Chapter 4

After we got our diplomas, the whole family started talking about where to go for our summer vacation.

At dinner, my mom was checking out Emily's travel guide on her phone and kept saying how awesome it was.

"Em nailed this Coralhaven Isle guide. Why don't we go with her pick and head to Coralhaven Isle for our summer trip?" she said.

My fork paused as I remembered how Emily had borrowed my travel guide idea. I grabbed my phone and pulled up the guide I made for Azure Isles.

"My guide's pretty good too, you know. Why is it always Emily's pick and never mine?" I asked, feeling a little bitter.

My mom was left speechless, and Athena set her fork down, jumping in to ease the tension. "You posted yours before Em, but it got pushed up in the chat, and everyone missed it.

"Let me take a look. Hey, this is actually good. How about we go to Azure Isles this time?"

"We're going to Coralhaven Isle," my mom cut in, suddenly putting down her fork.

She locked her eyes on me, like she'd already made up her mind and wasn't about to back down.

She said, "Isn't it always you refusing to go along with us? When Em wanted to apply to Aurelia City, you wouldn't consider it.

"When we bought a place in Aurelia City and planned to move, you wouldn't move with us. So now, for a family trip, you don't want to come along, right?

"Besides, aren't you supposed to be getting ready to study abroad? If you don't start preparing now, how are you ever going to get into a school overseas?

So this time, we're going to Coralhaven Isle, and you're not coming. Stay home and study."

I could see right through her. She was trying to box me in again.

Just like when I was a kid, and she yanked me away from the top high school gates, now she's trying to shove me toward Aurelia City all over again.

Looking at her face, I finally let go.

"Alright, Mom. Hope you all have a good time," I said, my voice calm and distant.

Without another word, I stood up and quietly headed back to my room.

Outside my room, I could hear Emily's worried voice.

"Mrs. Lane, are you leaving Soph behind? She'll be hurt," Emily said.

"Nope. Let her feel bad. Maybe then she'll get that I'm right. Once we're in Coralhaven Isle, it won't take three days before she's begging to join us," my mom said, sounding pretty pleased with herself.

Even with the door between us, I could picture the smug grin on her face.

The next second, the family group chat was blowing up with messages.

I opened it up. Nothing but screenshots of bookings. Flights, hotels, restaurant reservations, activities. Every single one was for five people, not a single spot for me.

I turned off my phone and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. In my mind, I could already see the endless waves of the Westmere Strait.

Visa was in hand.

I had also gotten my ticket.

Just two days left until I land in Eldermere City.

The flight to Coralhaven Isle was in the morning.

When I woke up, the house was already empty.

I ate breakfast slowly, not in any rush, then checked over my luggage one last time.

Finally, I grabbed a cab and headed to the airport.

Right as the plane lifted off, I went through my contacts and blocked every single family member, deleting them all from my phone.

The family group chat was still frozen on the photo they had sent that morning. It was about their family of five smiling together before they set off on their trip.

I tapped in, scrolled down, cleared out all the chat history, and left for good.

I closed my phone, and as I looked out the window, the city I'd grown up in slowly shrank, until it was a tiny blur in the distance.

All those ups and downs, and all those years were finally the beginning of something new for me.

That night, after landing in Eldermere City, I slept like a log.