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 inside for five years.

However, now, those five years felt like nothing more than a joke.

My phone chimed. A message from Joel appeared on the screen.

"Alice, I was a little harsh earlier. I'll bring you a gift when I get back. Be good."

I stared at the message for a long time without replying.

Instead, I shut the door behind me, dropped the metal box into the trash can by the entrance, and walked away.

…

The moment I stepped into the bustling terminal, my phone lit up with an incoming call from Stefan.

"Alice, a few packages Yvonne ordered have just arrived. Go pick them up," he ordered without missing a beat. "Oh, and my game console. I think I forgot to put it away before we left. Pack it up so nobody breaks it."

Dad's voice came faintly through the phone. "Did you feed the fish? They're worth a lot."

Mom quickly chimed in, "By the way, Yvonne has a few dresses that need to be brought inside. Make sure you get those, too. The fabric can't be left in the sun for too long."

Their voices overlapped as they talked over one another. I stared at the time ticking across the airport's giant departure screen and said nothing.

"Alice, are you listening?" Stefan asked impatiently.

I blinked and finally spoke softly. "I picked up Yvonne's packages yesterday. They're in the storage room. I fed the fish and watered Mom's plants, too. And I put your game console in the box you usually keep it in."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then Joel's voice broke the silence, carrying a light, triumphant laugh. "See? What did I tell you? Alice is always so sensible. She definitely didn't mean to yell at Yvonne."

He had used the same word again—"sensible."

In 18 years, Yvonne had been called all kinds of things. She was cute, innocent, spoiled. However, for all 18 years of my life, I had only ever been described as sensible.

I smiled.

I hadn't done those things because I was sensible. I simply did them because I didn't want to owe them anything.

After today, I would have nothing to do with them.

On the other end of the line, Stefan scratched the back of his head, letting out an annoyed huff.

"So what? We brought you some local specialties, didn't we?" he argued defensively. "We got your favorite coconut cake. That's fair enough, right?"

I laughed. For the very last time, I answered, "Okay."

Just as I was about to hang up, an announcement suddenly echoed through the airport.

"Attention, passengers traveling to Jatwick. Your flight is now boarding."

Stefan froze on the other end. He asked anxiously, "You're at the airport? Where are you going?"

I didn't answer. I simply hung up.

Then, I opened my contacts and started deleting their numbers one by one—Dad's, Mom's, Stefan's, Yvonne's, and Joel's.

With every contact I deleted, I felt a little lighter.

Once I had cleared all my contacts, the final boarding call for the Jatwick flight was announced.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the new wish list I had written.

There was only one wish on it. This time, it was for me alone.

"I hope I'll do well in school and be happy forever."