Chapter 1 · I Quit Their Family Game

Chapter 1

Before the Thanksgiving dinner, my sister, Mia Linwood, took a pair of scissors and cut off my long hair, which I'd been growing for seven years.

Before I could react, she was already doubled over with laughter, holding up the chunk of hair. "Hazel, you look ridiculous."

My parents laughed, and my boyfriend, Ryan West, who'd been with me for seven years, grinned and sent her 60 dollars.

"A bet's a bet. Mia said you'd cry in a minute, while I said three. You really let me down," he said.

I lowered my head, staring at the hair scattered across the floor, and didn't argue back.

Three days later, they pulled another stunt, placing bets on how long it would take me to break down this time.

But instead, I canceled the engagement party, blocked everyone, and boarded the train to Rivergate.

They wouldn't get to wait for me this time.

*****

Before the scissors made their first cut, Mia said she wanted to braid my hair.

It wasn't until I felt a cold breeze on the back of my neck and a large chunk of hair slid off my shoulder that I reached out in a daze, touching the jagged ends.

"Oops, I cut off a bit too much," Mia said, but she was holding up her phone, the camera pointed straight at my face.

Mom glanced at me. "It's actually pretty good. You always look like you walked out of a horror movie with your hair everywhere, and now you don't have to spend money on a haircut."

Dad waved it off. "You're overreacting. Hair grows back, and Mia was goofing off because she wanted to make you laugh. We're close."

I looked over at Ryan.

Seven years ago, he told me he liked long hair, so I kept it ever since.

He didn't glance at my hair or ask if the scissors had hurt me. He lowered his head, sent the money, and said, "A bet's a bet," like it was nothing.

When my tears started to fall, Mia laughed louder.

It turned out that they'd all been in on it from the start.

"Mom, do I look like a caveman with this on?" Mia joked, wearing the chopped hair on her head.

The living room erupted in laughter again.

Mom told her to ease up, worried she might really get me riled up.

When I was eighteen, Mia scribbled "idiot" on the back of my school uniform, and I got roasted by the whole class for an entire semester.

At twenty-one, she hid my papers, and I ended up missing my thesis defense.

Every single time, it ended with the same excuse. "She's young. She's merely messing around with you."

My phone buzzed. A message from work popped up, asking if I'd made up my mind about taking the manager position at the Rivergate Branch.

The salary would be doubled, a three-year contract, and I had to give my answer before midnight.

I'd asked about this position at the beginning of the month, but I couldn't make up my mind.

There had been two other transfer offers before. The first time, Mom said it was too far from home. The second time, Ryan said we were getting engaged at the end of the year, and there was no need to complicate things.

So I stayed.

"Hazel, give us a smile. This is the Thanksgiving limited edition. I've got the headline: One Snip Turns My Goddess Sister Into a Total Mess." Mia shoved the camera right up to my face.

I bowed my head and texted back to the company. [Alright, I'm in.]

*****

The hairdresser parted my hair and examined it for a while. "There's no way to fix this. Whoever cut it really went at it. It's all choppy inside. The only thing we can do is cut it short."

"Go ahead," I said quietly.

Back when I first started working, my salary was barely enough to get by, and I spent over an hour every day crammed into the subway.

The hardest days were when Ryan would sit with me on the doorstep of my tiny apartment, sharing sandwiches.

I hated washing my hair and wanted to cut it short, but he'd grab the tips and wouldn't let go.

"Don't cut it. Long hair suits you. When we get married, keep it like this," he'd say.

Hair fell in soft clumps to the floor as the hairdresser cleaned up the sides. "Short hair actually makes you look pretty sharp."

I reached up and touched my ears, finally out in the open.

Cutting it off wasn't such a big deal after all.

Chapter 1

Before the Thanksgiving dinner, my sister, Mia Linwood, took a pair of scissors and cut off my long hair, which I'd been growing for seven years.

Before I could react, she was already doubled over with laughter, holding up the chunk of hair. "Hazel, you look ridiculous."

My parents laughed, and my boyfriend, Ryan West, who'd been with me for seven years, grinned and sent her 60 dollars.

"A bet's a bet. Mia said you'd cry in a minute, while I said three. You really let me down," he said.

I lowered my head, staring at the hair scattered across the floor, and didn't argue back.

Three days later, they pulled another stunt, placing bets on how long it would take me to break down this time.

But instead, I canceled the engagement party, blocked everyone, and boarded the train to Rivergate.

They wouldn't get to wait for me this time.

*****

Before the scissors made their first cut, Mia said she wanted to braid my hair.

It wasn't until I felt a cold breeze on the back of my neck and a large chunk of hair slid off my shoulder that I reached out in a daze, touching the jagged ends.

"Oops, I cut off a bit too much," Mia said, but she was holding up her phone, the camera pointed straight at my face.

Mom glanced at me. "It's actually pretty good. You always look like you walked out of a horror movie with your hair everywhere, and now you don't have to spend money on a haircut."

Dad waved it off. "You're overreacting. Hair grows back, and Mia was goofing off because she wanted to make you laugh. We're close."

I looked over at Ryan.

Seven years ago, he told me he liked long hair, so I kept it ever since.

He didn't glance at my hair or ask if the scissors had hurt me. He lowered his head, sent the money, and said, "A bet's a bet," like it was nothing.

When my tears started to fall, Mia laughed louder.

It turned out that they'd all been in on it from the start.

"Mom, do I look like a caveman with this on?" Mia joked, wearing the chopped hair on her head.

The living room erupted in laughter again.

Mom told her to ease up, worried she might really get me riled up.

When I was eighteen, Mia scribbled "idiot" on the back of my school uniform, and I got roasted by the whole class for an entire semester.

At twenty-one, she hid my papers, and I ended up missing my thesis defense.

Every single time, it ended with the same excuse. "She's young. She's merely messing around with you."

My phone buzzed. A message from work popped up, asking if I'd made up my mind about taking the manager position at the Rivergate Branch.

The salary would be doubled, a three-year contract, and I had to give my answer before midnight.

I'd asked about this position at the beginning of the month, but I couldn't make up my mind.

So I stayed.

"Hazel, give us a smile. This is the Thanksgiving limited edition. I've got the headline: One Snip Turns My Goddess Sister Into a Total Mess." Mia shoved the camera right up to my face.

I bowed my head and texted back to the company. [Alright, I'm in.]

*****

The hairdresser parted my hair and examined it for a while. "There's no way to fix this. Whoever cut it really went at it. It's all choppy inside. The only thing we can do is cut it short."

"Go ahead," I said quietly.

Back when I first started working, my salary was barely enough to get by, and I spent over an hour every day crammed into the subway.

The hardest days were when Ryan would sit with me on the doorstep of my tiny apartment, sharing sandwiches.

I hated washing my hair and wanted to cut it short, but he'd grab the tips and wouldn't let go.

"Don't cut it. Long hair suits you. When we get married, keep it like this," he'd say.

Hair fell in soft clumps to the floor as the hairdresser cleaned up the sides. "Short hair actually makes you look pretty sharp."

I reached up and touched my ears, finally out in the open.

Cutting it off wasn't such a big deal after all.