Chapter 3
I called Billy, asking where they were.
He sounded surprised, with the sound of crashing waves in the background.
"Sophie? What are you doing in the countryside?
"We're in Suamas! Somewhere warm. For a break."
I was silent.
The blood froze in my veins.
Suamas was the place I had dreamed of going my freshman summer, just to see the edge of the world.
Estella had shut me down with a sharp, "A girl has no business traveling so far. Do you have any idea how expensive that is?"
After that, I never mentioned it again.
On the other end of the line, I heard Emily squeal, "Dad, look! Dolphins!"
Then came a voice I knew so well, yet it felt strangely distant. "Emily, slow down!" Estella said softly. "You'll get a sunburn! Come over here. Let me get a picture of you and your grandpa! That's it. Smile!
"Oh, by the way, honey, who's on the phone?"
Billy replied, "It's Sophie. She's in the countryside."
I heard Estella's dismissive reply, laced with annoyance, "Oh, her. I thought she was too busy earning money to come home."
The line went dead. The world fell silent.
They had forgotten me again.
Just then, my phone lit up. A message in the extended family group chat. I had left "Our Loving Family," but I was still in the "Lane Clan" chat with all the aunts and uncles.
My aunt, Anna Lane, texted: [Wow! Look how happy Troy is! Celebrating his 70th in Suamas! So fancy!]
Below it was a screenshot of Emily's social media post, a nine-photo grid.
The center photo was a family portrait.
Troy, looking a bit uncomfortable in a brand-new suit, sat at the head of the table.
Estella was beaming in sunglasses, with Billy's arm around her shoulder. Emily was playfully clinging to Troy's arm.
Behind them was a perfect scene of blue skies, white sand, and a yacht.
What a happy family.
Anna tagged me.
[Sophie, why didn't you go with them? You're just too independent, dear. You should spend more time with family, not just on your studies. In today's world, emotional intelligence is more important than being book-smart.]
I had to laugh. They knew nothing, yet they were always so eager to dispense their "wisdom."
A rebellious impulse took over. I replied: [I didn't know they were going to Suamas. Mom told me Grandpa's birthday was at our hometown. No one invited me.]
The chat went dead.
A few seconds later, Emily jumped in to smooth things over, replying: [Sophie, Mom just didn't want to bother you while you were working so hard.]
I could just picture her, batting her innocent eyelashes.
I texted back: [Is that so? How considerate. Then why did you all block me from seeing your posts?]
The other relatives could sense the shift in tone. They quickly jumped in.
[Sophie, why are you speaking to your family like that? So passive-aggressive.]
[Your mother worked hard to raise you two. Did you learn nothing in school?]
[Why make such a big deal out of it? You're family!]
Finally, Estella herself made an appearance.
She texted: [Don't bother with her. She's a block of ice. You can't warm her up. Always so dramatic. Who knows what she's on about now?]
Why? Why did she always find the cruelest words for me?
In that moment, all the fight drained out of me. It was all so pointless.
I locked my phone, not wanting to see any more.
I clicked on Emily's profile picture, and sure enough, there was nothing there. They had blocked me.
How utterly pathetic.
I dragged my exhausted body back to the local guesthouse, opened my laptop, and numbly began to research graduate schools.
No. Grad school wasn't far enough. I went straight to the application portals for schools on the other side of the country.
I was going to leave. I was going to get as far away from them as I possibly could.