Lahat ng Kabanata ng Leaving You All Behind: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

The higher the elevator climbed, the faster my heart pounded. It stopped on the 26th floor.As soon as the doors opened, I heard laughter coming from inside the condo."Mom, I want some watermelon.""Okay. I'll cut some up for you.""Chester, I found a new bag I really want. Who's going to buy it for me?""I will. When have I ever said no to something you wanted?"I didn't even have to see them to picture Olivia in the middle of it all, with everyone fussing over her. It was exactly how they'd treated me on my first day with the Hortons.Back then, Hank called just as I'd finished feeding the pigs.I was so excited that my biological parents had finally found me that I could barely think straight. Even so, I took a shower, put on the nicest clothes I owned, and got into the car.On the way there, I must've practiced what I was going to say hundreds of times.But the moment I got there, Olivia screamed and threw up."Ugh, she smells! Did she just crawl out of a dumpster? That

By the time I woke up, it was already bright outside, and there was barely any sign left of last night's storm."You're awake?"I tried to turn my head, but a stabbing pain shot through it.Ms. Parker handed me a glass of water."You never showed up when we'd agreed to meet last night, and you weren't answering your phone. I got worried and called the police. I had no idea it would end up saving your life."She took the transfer application out of my bag and stamped it."Amanda, does your family know about your transfer?"I stared at the ceiling, confused by the question."I called your husband this morning. The first thing he said was, 'Stop pretending.' The hospital tried to contact your family too, but they wanted nothing to do with it. It was like they were afraid to get involved in anything involving you."I'd expected them to react that way, but hearing it out loud still made my chest ache.After Ms. Parker helped me finish the hospital paperwork, she left.I was scrol

The front door was only about 30 feet away, but Olivia kept looking back every few steps.Normally, Hank would've stopped her the moment she pulled out her suitcase. He would've pulled her into a hug, wiped away her tears, and comforted her until she felt better."That's not true. Who says you're unwanted? Your parents, Chester, and I will always be on your side, no matter what."But this time, Hank just felt tired.Then something hit him. Olivia's suitcase was always sitting in the living room. She'd pulled it out countless times and said she was leaving, but she'd never actually walked out the door.Four days ago, when I packed my things, I hadn't said a word or told anyone I was leaving. If Hank hadn't happened to come home, no one would've even known I was gone.When someone really meant to leave, they didn't make a scene. Or maybe I had simply always been that quiet.Ever since I came home to the Hortons, I'd never been like Olivia. I never acted spoiled with Mom and Dad or

I got promoted when I came back from my overseas assignment. My new office was spacious, and through the glass wall, I could see my old desk right across from me.When I first came back to the Horton family, Mom and Dad offered me a job at the family company, but I turned them down and found a job on my own.Starting out wasn't easy. I had no connections and no one helping me, so I had to do everything on my own. I often worked late into the night, but I never minded.I used to think that if I worked a little harder and kept improving, I could get a little closer to Hank. Maybe Mom and Dad would finally be proud of me, and Chester would finally have something good to say about me.Growing up, no one had ever taught me what love was or how to love someone. I always thought that if I did everything well enough and stayed one step ahead, I could earn people's love.It was only now that I realized love was the most unfair competition in the world.No matter how good I was or how hard