jess, if you don't reply, I'm going to call the police!]I stared at those messages, expressionless, feeling absolutely nothing inside.They still don't understand.They thought I was being stubborn, sulking, and that if they said they were sorry, I'd come back home like always and act like nothing ever happened.They didn't understand that what I lost wasn't a room or a few comforting words. It was the trust I'd had in this family, in our bond, for twenty-eight years.Once that trust was broken, it could never be rebuilt.I didn't reply.I opened the ticket app and started searching for a train back to the city I worked in.On Christmas day, while everyone else was hurrying home, I was doing everything I could to get away.Luckily, getting a ticket out of this small town was surprisingly easy.I booked the first train out in the morning.Then I got up, headed to the bathroom, and rushed through my morning routine.The woman staring back at me in the mirror was pale, her eyes swollen and red, lifeless like a zombie.I managed a smile that was uglier than a cry.Jessica, this was the road you chose.No matter how tough it got, you had to keep going on your own.I changed into fresh clothes and packed everything back into my suitcase.As I zipped it up, it felt like I was cutting off my final connection to this town.I skipped breakfast, checked out, and dragged my suitcase out of the hotel.The streets were deserted, with only a few kids in new clothes chasing after each other, the air filled with the sweet smell of candy.Wreaths hung up at every door, which was harsh to look at for me.None of this had anything to do with me anymore.I flagged down a taxi and headed straight for the train station.The driver was an enthusiastic middle-aged man who kept talking about Christmas customs the whole way. "Heading home for Christmas holidays, miss?"I rolled down the window, letting the cold air brush against my face, and replied a yes absent-mindedly."You look a bit pale. Did you not sleep well last night? Young people these days love staying up late," he continued.I didn't bother to reply again.I stared out the window, watching the world rush past.The streets, shops, and parks I'd known since I was a kid all felt like strangers now.I felt like an outsider who didn't belong here anymore.When the taxi pulled up at the train station, I paid the fare and walked straight into the waiting hall without looking back.I found a corner, sat down, and took out my phone.Mom was calling again.I stared at the word "Mom" blinking on the screen, hesitating for a few seconds.In the end, I hit mute and then set Mom, Dad, and that "Loving Family" group chat to "Do Not Disturb." I didn't even know when I got dragged into that group chat at first.I didn't block them or delete them.I just wanted a peaceful world for myself, where they couldn't use "love" as an excuse to hurt me anymore.The staff announced boarding over the PA.I got up and followed the crowd toward the ticket gate.The moment I stepped onto the train, I felt no trace of longing. Only a kind of exhaustion and emptiness of having finally broken free from a cage.Goodbye, my home.Goodbye, Mom and Dad.Goodbye, Jessica, the girl who once foolishly believed she was the luckiest only child on earth.

Chapter 9