All Chapters of Bloody Road: Abandoned by Family, Imprisoned by Destiny: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

The ping of the phone on the nightstand wasn't just a notification; it was a second heartbeat bringing me to life in the middle of a house that felt like a coffin. The screen lit up, displaying the name 'My Love Kent.' Instantly, the remnants of exhaustion from a whole day of wrestling with a stack of calculus books evaporated. My lips curved, forming a slight smile that belonged only to him. "Hi, honey," I whispered softly. My voice caught, a mix of longing and the fear that always haunted my every move here. My eyes darted around, scanning the slight crack of the open bedroom door. I had to make sure Mom's footsteps weren't approaching. If Mom knew I was talking to Kent, the walls of this house would collapse on me. "Hi, honey," he replied. That baritone voice—calm, low, and capable of tearing down my defenses in a matter of seconds. "Are you home? I... I can't help myself anymore. I need to see you, right now." "I'm home," I answered, my breathing growing heavy. My eyes were sti

The plastic wheels of the suitcase shrieked loudly, a deafening sound along the quiet sidewalk. Every pull felt like dragging the heaviest burden of life. My hands, which just a few minutes ago were shaking from Dad’s slap, now gripped the iron handle of the suitcase so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The pain in my left cheek, bruised from Dad's slap, was no longer felt; there was only a throbbing ache that was in sync with my racing heartbeat.The door to the Watson family home had closed tight behind me. There was no longer Jose the golden boy. There was no longer Jose the math champion. Everything was buried behind that teak door. I kept walking. My shoes felt heavy, filled with water seeping in through small cracks. Every step was a struggle against the exhaustion starting to spread from my calves to my spine. My body shivered violently. The clothes clinging tightly to my skin weren't just wet; they felt like a cold second skin, piercing through to my deepest nerves. I did

The smell of the harbor was suffocating. A mixture of spilled diesel fuel, rusty metal, fishy odor, and the sweat of hundreds of people crowding together made my stomach churn. I stood among the crowd, freezing on the dock while people passed by, pushing suitcases, or shouting, looking for their family members. In front of me, the hull of the ferry towered high, its steel walls looking cold and indifferent to anyone trying to get on board.This wasn't just a ship. This was a clear boundary line. Behind me was the world that had thrown me away, and in front of me was a terrifying uncertainty.My fingers shook violently in my jacket pocket, touching the envelope Yael had given me. The texture of the paper felt rough, a reminder of the heavy burden I had left on my brother’s shoulders.I wasn't just carrying money; I was carrying the trust of someone who still saw me as a human being, not as a family asset or a "perfect child." Every time my fingers brushed against the envelope, I felt a

The pier floor felt hard under my shoes as I dragged the suitcase with the lopsided wheel. The scraping sound of that broken suitcase wheel was deafening, creating a screech that made me feel like everyone around was staring at me. I bowed my head, trying to hide my face. I didn't want anyone to recognize my anxious gestures. Everyone passing by seemed to have a clear destination, their steps fast and confident. I, on the other hand, just stood frozen near the pier exit, trying to hold back the panic creeping up my neck.I saw a bus stop not far from there. Without thinking, I immediately walked toward it. My stride was a bit jerky because the suitcase wheel kept getting caught in the cracks of the tiles. I pulled the suitcase roughly, forcing it to move. Sweat began to soak my back from the effort. Once at the stop, I stared at the route board filled with numbers and street names unfamiliar to me. My head spun seeing that array of information. I didn't know where I had to go. I didn'

My stomach twisted violently, forcing my eyelids open. I woke up curled in a ball, the lingering ache from the long journey still stuck in my shoulders. Bright light pierced through the window glass, dazzling my vision that wasn't fully focused yet. I sat on the edge of the mattress, staring at the floor for a few seconds to gather my consciousness.My hand groped the small table beside the bed. My phone was lying there with a black screen. I pressed it repeatedly, but there was no reaction. The battery was dead. A small panic immediately struck my chest. I needed this phone for information, for directions, for everything."I have to find a charger cable," I muttered softly. The phone wasn't just an object; without it, I was lost in a city this big. After the dizziness subsided, I washed my face with cold water. The mirror showed a face I didn't fully recognize: Sebastian Allen. This new identity still felt like clothes that were too big. I dried my face, grabbed a t-shirt from the su