All Chapters of I Changed My Fate Before It Fell: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The second I changed my college preference to Northgate University, the bedroom door slammed open.Mom stood in the doorway, her face livid. "Lena Ward! Get out here! Who do you think you are, pulling that attitude at dinner?"Brynn is your cousin. How could you be so rude? Get out there and apologize to her. Now."I didn't move. I stared at the confirmation message on the screen and kept my voice flat."I don't have anything to apologize for.""You—" She crossed the room in three quick strides and grabbed my arm. "Have you lost your mind? So what I say doesn't matter anymore, is that it? You're apologizing today whether you like it or not!"She hauled me out of the chair and dragged me, stumbling, to the dining table.Brynn was there, her eyes swollen and red, curled up against Drew Calloway like a frightened animal."Lena, apologize to Brynn," Mom ordered, her grip still locked around my arm.Brynn waved her hands, her voice thick with tears. "No, no, it's okay, Aunt Diane.

Chapter 2

Everything Mom said came out between sobs, but all it did was send my anger through the roof.I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Yes, Uncle Jason helped us! But when Dad was alive, how much money did you funnel to their family? Dad worked himself to death for that money, and you handed it all over so Uncle Jason could buy a house and a car!"And that time I was in the hospital with a fever, sure, he covered the bill. Then he turned around and told every relative we had that you, the widow, were dragging him down. And you felt so guilty you paid him back ten times what he spent!"As for giving up that transfer? He didn't pass the evaluation because he wasn't good enough. But he came back and told you he'd sacrificed the opportunity for us, so you'd feel indebted to him for the rest of your life!"I shouted all of it in one breath, tearing apart the lie that had been dressed up as family. Mom just stood there, stunned, staring at me like she didn't recognize me.Tears were pouring down

Chapter 3

Drew's message read, "You've always wanted to see snow in your dad's hometown, right? My commander said I'll be able to transfer to the Northern District in about six months."You can go to Northgate for school, and we'll finally get to see the snow together. We'll walk through it together, you and me, for the rest of our lives."I cried when I read it. It had meant everything to me. Now I understood it was only ever my dream, and I was the only one who was going to make it happen.I stayed at the beach until dawn before heading home. The whole night, neither Drew nor my mother thought to ask where I was. The only updates I got were from Brynn's social media, a steady stream of videos showing the two of them fussing over her, trying to make her feel better.When I pushed open the front door, my pillow and blanket were in a heap on the living room floor.Mom's voice was ice cold. "If Brynn has to share a room with you one more night, she'll never get a moment's peace. From now on,

Chapter 4

"She probably just forgot you're allergic. I'll apologize to you on her behalf."Drew wouldn't look at me. "And don't mention this to your mom. Brynn has it hard enough already. If your mother turns on her too, how is she supposed to live in this house? We're all she has."Just let it go. Don't make a thing out of it."Just like that, everything I'd been through was supposed to not matter anymore.I nodded.Fine. I really did need to stop expecting anything from any of them.After I was discharged, I found a job that came with room and board; I didn't go home. I only went back the day my acceptance letter arrived.When I opened the door, the house was all warmth and celebration. Drew and Mom were crowded around Brynn, who was wearing a pretty new dress, the three of them hugging and beaming."Our little Brynn is going to be a college girl! I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. As pretty and talented as you are, you're going to have boys lining up."Brynn hung off Drew's arm with a

Chapter 5

It was late at night by the time I arrived in Ridgemont.September in the north already had a bite to it, the evening air carrying a real chill. I dragged my suitcase out of the station and looked at the bright, unfamiliar streets.I didn't feel scared. If anything, I felt more grounded than I had in a long time.Orientation wasn't for a while yet, so I found a cheap hostel near campus, one of those places with eight bunk beds to a room for 50 dollars a night.Everyone staying there was from somewhere different. Some were studying for grad school entrance exams, and some were job hunting. At night, people passed around snacks from their hometowns and talked about what they wanted out of life."You're here for college?" The young woman in the bunk bed across from me was Zoe Coleman, from out east. She was studying for a licensing exam."Northgate, wow. That's impressive."I smiled and left it at that.That night, without Mom's lectures, Brynn's tears, or Drew telling me to stop

Chapter 6

Brynn sniffled beside him, her voice small. "This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, Lena wouldn't have left. Drew, go bring her back. I can leave.""Shut up!"Drew's shout came out of nowhere and the room went dead silent. Brynn froze mid-sob, too stunned to cry. Mom stared at him, bewildered. "Drew, what—""I said shut up!" He shot to his feet, chest heaving. "She's gone. She's not coming back. What part of that don't you understand?"He stared at the photo on his phone, his mind racing and getting nowhere. It must have hit him then that I was really gone.The girl who'd followed him around since they were kids, who never looked at anyone else, who had promised to watch the snow fall with him, who he'd been so sure would never leave, was gone."I'm going to Ridgemont." He grabbed his keys and headed for the door."Drew!" Brynn threw herself at him and caught his arm. "You can't! Today's your last day of leave. You have to report back to base tomorrow."You already made yo

Chapter 7

"Drew!" His name left my mouth before I could stop it.He looked up at me, his face tight with anger, but underneath it, he looked wrecked. He let go of Ryan, shook out his wrist, and walked over to me."Lena, we need to talk.""Who the hell are you? Get away from her!" Ryan scrambled to his feet and tried to get between us.I pulled him back behind me. "It's okay. I know him."Ryan backed off, reluctantly.I looked at Drew. "Whatever you want to say, say it here.""I've been looking for you in Ridgemont for three days." His voice was raw. "I asked everyone I could find, checked every hotel and hostel in the area. You really didn't make it easy, Lena."I let out a short, humorless laugh and said nothing.His tone softened immediately. He sighed. "Lena, I know how much you love me. You can't just walk away from that."Come back with me. Take a year off, reapply to a school back home. I'll cover all of it. Just consider it me making things right."That actually made me laugh,

Chapter 8

"Lena, I know the quietest spots in the library. Let me show you.""Lena, there's a weekend gig coming up. Want in? I already saved you a spot."Little by little, the warmth from Ryan and the others started to heal something in me that had been broken for a long time. Life wasn't empty anymore. It had color to it.Mom called every now and then. It was always the same routine."Lena, things have been so much better since you left. Brynn takes me shopping every day. Drew comes by all the time."The two of them are getting along wonderfully. I bet you're regretting your little stunt now."I listened calmly every time and hung up.I knew none of it was true, but I couldn't be bothered to call her out on it because Drew was also texting me constantly from new numbers."Lena, Brynn asked me to dinner. I said no."Lena, I thought about you again today."Lena, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please just give me one more chance."At first, every time a new number came through, I blo

Chapter 9

Warmth flooded through me in a way I hadn't felt in years. It turned out that once I'd stepped out of that cage, the world was full of kindness.With my grandparents, I finally had a home in Ridgemont.I visited them every weekend. Grandma always cooked enough food to cover the entire table, and Grandpa always asked how school was going."Lena, do you have enough money? Your grandfather and I have our pensions. You don't need to work yourself so hard." Grandma worried about me constantly."I'm fine," I said, smiling. "The part-time work pays well. I can even afford to buy you two presents."The startup Ryan and I built actually took off. We put together a small team on campus and the business kept growing. It more than covered our living expenses, and I was even putting money aside.Things were getting better, day by day, until Mom called again.This time, there was no gloating. Her voice was shaking, raw with desperation."Lena... Lena, you have to help me. Brynn, that little

Chapter 10

Drew turned on my mother, his voice sharp. "Diana, what did you promise me?"She flinched, but the tears started right back up. "I couldn't help it. Lena, please, just give me some money. I really can't survive this on my own.""I don't have any.""How can you not have any?" she shrieked. "You're in university! You have a job! Don't tell me you don't have money!"I cut right through it. "Mom, you're not sorry. You're just out of options and you're here to squeeze whatever's left out of me."And I've always wanted to ask you something. I'm your actual daughter. So why did you always treat me worse than Brynn? Why was she always more important than me?"Her face twisted into something ugly, her teeth clenched. "Because you're just like your dead father! He knew how much I hated your grandparents, and he still went behind my back to contact them!"And after you were born, he couldn't even give me a decent life before he went and died, and left me stuck with you! I hated him! So of

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