Chapter 5

The taxi ride to the mall felt longer than it should have. I sat in the back seat, wiping my face every few seconds as if I could erase the redness from my eyes. When we stopped, I paid without counting the change and headed inside, scanning the building until I spotted a coffee shop tucked in the corner.

I didn’t waste time. I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu, found a table, and pulled out my phone.

“Amirah…” I said her name softly, my voice already cracking. The tears I’d been holding back started to build again.

[B! Hey… Are you crying? Where are you? Are you okay? Please tell me where you are—I’m coming.]

A watery smile tugged at my lips. Only one word from me, and she was already panicking.

“A-Are you free today?” My voice shook as I asked. My coffee and bread arrived, the scent warm and familiar, but I had no appetite.

[I’m always free for you, B. You know that…]

She meant it. In ten years of friendship, she had never once turned me down. We met when her family moved into our subdivision—two shy ten-year-olds whose parents happened to be friends.

“Can you pick me up?”

[Of course! Where?]

“The mall. I’ll text you exactly where I am.”

[Okay… I’m on my way. Wait for me.]

The call ended, and I exhaled slowly, my chest tight. Amirah was one of those rare people who showed up—always, without conditions. I sent her my location and sipped my coffee, though my throat felt too tight to swallow.

Minutes later, the glass door of the shop swung open.

“B! Oh my gosh, your eyes are swollen again! What happened?” Her voice was sharp with worry as she rushed over.

“A…” I tried to speak, but my lips trembled. The tears broke through, spilling faster than I could stop them.

Amirah’s own eyes glistened. She bit her lip hard before pulling me into her arms.

“Shhh… I’m here. You can tell me everything. Cry all you want—I don’t care who’s watching,” she whispered, rubbing slow circles on my back.

“I’m t-tired… I’m in p-pain…” I hiccupped between sobs. “I hurt t-them… I ruined them—”

“It’s not your fault, B. It’s your parents. You can’t take that blame.” She cupped my face firmly, forcing me to meet her gaze.

“But I can feel it, A… The pain they caused. It’s like it’s mine too. And I feel so guilty.”

She wiped my cheeks, her own lips pressed tight.

“I want to disappear for a while,” I choked out. “Away from them. Away from this life. Please… help me.”

“You don’t have to beg. I’ll help you. We’ll run away from the people who hurt you. I swear.”

Her promise was so fierce that I felt something loosen inside me.

“Thank you.”

We didn’t linger in the shop. Soon, we were in her car, the city blurring past as I stared out the window.

“Are you okay? Want to eat?” she asked after a while.

I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

“Then sleep. We’re still a bit far. Rest, B—you need it.”

“Is it okay if we don’t talk?”

“Of course. I’ll put on a playlist. Close your eyes.”

I obeyed, letting the music fade into the hum of the engine. My exhaustion pulled me under quickly.

When I woke, the seat beside me was empty. The front window was rolled down, letting in a cool wind that smelled faintly of salt. I turned—and froze.

The sky was painted in deep orange, its glow melting into the calm stretch of the sea. Waves rolled gently against the shore, unhurried and unbothered by the world.

“You’re awake!” Amirah’s voice called from behind me.

“Where were you?” I asked, stepping out.

“In the rest house,” she said with a grin.

“Rest house? Whose?” My eyes followed her gesture toward a two-story home.

“Mine.”

I blinked. “You have a resort?!”

She laughed. “Mommy doesn’t know—so zip it!”

We walked toward the place, my curiosity growing with every step.

“I keep clothes here,” she said casually. “We’re the same size—you can use them. They’re all new.”

Inside, I was stunned. The living room was immaculate, with a plush sofa set and a flat-screen TV dominating one wall. The kitchen gleamed, stocked with fresh food and every appliance you could think of.

“You come here often?” I asked as we climbed the stairs.

“Sometimes.”

“You clean this all yourself?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Just thought you’d have a caretaker.”

“I like doing it. And it’s good to be prepared… You know how it is in the business world. One day, my parents might try to marry me off. This way, I’m ready to be a runaway bride.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “You should’ve told me. I’d have joined you.”

“You didn’t ask. Besides—Steve? Your world, remember?”

Her words stung. Steve. Who no longer looked at me the same way. Who maybe never would again.

“Come on,” she said gently. “We’re here to relax.”

Upstairs, a wide veranda overlooked the beach. Two bedrooms faced each other, each warm and inviting. We changed clothes and went back down.

“It’s almost night. Drink at the beach?” she suggested.

“Sure.”

She returned with a cooler of beer and a bag of chips, and we settled into the sand, the sea whispering beside us.

“What’s this place called?” I asked.

“Haven Island.”

“Nice. Feels like the world’s miles away from here.”

She studied me for a moment. “So… tell me what happened.”

I told her everything.

“God, B… Why is the business world like that? Marrying off children for money? They treat people like assets.”

“They only care about the company. And the money. I pity Nicole… She doesn’t deserve this. I’m not blaming you, I just hate what your parents are doing.”

“I hate them too,” I admitted quietly. “They’ll do anything for profit—even destroy lives.”

“That’s how it is. We’re just unlucky enough to be their bargaining chips.”

She wasn’t wrong. We were commodities to them.

“Unfortunately, we’re only children. We have no choice,” I murmured.

“Maybe. But if it ever happens to me, they won’t find me. And you? Would you go through with it?”

I hesitated. Maybe running away with her wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Will you help me if it comes to that?”

“As always. You can stay here from now on if you want. Don’t wait for the wedding.”

“Is it safe here?”

“Completely. And if you don’t like it, we’ll leave the country.”

“They’ll freeze our cards immediately,” I warned.

She grinned. “Which is why I empty mine every day and stash the cash here. Let them have the card—I’ll still have my money.”

I stared at her, impressed. “Oh my God, A. Genius.”

“So? What do you say? Game? Run away, heiress?”

And for the first time in days, I smiled for real.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing happiness on my own terms. I just want to feel like me. To breathe freely without pretending. More than anything… I need peace.