Chapter 5
It was Diane.
She had the money.
She tossed my things in trash bags, grabbed my arm,
and walked me out of there–broke but somehow free.
Jenna crushed her exams. Got into a top university back East.
She said she wanted to come home. Just to visit.
I told her no. Over and over. Deleted every contact for my ex and son from her phone while she screamed at me.
“How long are you gonna control my life?! Three years and I haven’t been home once! I haven’t even talked to Dad or my brother!”
“I divorced your father. Two days ago.”
“They wanted to marry you off. Trade you for cash to cover your brother’s debts.”
I knew it would hurt. But it was the truth. She couldn’t hold onto any fantasies about them.
She stood there frozen. Kept whispering “that can’t be true.” Said she needed to go back and hear it from them.
I looked at her and my voice came out harder than I’d ever let it before.
“Then go back! Go back and let them cash you out to cover your brother’s debts! Go back, get married to some guy you don’t know, pop out babies, and never leave that place!”
She flinched. I’d never raised my voice at her like that before.
When it came time to pick a major, she wanted to study history.
I didn’t know much about it. Just knew it wouldn’t pay the bills. Wouldn’t get her health insurance or a stable paycheck. Wouldn’t keep a roof over her head.
She fought me hard. Wouldn’t back down.
So I did what I always did. Stood on a chair and threatened to hurt myself.
She caved. Chose computer science.
After that, she stopped calling.
I didn’t care. Long as her future was set.
13:18
So You Wanted Me Gone? The Comedy Show from My Ghost Perch Is Savage!
7.4%
Chapter 5
When I found out she’d switched to law school, I sat up all night staring at nothing.
Sometimes I couldn’t tell if I was saving her or wrecking her.
But maybe it was better this way. She had something to prove now.
I’d done all I could. The rest was on her.
Diane watched us drift apart and could only shake her head.
I opened a sandwich cart near a job site. Made enough to get by. Even saved a little.
Sometimes Diane and I would drive out to the state park for the day.
Women need their own homes. Their own space.
I wanted to buy a small place. Nothing fancy. Just big enough for two.
The year Jenna graduated, they tracked me down.
My ex had remarried. Had another kid. My son was drowning in debt from some failed business deal.
They wanted money. I said no.
So they went to Jenna. By the time I found out, she’d already given them everything she’d saved throughout college.
“I don’t want anyone disrupting my life anymore. Not them. Not you.”
Behind her, someone stood a few feet back. I recognized him.
The boy from high school.
Jenna was still too young. Didn’t understand that greed has no bottom.
When my ex showed up again, he wanted triple.
When I said no, he smiled–cold and mean.
“Doesn’t matter. My daughter’s got a degree from a fancy school. Sure, she’s older now, but there’s still guys who’d marry her back home.”
“Jenna’s a good girl. If she hears her old man’s dying, she’ll come running. I know she will.”
After all those years, I fought him again.
This time, I killed him.
Later I found out–Jenna had been studying for the bar exam.
Cheat Darch Is Savage!
Chapter 5
Because of me, she couldn’t pass the character and fitness review. Almost got barred from practicing.
I’d ruined her path again.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, you okay? Why are you crying?!”
The college girls across from me looked panicked. My chest locked up–sharp, relentless.
Back then, I shouldn’t have cut her hair. Shouldn’t have been so cruel.
My hands shook as I fumbled for my pills. The bitterness spread across my tongue–almost unbearable.
But at least… at least she made it out.
Trains run fast now. So much faster than they used to.
I waved goodbye to the girls at the platform. Took a breath.
Then looked up.
Jenna was standing there.
Not far off. Silent. But impossible to ignore.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
