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Chapter 1: Somewhere I Could Breathe
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-08-25 10:02:08Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras akong naglakad. By the time I finally stopped, the sun was already beginning to rise, painting the sky with soft shades of orange and pink that I barely noticed because my entire body was already exhausted.
My feet hurt, my throat was dry, my hands were still trembling. And every few seconds, I found myself looking over my shoulder, half-expecting to see one of Logan's cars speeding toward me. Wala. Nothing. Just an empty road stretching behind me. I stood there for a while, trying to catch my breath while hugging the small bag against my chest. I could still feel the pain from earlier, and every time my body moved the wrong way, a sharp ache reminded me of what had happened. I closed my eyes. ‘I'm out’ I repeated those words inside my head. ‘I'm out’ But saying it didn't make me feel safe. Not yet. For years, I had dreamed about leaving that house. I imagined myself walking out with confidence, closing the door behind me, and never looking back. I never imagined that when the moment finally came, I'd be terrified. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know who I could trust. I didn't even know if I had enough money to survive more than a few days. All I knew was that I couldn't go back. I started walking again. There was a small bus stop a few meters ahead, and when I reached it, I sat down on the old wooden bench. I placed my bag beside me and leaned my head against the wall. For the first time since I left the mansion, I allowed myself to breathe. Slowly. Carefully. I looked down at my hands. They were still shaking. I curled my fingers into fists, hoping the trembling would stop. It didn't. "You're safe," I whispered to myself. The words sounded unfamiliar. I had spent so long telling myself that I was okay that I didn't know how to tell myself that I was safe. My phone suddenly vibrated inside my bag. I froze. For a second, I couldn't move. Then I slowly pulled it out. One missed call. Logan. My heart dropped. I stared at his name on the screen until my vision blurred. Another call came in. I declined it. A message appeared. “Come home” I swallowed hard. Another message. “We need to talk.” Then another. “Don't make this harder than it needs to be.” My fingers tightened around the phone. I turned it off. I didn't want to read anything else. I didn't want to hear his voice. I didn't want to see his name. I just wanted to disappear. A bus finally arrived a few minutes later. I stood up immediately. The driver opened the door and looked at me. "Where are you going, miss?" I hesitated. I honestly didn't know. "Anywhere," I almost said. Instead, I looked at the small sign beside the driver's seat. There was a route written on it. A province I had only heard about a few times. I pointed at it. "Do you have a ticket going there?" The driver nodded. "One seat left." I handed him some of the money I had. "Then I'll take it." I climbed aboard. The bus was almost empty. I chose a seat near the window and placed my bag on my lap. As the bus started moving, I watched the city slowly disappear behind me. Buildings became smaller. Traffic became lighter. And eventually, the familiar streets disappeared completely. I should have been scared. I was. But somewhere beneath the fear, there was something else. Relief. A small, fragile kind of relief. For the first time in years, I wasn't going somewhere because Logan told me to. I was going somewhere because I chose to. I leaned my head against the window. My reflection stared back at me. I looked tired. Broken. Lost. But I was free, at least for now. I closed my eyes, and for the first time in a very long time, I let myself imagine a life where nobody knew who I was. A life where I could wake up without being afraid of footsteps outside my bedroom. A life where I could laugh without wondering if someone would get angry. A life where I could simply be Aurelia. Not Logan Garrison's wife. Not the woman from the photographs. Not the daughter of Caleb and Aaliyah Laurent. Just Aurelia. Maybe that was too much to ask, but I wanted it anyway. It was already afternoon when I finally arrived in the province. The moment I stepped off the bus, I immediately realized how different everything was. The air smelled cleaner. There were fewer cars. The roads were narrower. Instead of tall buildings, I saw fields stretching far into the distance, their green color almost too bright beneath the afternoon sun. I stood there with my bag hanging from my shoulder, completely unsure of what to do next. "Okay," I whispered. "Now what?" I almost laughed at myself. I had escaped a mansion with no actual plan. That was probably the stupidest thing I had ever done. I checked my phone. No signal. Of course. I sighed, then I noticed a small convenience store across the road. Maybe, I could ask someone for directions. I crossed carefully and walked inside. An elderly woman was sitting behind the counter, sorting through some coins. She looked up when she saw me. "First time here?" I smiled awkwardly. "Is it that obvious?" She laughed. "Very." I looked around. "Actually, I'm looking for a place to stay." Her expression softened. "Do you have relatives here?" I shook my head. "Friends?" Again, I shook my head. She stared at me for a moment. Then she looked at my bag. "You ran away from someone?" My heart stopped. I wasn't expecting the question. I forced a small smile. "Is it that obvious too?" She didn't laugh this time. Instead, she simply nodded. "Sometimes, you can tell when someone is looking for a place to hide." I didn't know what to say. She pointed toward the road. "There are a few small rooms for rent near the old church. You can ask around there." "Thank you." I was about to leave when she called me again. "Miss." I turned around. She looked at me carefully. "If you really need help, don't be afraid to ask." Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten. I nodded. "Thank you." I walked outside. The afternoon sun was warm against my skin. For some reason, I smiled. It wasn't much, but it was the first genuine smile I had given myself in months. I started walking toward the direction she had pointed out. I didn't know where this road would take me. I didn't know how long I could stay. I didn't know what would happen when Logan found me, but as I walked deeper into the quiet province, I made myself one promise. I would not go back. No matter what happened. I would not go back. And somewhere down that same road, without me knowing it yet, a certain twenty-seven-year-old farmer was about to become the first person in years who would make me forget that I was supposed to be afraid of the future. 
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The Pretender Chapter 1: Somewhere I Could Breathe
Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras akong naglakad. By the time I finally stopped, the sun was already beginning to rise, painting the sky with soft shades of orange and pink that I barely noticed because my entire body was already exhausted.My feet hurt, my throat was dry, my hands were still trembling. And every few seconds, I found myself looking over my shoulder, half-expecting to see one of Logan's cars speeding toward me.Wala.Nothing.Just an empty road stretching behind me.I stood there for a while, trying to catch my breath while hugging the small bag against my chest. I could still feel the pain from earlier, and every time my body moved the wrong way, a sharp ache reminded me of what had happened.I closed my eyes.‘I'm out’I repeated those words inside my head.‘I'm out’But saying it didn't make me feel safe.Not yet.For years, I had dreamed about leaving that house. I imagined myself walking out with confidence, closing the door behind
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