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My First Wish: Stop Being Obedient

My First Wish: Stop Being Obedient

Short Story · Emotional Realism
By:  Arya SueCompleted
Language: English
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Synopsis

Childhood Sweethearts

Family Emotions

Biological Family

Familial Bond

Remorse Family

Independence

Plot Twists

Melodramatic

After the college entrance exams, my parents finally agree to take me to visit Everleigh Palace in Jatwick. I pack my bags a full month in advance, meticulously drafting a list of every wish I want to make—wishes for my parents, wishes for my siblings, and wishes for Joel Sutton, my childhood friend. The night before our departure, my younger sister, Yvonne Jarrow, suddenly announces that she wants to go to Novenport to see the ocean. My heart sinks. A second later, Dad pulls out his phone and starts changing our tickets. "The weather's been great lately. It's perfect for a seaside vacation," he says excitedly. Mom immediately swaps out her everyday clothes for swimsuits and hats. "The sun down south is brutal. I've got to pack plenty of sunscreen for Yvonne." My older brother, Stefan Jarrow, starts searching for seaside hotels. Without even looking up, he says, "I've been saying there's nothing fun in Jatwick anyway. Compared to Yvonne, Alice doesn't know how to have fun." I turn to Joel, pinning my last remaining hope on him. He once promised he would take me to Everleigh Palace so we could make a wish together at the old fountain. Now, all he does is cancel my flight ticket for me. "Alice, Yvonne means well. She just wants you to have a more enjoyable summer holiday," he says, his voice gentle but firm. He glances at me before adding, "Be sensible. Don't ruin the fun for everyone." Be sensible. I've been hearing those two words for the past 18 years. This time, I don't want to hear it anymore. Without a word, I cancel my flight ticket to Novenport. Instead, I use all my savings to buy a ticket to Jatwick. Days later, I stand before the old fountain at Everleigh Palace and make my wish with all my heart. However, this time, it isn't for anyone else. I make a wish for myself.

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"You're not going?"

The moment my brother, Stefan Jarrow, blurted out the words, the entire house went silent.

My sister, Yvonne Jarrow, stood to the side. Her eyes were red, and her face was full of hurt. "Alice, do you really not want to go with me that badly?" she asked.

Right on cue, her eyes filled up with tears, as if I'd just committed some unforgivable crime.

"I don't want to go," I said quietly.

"You don't want to go?"

Mom frowned as she wiped Yvonne's tears.

"Weren't you the one who kept begging to go on a trip to celebrate? We've booked the tickets, and now you're saying you're not going?"

"The tickets are for Novenport," I said softly, my eyes dropping to the floor.

Mom raised her voice and asked, "What difference does it make if we go to Novenport or Jatwick?"

Dad didn't even bother to look up from his seat. "I told you we shouldn't have spoiled her so much. Look at her now. She's full of bad habits."

I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him that wasn't true.

Before I could speak, Stefan kicked my suitcase aside with a shrug. "Suit yourself. It's not our responsibility to change the whole family's plans just to accommodate your wishes."

I stayed silent.

Joel was the last one to walk over. He held a handful of candies.

Back then, whenever I was upset, he would comfort me and give me some candy to cheer me up.

Now, he walked right past me and placed an unwrapped candy into Yvonne's palm.

"Don't cry, Yvonne," he murmured. "I'll apologize to you on Alice's behalf."

Only after saying that did he turn back to me and reach for my hand. I pulled my arm away, avoiding his touch.

Joel froze for a second.

He frowned, and a hint of displeasure crept into his voice. "Alice, what does it matter where we go? The important thing is spending time together as a family. Don't be so petty."

He softened his tone and added, "If you really want to visit Everleigh Palace, I'll take you next time. Okay?"

Next time.

I'd been hearing that phrase for 18 years.

When Yvonne had her eye on the tablet I'd earned by ranking first in my class, Mom immediately gave it to her. "Let your sister use it to watch her shows. I'll buy you a new one next time."

When Yvonne insisted on a mango cake for my birthday—the fruit I was allergic to—Stefan casually blocked my way. "You took so long to decide that Yvonne was already getting impatient. You can pick your own cake next time."

When it came time to fill out our college applications, Yvonne decided she wanted to stay close to home. Joel changed my choices for me without a second thought.

"We'll all stay near Yvonne so we can look after her," he reasoned. "If you're that desperate to go to Jatwick, you can always go there for grad school."

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10 Chapters
Chapter 1
"You're not going?"The moment my brother, Stefan Jarrow, blurted out the words, the entire house went silent.My sister, Yvonne Jarrow, stood to the side. Her eyes were red, and her face was full of hurt. "Alice, do you really not want to go with me that badly?" she asked.Right on cue, her eyes filled up with tears, as if I'd just committed some unforgivable crime."I don't want to go," I said quietly."You don't want to go?"Mom frowned as she wiped Yvonne's tears."Weren't you the one who kept begging to go on a trip to celebrate? We've booked the tickets, and now you're saying you're not going?""The tickets are for Novenport," I said softly, my eyes dropping to the floor.Mom raised her voice and asked, "What difference does it make if we go to Novenport or Jatwick?"Dad didn't even bother to look up from his seat. "I told you we shouldn't have spoiled her so much. Look at her now. She's full of bad habits."I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him that wasn't true. Be
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Chapter 2
Each time, my family told me to wait until next time. Yet when next time came, they still chose Yvonne.It was almost time to board.Before heading out, Stefan glanced back at me. "Are you going or not?"Before I could even answer, Yvonne's voice drifted in from outside."Stefan, I think the car is already full. With Mom, Dad, Joel, and me, there's no room left for Alice."The moment he heard that, Stefan turned around without hesitation."Then, just take a cab to the airport yourself," he said flatly. "Just make sure you don't miss your flight. No one's going to wait for you."The door slammed shut with a heavy bang, and the house fell completely silent.I stood alone in the living room for a long time, frozen in place until my legs began to go numb.I pulled out my phone and opened the airline app. There were less than ten minutes left until check-in closed. I stared at the screen for a long time before finally tapping "Cancel Ticket." Then, using the savings I'd built up
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Chapter 3
Mom tagged me in the family group chat."We told you to come, but you refused. Regretting it now?"Then, she shared several photos taken at the restaurant. There were all kinds of local dishes and drinks from the southern coast. Not far away, some musicians were putting on a live performance. The place looked lively and fun. I knew better, though. None of that had anything to do with me.I stared at the beautifully presented seafood and drinks in the photos and let out a bitter laugh. I was allergic to both seafood and alcohol, so I couldn't have a single thing on that table.Without typing a word, I simply sent an "Awesome" sticker in the chat and set my phone down.After that, they stopped posting in the family group chat and posted everything on social media instead. The posts quickly filled with likes and comments. One of my classmates' parents left a comment."Mrs. Jarrow, you guys went on a family trip? How come I don't see Alice?"Mom replied almost immediately. "Al
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Chapter 4
"You gave it to me, didn't you? So, just consider it something I lost. Don't blame Yvonne for it," Joel snapped.I nodded and hung up without another word.A flight notification popped up on my phone, reminding me that there were less than three hours until departure.I zipped up my suitcase and walked out the door.Before stepping outside, I took one last look at the house.Every morning, I had to carry Mom's potted plants outside so they could get some sunlight. Then, I had to feed Dad's prized aquarium fish and clean the entire house before I could leave for school.When I came home in the evening, there was only cold leftover food waiting for me at the dinner table, along with a sink piled high with their dirty dishes.My eyes swept across the room before my gaze settled on a metal box resting in my hand. It was filled with all the little things Joel had given me over the years.For a long time, that box had been my only comfort in the house. I had carefully kept everything
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Chapter 5
The moment the plane touched down in Jatwick, I looked out the window.A soft layer of twilight draped over the unfamiliar city. Lights flickered on one by one in the distance, like countless gentle eyes blinking in the dark.I took a deep breath and turned off my phone.As the plane rumbled along the runway, I gripped the phone so tightly that it grew hot in my palm. It wasn't until I stepped out of the arrivals hall with my suitcase that I finally mustered the courage to turn it back on.The second the screen lit up, message notifications came flooding in. A wave of chimes and buzzes battered my ears, leaving me standing in the middle of the crowd, dazed by the barrage.My phone was filled with unread messages from Dad, Mom, Stefan, and Joel. Even a few relatives had gotten involved.I opened them one by one. Every word felt like a sharp knife stabbing straight into my eyes."Alice, what are you trying to pull? None of us can reach you. Do you have any idea how worried Mom is?
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Chapter 6
It was the first time in 18 years that I had made a wish for myself.The feeling was strangely wonderful. It was as if I had finally pulled myself out of someone else's story and stepped into a script of my own.When I left Everleigh Palace, the night wind in Jatwick was cool against my skin. I pulled my coat tighter around me and dragged my suitcase down the unfamiliar streets.Yet for the first time in my life, I felt completely at peace.…I had booked a youth hostel online in advance. It was a bit out of the way, but it was cheap.My room was tiny. There was a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. Outside the window stood an old locust tree, its branches stretching right up to the windowsill. The place was simple but quiet.The first thing I did after dropping off my suitcase was head to a nearby supermarket to buy all my everyday necessities. I picked out every single item myself, choosing the colors and styles I liked. There was no one standing beside me telling me that this wasn't
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Chapter 7
Forget it. I didn't want to think about it anymore.I stayed at the youth hostel for three days. During the day, I went looking for a part-time job. At night, I searched for an apartment online. Little by little, I got everything in order.I found a job quickly at a chain coffee shop. The manager was a woman in her thirties who was direct and efficient. After going through my resume, she nodded."Come in for a trial shift tomorrow," she said briskly. "The probation period is three days, and if you pass, you've got the job."When I stepped out of the coffee shop, the sun was shining brightly over Jatwick. Warm sunlight fell across my skin, and I tilted my head back to look up at the blue sky. Even the air tasted like freedom.Nobody here knew me. No one knew I was the daughter of the Jarrow family, and no one would order me around in that entitled, demanding tone anymore.For the first time, I was completely in charge of my own life.…The afternoon I moved out of the youth host
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Chapter 8
Stefan did call me once. However, after I left him speechless with that "we're done" line, he spent the next few days in a foul mood.When he went drinking with his friends, he complained bitterly about me. He muttered things like "She's getting too bold," and "She's so ungrateful." After that, he didn't try to contact me again.In their eyes, I had never once defied their wishes in the past 18 years. I'd never once slipped out of their sight. So, where could I possibly go?They assumed I was just wandering around for a few days. Once I ran out of money, I'd come crawling back with my tail between my legs.A week slipped by. I didn't come back, and my phone was still unreachable.Then two weeks passed. My profile picture changed to a street view of Jatwick.I posted an update with the caption, "New life starts now." The photo showed a cup of coffee beside an open book. Then, I blocked every single one of them.Mom started to get restless. She searched through my room and fou
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Chapter 9
A belated wave of guilt crashed over Mom, leaving her struggling to breathe. She crouched in my room, clutching the notebook to her chest as she finally broke down and cried.However, it was already too late.By the time the news reached me, I was busy working at the coffee shop. A new coworker smiled and called my name. Behind the counter, the manager gave me a thumbs-up, praising how fast my latte art was improving. I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead and smiled, my eyes crinkling with happiness.When I heard what had happened at home, I merely let out a soft, indifferent "Oh" before turning back to make another latte.Back home, everything had descended into chaos.Dad tried to keep up a tough front, but every night, he sat alone in the living room, staring blankly at his phone. The ashtray was often overflowing with cigarette butts.Mom spent her nights wide awake. She kept scrolling through my profile. Even though she was blocked from seeing my posts, she still c
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Chapter 10
What was even more ridiculous was that Yvonne had gotten so used to ordering me around. Without me around, she couldn't even decide what to wear every day. She kept leaving her house keys behind, letting packages pile up by the door, and messing up her college registration paperwork so badly that her academic advisor called her out repeatedly.She was finally getting a taste of what it meant to carry her own weight. However, she would never know how many of her burdens I'd quietly shouldered over the years.…Autumn came early to Jatwick that year.By mid-October, the ginkgo trees lining the streets had turned a brilliant gold. Whenever the wind blew, the leaves came fluttering down with a soft rustle, like a shower of golden rain.I was accepted into the best university in Jatwick. With a scholarship covering part of my expenses, I worked part-time at a coffee shop and managed to save a little money. I wasn't living a luxurious life, but I felt grounded and free.I made new
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