Chapter 40

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND

There was only one thing Alex was sure of in her life once the plane landed in Dunedin Airport, and it was that she was not the same person she was two weeks ago. She wondered what her family would think of her once they had seen the changes in her, not only in her physical appearance, but in her character, too.

Her whole family met her at the airport. Her mum, brother, and sister rushed to hug her. Her dad, however, stood back. She could sense the stiffness in his posture as though he were holding back and didn’t know who she was anymore. She felt her heart constrict. It hurt to know her father assumed her to be the type of person she was not.

“Sweetheart, so glad you’re back,” Mali murmured, hugging her tight.

“Me, too,” Alex replied.

“I missed you, sis. I admit I missed you teasing me,” Emma chimed in.

“Me too, Emma.” Alex chuckled. “I miss teasing you too.”

Her father refused to hug her. In fact, he refused to say a word to her, not even a “welcome back” or “h