I was never coming back.
Phân cảnh 8: Choosing freedom
I slammed the car door shut, sitting upright in the driver’s seat, my breath still unsteady from everything that had just happened.
I had really done it.
Not in a daydream, not in some imagined scenario where I finally had the courage to stand up to them.
I had done it right in front of them.
My heart was still pounding, but not from fear, not from doubt.
It was adrenaline, the rush of finally breaking free from the toxic cycle they had trapped me in.
I pressed the ignition button but didn’t drive just yet.
I sat there, staring through the windshield at the brightly lit mansion behind me.
The music still played, but I knew no one inside was in the mood to celebrate anymore.
They were talking. They were shocked. They were angry.
And I didn’t care.
I pulled my phone from my purse and unlocked it.
A string of messages flashed across the screen.
Karen: You’ve gone too far, Lucy. Come back immediately.
Olivia: Are you trying to ruin this party? Unbelievable.
Hunter: You seriously have issues. Talk to Dad.
I let out a small, amused scoff, scrolling past them without replying.
My phone vibrated in my hand.
My father was calling.
I stared at the screen, my finger hovering over the decline button.
A part of me wanted to pick up, to hear what he had to say.
But I already knew how this would go.
He wouldn’t apologize. He would only try to regain control, to feed me more empty words about family and responsibility.
I declined the call.
A text popped up immediately after.
Dad: Come back. We need to talk.
I didn’t respond.
I had nothing left to say to them.
The next morning, I woke up in my small apartment, sunlight streaming through the window.
No more fake laughter. No more snide remarks. No more condescending stairs.
I turned on my phone.
Dozens of unread messages.
I pressed block number on each name.
Dad.
Kieran.
Olivia.
Hunter.
Done.
I sat still for a few seconds, waiting to see if guilt would creep in.
But it never did.
All I felt was relief.
Three days later, as I was getting ready for work, my phone rang from an unknown number.