All Chapters of Three Thousand Miles Away: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Ms. Harper replied almost at once.[Have you discussed this with your parents? Westbridge is a long way from New Jersey, and the full research scholarship requires a separate interview.][Not yet. But I'm eighteen. I can make this decision for myself.]"Emilia doesn't look thrilled about boarding."Sofia's voice briefly silenced the table. She sat between our parents while Mom cut her steak for her. Her carefully concerned expression might have fooled anyone who hadn't grown up with her.Of course I didn't want to board. Mom owned a penthouse fifteen minutes from school. She would rather leave it empty than let me stay there."Can't you cut the adults some slack for once?" Mom frowned. "This acquisition will shape DeLuca Hotels for the next five years. If I let you stay with me and miss one of your emotional crises, you'll accuse me of not caring."Dad set down his wine. "That's what she does. I missed one parent conference last year, and she barely spoke to me for a week. You'd think

Chapter 2

By dessert, my parents were back to circling Sofia.Mom wanted to hire her a better private college consultant. Dad insisted his consultant had stronger connections. They argued over who would pay as if the loser might miss a chance to prove their love.Neither asked which school I had entered on my application.I had watched this routine for ten years.They knew the name of Sofia's consultant, the deadlines for her summer programs, and which admissions officer had admired her riding videos. If she mentioned a campus once, brochures appeared on both their desks by morning. I had spent the fall building my application list with Ms. Harper because neither parent could remember whether I wanted to study engineering or literature.Sofia had once been a Moretti, just like me. During the divorce, Mom demanded that she become a DeLuca. Dad said no child of his would surrender the Moretti name. Their lawyers fought for an entire afternoon while even the security detail stayed outside the confe

Chapter 3

In October, St. Gabriel held Family Honors Night.Students receiving the year's top awards were supposed to walk through the auditorium with their families before accepting the school crest and honor sash onstage.Before the ceremony, the lobby overflowed with parents. One father had taken the first flight from Chicago. A mother arrived in hospital scrubs at the end of her shift. Students whose parents worked overseas came with grandparents and older siblings.The space beside me stayed empty.My parents were on campus. They were in another building with Sofia and her private consultant, discussing summer programs. Mom had brought the hotel's PR director. Dad had postponed a port meeting.They were less than a thousand feet away.Just before my turn, a parent who knew the Morettis hurried them into the auditorium. "Emilia has been waiting for you. Thank goodness you made it."They didn't look relieved. They looked like they'd been caught in public.Mom lowered her voice. "How long does

Chapter 4

On the last afternoon before fall break, Dad's charcoal Bentley waited outside school.Three monogrammed suitcases filled the open trunk. Mom adjusted Sofia's scarf while Dad carried the tablet she had left in class. All three were laughing until they saw me.Mom moved in front of the car door. "You hate too much sun. Bermuda wouldn't suit you anyway. Staying here to work on applications would be a much better use of your break."Dad didn't unlock the car or ask the driver to take my bag. They thought I had come to beg for an invitation."I'm not going with you. My meal account was frozen yesterday. Mom's share of my living allowance never arrived."Relief flashed across her face. She rummaged through her handbag. "We're late for the airport. Victor, send her something for now."Dad didn't move. "It's your school year.""She's also your daughter.""I paid her exam fees last month. You can't keep dumping every bill on me."In front of the gate staff, drivers, and passing students, they

Chapter 5

Before Christmas, the Moretti and DeLuca business circles gathered for their annual dinner at the Aurelia, Mom's flagship hotel.Beneath the crystal dome sat port directors, hotel investors, and lawyers who had worked with both families for decades. Everyone knew Victor Moretti and Celeste DeLuca had been divorced for ten years and could still turn any room into a battlefield over their younger daughter.That night, they were fighting over whether Sofia should spend the summer at an art program in London or intern at Dad's logistics company."She loves art. You can't shove her into some port office," Mom said.Dad scoffed. "Six weeks learning to choose flowers for galas isn't a resume. She needs real business experience.""Learning to threaten contractors from your people?""Better than smiling at clients while plotting to swallow their hotels."The nearby tables fell quiet. Mom set down her champagne hard enough to make the glass jump. One of Dad's guards stepped forward, and the hote

Chapter 6

On the last Sunday of every August, La Serata reserved its innermost dining room for the Morettis.For ten years, I had always arrived first. I made sure Mom’s sparkling water was room temperature, reminded the kitchen to go easy on Dad’s salt, and removed every dairy-based sauce from Sofia’s meal. I changed the subject before my parents’ arguments caught fire and delayed the first course whenever Sofia ran late.No one had asked me to do any of it.They had simply come to regard my care as part of the restaurant’s service.So when Mom entered and found unopened menus and untouched place settings, she stopped short.Dad and Sofia came in through the opposite door.“Where’s Emilia?” Dad asked. “Why hasn’t she ordered?”Mom set down her purse. “Her bags were gone when I woke up. I assumed she had sent them to your house.”“I haven’t seen her.”Sofia checked the time and opened a menu. “Can we just order? I’m meeting friends to test-drive my car.”My parents summoned the waiter. The first

Chapter 7

On my first day at Westbridge, I spent two hours assembling my dorm-room desk.As I tightened the final screw, my roommate Riley leaned around the door. "We're going to dinner. If you're not done, leave it. Come with us."I stared at her. "You're waiting for me?""Obviously. Leaving your roommate behind on day one would be a pretty lousy move."Our other two roommates stood in the hall. One held four meal cards. None was missing.For a second, I couldn't answer. People who cared didn't need reminders or calculate whose turn it was.We had barely reached the lobby when Student Services called. Family members had contacted the school claiming an urgent matter.I asked whether anyone had been hospitalized or hurt.No.My parents had simply decided they wanted to speak to me.They had called my dorm, the dean's office, and campus security, leaning on the Moretti name until someone passed along a message. It was the most effort they had ever spent reaching me, and it came only after I had m

Chapter 8

Five years after leaving Belleview Harbor, I joined Westbridge's doctoral program in medical robotics.My days ran on experiments, papers, and prototypes that failed more often than they worked. The hours were brutal, but the work was mine.Riley became family. Maya stayed on the East Coast and sent news from home now and then, but she never carried messages asking me to return.At Westbridge, people noticed when I missed dinner because a test ran late. Riley left food outside the lab and complained that my robot got more of my time than she did. My adviser remembered my birthday without an assistant prompting him. None of it was grand, which was exactly why it mattered.At first, my parents called constantly and mailed expensive gifts. I sent back every luxury item that tried to stand in for an apology. I ignored the demands and accusations.After two years, the calls faded, not because they had learned to respect my boundaries, but because Sofia had joined the family businesses. They

Chapter 9

The year I completed my doctorate, Dad underwent rotator-cuff surgery.The procedure was routine, but for two weeks he couldn't drive, shower alone, or lift his right arm. Sofia had promised to stay with him. The day before surgery, she flew to Ibiza because her oceanfront villa was nonrefundable.Mom sent word through Maya asking me to return to New Jersey.I didn't go.Instead, I contacted the hospital discharge coordinator and arranged a licensed home-health aide and medical transportation for follow-up visits. His insurance and private account covered the bills, while his physician received the schedule directly.He recovered without complications.Dad texted, [Thank you.]I didn't use the opening to demand an apology.[If the incision feels hot, call the nurse. Don't wait.]Months later, Mom suffered a retinal tear on a business trip to Chicago and needed laser treatment within twenty-four hours.Sofia said she was too tired for a night flight and told Mom to ask a hotel employee

Chapter 10

Three years after the care agreement took effect, Dad was admitted to intensive care with a pulmonary embolism.The care manager called Sofia first. She didn't answer. As the second emergency contact, I heard from the physician at two in the morning.I authorized the necessary tests, obtained Dad's medication history, and contacted Mom and the family attorney. Once his condition stabilized, I took the earliest flight to New Jersey.When Dad woke, I was outside his room reviewing the rehabilitation plan.He watched me for a long moment. His first words weren't a complaint that I had come too late."Sofia didn't answer, did she?""The care manager will keep trying."He closed his eyes and seemed to age years. "Don't bother."Sofia finally appeared on discharge day. Wearing dark glasses, she stayed for twenty minutes before explaining that money was tight and asking Dad for the down payment on another condo.He didn't shout. He only asked security to escort her out.When the car door clos

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP