Chapter 3

I was absolutely ecstatic. Counting down the days, I realized I only had one week left.

Right then, Melina barged in. "Come party with me, Maeve!"

Looking at her skimpy outfit and full face of makeup, I instinctively refused, "No, I'm busy."

I had to earn money. Establishments like the ones she visited were beyond my means.

Melina, however, closed the distance between us. "Is that so? Are you really busy, or are you trying to sever ties with me? Oh, you're actually planning to study abroad?"

Realizing she had seen my laptop screen, I hurriedly closed it. Meeting her mocking smile, I confessed, "Yes, I'm going to study abroad and leave your family! That way, you don't have to worry anymore. I won't do anything to upset you."

Melina stared intently at me. "I hope you keep your word."

With that, she spun on her heel and left.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

However, half an hour later, the door to the attic was kicked open. Elio stormed in, followed by Melina, whose eyes were teary. In a heartbeat, a wave of unease rose in my chest.

Elio fumed, "I warned you not to mess with Melina, yet you actually dared to steal from her!"

I froze when I heard that. "I did not!"

"That was a birthday gift from Mom, Mae. Please, just give it back to me!"

Melina's accusation caught me off guard. Shaking my head, I denied, "I don't have it!"

The second the words left my lips, Elio raised his hand and slapped me across the face. The blow left one side of my head ringing, and the metallic tang of blood flooded my mouth.

"Leave no stone unturned!" he ordered the housekeepers. It didn't take long for them to turn the attic upside down.

Soon, someone yelled, "I found it!"

I was dumbstruck as a necklace was pulled from beneath my bed. Panic seized me. I instinctively looked at Melina, and the moment she flashed me a triumphant smile, I knew she had framed me yet again.

"I told you if you make another mistake, you can pack your bags and get out of our house!"

"You thief, you don't deserve to be our child!"

Mom and Dad were livid. Without listening to my explanations, they locked me in the basement and starved me for three days.

I pounded on the door and cried until my voice was raw. I only had a few days left before I was supposed to go abroad. I couldn't afford to miss this chance.

But my cries fell on deaf ears.

When they finally released me after three days, the world was spinning before my eyes. Elio was standing before me with a hardened expression. "Consider yourself lucky to be alive. Pack your things and get the hell out right now!"

He tossed me a suitcase. "You're not allowed to take a single thing that belongs to our family."

As soon as his words sank in, I dragged myself upstairs. I didn't even use his suitcase. I gathered nothing but my own clothes and my laptop. I wanted nothing more to do with them.

Fortunately, there was still time.

When I walked out of the Langston residence, the sun was shining brightly, but my emotions were in a tangled mess.

Mom and Dad's car happened to pull into the driveway right then. Melina was sandwiched between them, giggling as she held a dozen luxury shopping bags.

"Where are you off to, Mae?" she asked with an innocent look that made me feel utterly sick to my stomach.

Before I could utter a word, Elio responded apathetically, "Who cares where she's going? The point is, she's banned from this house. You can crash at the apartment on the west side of the city for now. Just get out of our sight!"

I kept my head down and remained silent.

Mom chimed in, "That's probably for the best. At the end of the day, I wasn't the one who raised you. No wonder you have no feelings for us. God knows who taught you to be so deceitful and light-fingered!"

After hearing that, I left decisively. I completed the necessary procedures and boarded the plane.

I couldn't wait a single second longer. I wanted the Langstons out of my life for good. Leaving them behind was the only way I'd ever get a fresh start.

Once we were airborne, I rested my head against the window, gazing at the clouds. Multiple emotions swirled inside my chest. At long last, I was free.

However, the very next second, violent turbulence rocked the plane. In the blink of an eye, the sky outside went dark, swallowed by jagged streaks of lightning. The cabin plunged into absolute chaos as the oxygen masks dropped down right in front of my face.

I was dumbfounded. While I was still reeling from the shock, the passengers around me erupted into hysterical sobs, frantically pulling out pens and paper to write their final words.

Consequently, I whipped out a pen, but I had absolutely no one to write to. After a second of hesitation, I jotted down a line, stuffed it into my pocket, and my stomach dropped as the plane went into a steep descent.

Following a deafening crash, the world went dark, and I blacked out.