Chapter Nine

Yubi

I hardly sleep that night. Every time I close my eyes, I hear Trey’s voice echoing in my head.

Kiari said yes. Whatever happened between us can never happen again.

The words replay, over and over, until they carve themselves into my bones. I lie awake staring at the ceiling, the faint glow from the pool lights seeping through my curtains, reminding me of where everything fell apart.

I press a hand to my stomach.

It’s still flat. Still unchanged but after a few months I will not be able to hide it anymore. 

I need a plan, fast. 

By dawn, I have made a decision, a quiet, trembling, terrifying decision that settles into me like a final breath.

I need to leave. It's the only way this works. Not because I want to run away.

Not because I’m weak. But because staying here, staying in this house, staying near him will destroy me and our entire family of the truth ever came out.

I need space and distance, besides like Trey had said, it was a mistake and one stupid mistake should not destroy our whole family. 

When the sun is fully up, I find my Mom in the kitchen, humming softly as she flips pancakes. She is still in her robe, her hair tied up in a messy bun, completely content in her morning routine. She looks so happy, the happiest she has looked in a really long time, and she deserves it. 

“Morning, sweetheart,” she says without looking up. “You are up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” I whisper.

She pauses, glancing at me. “You look pale. Are you sure you are not coming down with something?”

I avoid her eyes. “I need to talk to you mom.”

Her expression shifts immediately to concern blooming across her face. She turns off the stove and wipes her hands before pulling out a chair at the island.

“Sit,” she says softly. “Tell me what’s going on.”

I sit, but my heart races so fast I feel dizzy.

“Mom I want to leave.”

“Leave?” Her eyebrows knit together. “Leave what? The house? For where?”

“For college,” I say. I want to go away for college, USC”

The shock on her face is instant.

“What? Yubi, no. We talked about this. You were going to attend the local university. You already registered for classes here.”

“I know,” I say quietly. “But I changed my mind, I want to explore, live in another city, plus it has a really nice art programme”

She stares at me for a long moment, searching my face, I can see some disappointment. 

“This is sudden,” she says. “And honestly, it feels like something else is going on. Did something happen? Did someone say anything, I know it's been hard transitioning to this life, but honey”

“No,” I cut in gently. “It’s nothing like that mom. I just, I need to find myself, Mom. Away from everything here, away from your relationship to Michael.”

She folds her arms slowly, eyes narrowing with motherly intuition.

“Yubi is this about Trey? Because this is also new for him, it will take time to adjust”

“No mom,” I lie quickly. “No, it’s not about him.”

She exhales, unsure whether to believe me.

I swallow hard. “I don’t want to be the girl whose mom married a billionaire. I don’t want to be the stepdaughter who lives in the mansion her family didn’t earn. I don’t want to be seen as spoiled or lucky or privileged. I want to be me. On my own terms and I can't be that if I go to school here.”

Mom’s expression softens. She reaches across the island, placing her hand over mine.

“Oh, baby, no one looks at you that way.”

“I do,” I whisper. “Every day.”

She shakes her head. “College is huge, Yubi. Going far away means new responsibilities. You will be on your own. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. My voice finally feels steady. “I need space, Mom. To grow. To breathe. To become the woman I want to be, besides I am nineteen”

Her eyes glisten, only slightly but she hides it with a tight swallow.

“You are my only child,” she murmurs. “It scares me to think of you being so far away.”

“I know.” My throat closes. “But I have to do this for me.”

Her silence stretches. She studies me, really studies me, seeing things I’m not saying, but respecting that I’m not ready to explain them.

“You have always been strong,” she finally whispers. “Stronger than you think. And if your heart is telling you to go, then I won’t stop you baby.”

The relief that floods through me is immediate, overwhelming.

“Thank you,” I breathe.

“But,” she adds gently, “promise me you will call every day. And if anything, anything at all feels wrong you will come back home.”

I nod. “I promise.”

She pulls me into a hug. A long, warm, grounding hug that almost makes me break. I bury my face in her shoulder, swallowing down tears.

Because this might be the last time I feel this kind of comfort for a while.

"When do you plan on leaving, Maybe I can hold a little going away dinner for you." she adds. 

"No mom, you don't have to do all that. I leave tomorrow." 

Packing doesn’t take long.

I only take essentials clothes, books, toiletries, my laptop. The pregnancy test stays hidden at the bottom of my toiletries bag. Every time I zipper it shut, my hands shake.

I don’t tell Trey, I contemplate doing it, telling him I was going away, but I can't. 

Maybe it's selfish or cowardly, but I have to protect myself, if I face him I might change my mind. 

When I zip up my suitcase, the soft sound feels heavier than it should, like a door closing on a part of my life.

My mom drives me to the airport at sunrise the next morning. The world is quiet, painted in soft pink and gold. She holds my hand on the way, squeezing it every few minutes like she is checking if I’m still there.

We pull up to the drop off area, and she puts the car in park, turning to me with eyes full of love and worry.

“Are you sure you want to do this hun?” she whispers.

I nod. “I have to mom, I will call you everyday, I promise”

She cups my face gently. “Go live your life, Yubi. Go grow. And remember you always have a home you can come back to whenever you want.”

The tears slip before I can stop them. I hug her, breathing in the scent of comfort one last time, memorizing it.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you more my sweet girl,” she whispers. “Text me when you land.”

I grab my suitcase and step out into the morning air. My legs feel like they are made of glass, ready to crack.

As I walk toward the entrance, I glance back once.

She is still standing at the same spot, watching me. I give her a small wave.

She smiles back sad but proud. Then I turn away, I don’t look back again.