“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the middle of the night.
You can’t just give away rooms.”
“We don’t trust you to live under the same roof
as Riley anyway.”
“What if you hurt her?”
I said quickly, “I’ll move into the dorms.”
Liam’s face darkened.
He glared at me and said, “Whatever!”
Riley pretended to be scared and hid behind. Dad.
“Ashley, don’t be angry. I don’t want your room.”
“I was joking.”
7:35
I looked at her coldly. “Don’t worry, you can
have it.”
“I won’t be coming back.”
Riley looked overjoyed.
Dad looked annoyed.
67
“Not coming back?”
“Riley told me she’d get you bad but you
actually did it, you’re really a bad influence.
Now you just want to move out and leave, but I can’t teach you all the good things.”
“You’re just like your mother. You can’t settle
down.”
It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.
I was sad and hurt.
<
7:35
((
67
How could Dad say that about Mom and me?
I protested, “No, I’m leaving because I’m going
to lea…”
“Whatever!”
Dad shouted.
He cut me off.
“Who cares what you’re doing?”
“Just go. Did you think I wanted you to stay?
I’m treating this like I have two other
daughters.”
“At least I have Riley now. She’s a million times
better.”
I didn’t say anything. I grabbed my suitcase and
opened the door.
<
daughters.”
“At least I have Riley now. She’s a million times
better.”
I didn’t say anything. I grabbed my suitcase and
opened the door.
It was raining.
The cold rain made me shiver.
I wanted to go back and get an umbrella.
But the door slammed shut.
Liam said mockingly, “Good riddance!”
“Don’t come crawling back later, begging us to
take you back.”
Chapter 2
- 6.
I laughed bitterly.
I had no choice but to walk out into the rain.
Rain stung my eyes.
It felt acidic.
I trudged on, planning to find a hotel.
I’d lied, actually.
I’d already graduated, so I couldn’t live at the college anymore.
The gate to the neighboring mansion swung
open.
Jake chased after me.
<
7:35
“Ashley, can’t you just apologize?”
“Riley’s such a sweet girl. Why can’t you two
get along?”
Yeah, right.
Why didn’t they ever ask themselves that?
If Riley was so great.
Why couldn’t I get along with her?
Because she was a complete backstabber, a
two–faced, manipulative fake.
I didn’t want to argue.
66
I suddenly realized I had nothing to say to the
guy I used to love.
Seeing that I wasn’t going to answer, Jake
grabbed my arm.
<
“Ashley, can you just stop being like this?”
“If you apologize to Riley and promise to get
along, I’ll marry you, okay?”
I stopped and looked into Jake’s eyes.
“We’re not getting married, Jake. We broke up,
remember?”
My words hit a nerve.
Jake shoved me away.
“You’re impossible. I shouldn’t have tried to be
nice.”
“Just keep acting this way. You’ll end up alone,
and no one will care what happens to you.”
- 7.
<
7:35
Jake stormed off.
I walked further away from the mansions.
It was hard to get a cab out here, but luckily, a
driver accepted my request before I totally
froze.
My clothes were soaked.
I gave the driver a generous tip.
That got him to agree to let me in the car.
As we pulled away, I saw a Bentley drive by.
I recognized Liam’s car.
He probably wanted to see me at my worst.
He stopped and flashed his headlights.
The driver asked, “Do you know them?”
66
<
7:35
I shook my head. “Nope. Let’s go.”
As the car started moving.
I thought I saw Liam looking worried.
I must have been mistaken.
Why would he care?
- 8.
Getting soaked made me sick.
I spent two days in the hotel, feverish and
exhausted.
The front desk clerk helped me get some
medicine.
That was what made it possible for me to get
up and catch my flight.
<
7:35
- )
As I boarded the plane, I got a text from Riley.
It was a video of her on my balcony, watching Dad, Liam, and Jake set up her stuff.
She sent along: “Ashley, your room is mine
now!”
“Jealous? They not only gave me the room, but
they’re taking me to see penguins in
Antarctica.”
I smiled.
I texted back: “Congrats.”
“It’s all yours now.”
“The room, and everything else that goes along
with it.”
I snapped my SIM card and tossed it into the
く
trash.
I boarded the plane.
- 9.
After setting up Ashley’s room just the way
Riley wanted it.
The family took Riley to see the penguins.
After only a week, Liam felt restless.
He kept checking his phone, expecting
something.
But nothing ever came.
Yesterday was his birthday.
Ashley never missed his birthday.
Even if she couldn’t be there in person, she
<
always sent a gift.
This was the first time, and there was nothing.
He felt uneasy.
He felt something was wrong.
He blurted out:
“Dad, I want to go home.”
Their Dad, Daniel, felt anxious too.
He was smoking more than usual.
Before he could respond.
Riley pouted, “Don’t go home, Liam! It’s fun
here.”
“I’m not ready to leave.”
པ་ཕད་ད་བ+ ཨཔ! |
Molvn hoon
a whil Luont
く
Liam frowned. “We’ve been gone a while. I want
to check on the house, just in case.”
Riley sulked.
“There’s nothing to worry about at home.
Ashley moved out.”
Liam frowned.
“Why are you calling your sister by her first
name?”
Riley looked guilty for a moment. But she
recovered quickly.
She skipped over to Liam.
She grabbed his hand, batting her eyelashes.
“You guys call her that, so I just do it too.”
Liam pulled his hand away.
<
7:36
“We’re different. You still need to call her
Ashley.”
