Library

Home / Return to Sender / Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Lahat ng Kabanata ng Return to Sender: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

10 Kabanata

Chapter 1

"Eloise, I really was swamped last night. Clarissa's shoes didn't fit, so I took her to exchange them, and it ate up the whole evening."Aiden Corliss sat on the couch in my family's living room and handed Clarissa Mallory an apple he had just peeled.I stood in the entryway and looked at the four of them gathered happily around the room.Dad was reading the newspaper, Mom was peeling an orange for Clarissa, and my brother, Jack Mallory, was checking the weather in Kelderwick for her. Aiden, the childhood friend who had promised to pick me up for dinner the day before, was gazing at Clarissa with nothing but tenderness."Yeah, it's fine."I kicked off my shoes and walked over to the coffee table.Jack frowned and set his phone down. "Eloise, what's with the attitude? Aiden's being nice enough to explain, so who's the sour face for?"Mom patted the back of his hand. "Eloise just got home. Go easy on her."Then she turned to me. "Eloise, Clarissa's been sickly since she was lit

Chapter 2

The next day, I went to the county records office.The clerk looked over my family documents and acceptance letter, then glanced up at me. "Once this goes through, your legal residence will be listed as the Tamberlin campus. Are you sure?""I'm sure," I said with a nod.When I was handed my new ID card, I felt lighter than I ever had before.I had barely stepped out of the records office when Jack called.His voice was full of impatience. "Eloise, why aren't you at Clarissa's send-off party yet? Everyone's waiting for you. Can you stop being such a buzzkill for once?"I stood in the shade of a tree by the street, looking at the ID card in my hand. "I'm not coming."The line went quiet for a second, and then Jack's voice came through, tight with barely contained anger. "What is your problem? Clarissa getting into college is something to celebrate. Do you really have to ruin it for her right now?""I'm not ruining anything," I said evenly. "I just don't want to go."Jack's voice

Chapter 3

The apartment was quiet that night. I made myself a salad and sat at the desk, eating slowly.My phone screen lit up with a text from Mom: [Eloise, your brother has a short temper. Don't take it to heart. Clarissa kept bringing up how you didn't come today. She feels bad too. Come home tomorrow so we can all have dinner together. Don't give outsiders something to laugh at.]I stared at the screen and pushed the lettuce around my bowl with my fork.Outsiders, she had said. In this family, I was the outsider.I replied: [I have something at school tomorrow. I'm not coming.]Mom did not reply again.…The next day, I went to the train station and bought a coach ticket to Tamberlin. Check-in at the Tamberlin campus started three days earlier than at Kelderwick. I did not tell anyone.After buying the ticket, I picked up a hot pretzel from a street cart. I had only taken one bite when Aiden called, and I answered."Where are you?" He sounded tired."Out.""I stopped by your apart

Chapter 4

The old coach car reeked of microwave meals and sweat. I leaned against the window and watched the scenery slide past. Tamberlin was far away, more than 30 hours by train.My phone stayed quiet because I had muted everyone. I did not check my messages until the next afternoon.In the family group chat, Jack had posted a few photos of everyone together at Terminal 3 in Kelderwick. Clarissa wore a brand-new dress and was pushing that pink designer suitcase, smiling sweetly. Aiden stood beside her, holding her jacket, his eyes soft.Jack tagged me: [Eloise, where are you? Aiden said you'd take the train here on your own. Don't dawdle on the way like always. As soon as you get to Kelderwick Station, share your location. Aiden will pick you up.]I looked at the messages, my thumb hovering over the screen for a moment. Then I left the family group chat.At 8:00 pm, the train finally pulled into Tamberlin. I carried my suitcase out of the station, and a gust of dry wind hit me in the fac

Chapter 5

During the first week of school, the wind and sand at the Tamberlin campus gave me a rough welcome.At orientation, my blood sugar dropped, and I fainted on the field. When I came to, I was lying on a cot in the campus health center. A guy in a white button-down stood beside me, holding a cup of orange juice."Here, drink some of this." His voice was gentle, and his hand was steady as he passed me the cup."Thank you." I took it from him."I'm Micah Sorensen. I'm a junior, and I'm also the student assistant to your class advisor." He sat down in the chair beside the cot and glanced at my name tag. "Eloise Mallory?""That's me.""I've heard of you." Micah smiled. "With your scores, you could have easily stayed at the main campus. Why did you request a transfer out here?"I held the cup in both hands and looked down at the juice. "Because it's quiet here."Micah did not press any further and only gave a gentle nod. "Life out here is tough, but there are plenty of opportunities. G

Chapter 6

I stood at the top of the steps and looked down at him. "What are you doing here?"Aiden came up the steps and reached for my hand, but I pulled away. His hand froze in midair, and his face darkened. "Eloise, it's been a month. Aren't you done being mad yet?"He took a velvet box out of his pocket and held it out to me. "Clarissa picked out this bracelet when she went shopping the other day, so I got you one too while I was at it. Think of it as a little something to celebrate you starting school."He said it in that condescending tone, taking it for granted that I would be overwhelmed with gratitude.I looked at the box and did not even touch it."While you were at it, again?" I gave a mocking laugh. "Aiden, do you really think that anything Clarissa passes on, or anything you happen to pick up on the side, is something I'm supposed to treasure?"Aiden's expression shifted. "What's that supposed to mean? That bracelet's worth thousands. Didn't you use to love stuff like this?"

Chapter 7

Aiden stood frozen, as if he had not understood me."Nothing to do with each other?" He suddenly laughed, unable to hide the panic underneath it. "Eloise, you think grabbing some random guy to put on a show is going to get to me? We've known each other for more than ten years. Nobody knows you better than I do."He pointed at Micah, sounding certain. "You don't even like him. You're just using him to make me back down."I looked at his smug face and suddenly felt sorry for the person I used to be. How blind had I been to trail after someone this arrogant for more than ten years?"Aiden, you think way too highly of yourself." I met his eyes calmly."You think I'm putting on a show? Fine, let me spell it out for you. I've never seen things more clearly than I do now. I love Tamberlin, I love my major, and I love the life I have now. As for you and everyone in the Mallory family, you've all been dead to me for a long time."Aiden's face went white. He stared at me, as if searching f

Chapter 8

Winter came early in Tamberlin.By the time the first snow fell, my research project had reached a major milestone. Micah helped me apply for the university's top scholarship and recommended me for the National Undergraduate Research and Innovation Competition. I stayed so busy that I nearly forgot about the people from my past.Then one day, I got a letter from Kelderwick. There was no sender's name on the envelope, only handwriting I knew well. It was from Mom.[Eloise, your dad and I went to see your old apartment. You left behind all the clothes and shoes we bought you, and even your high school textbooks. You left so cleanly that you didn't take a single photo.[Your brother found your old middle school backpack under the bed, all torn up. He sat on the floor and cried for a long time.[Eloise, we were wrong. We always thought you were strong and didn't care about anything. Could you give us one more chance?]I looked at the tear stains blurred across the page, but inside, I

Chapter 9

The backstage hallway was quiet except for the hum of the heating vents.Aiden's hand froze in midair, and his face went pale."Selfish?" he repeated the word under his breath, his eyes full of pain. "Eloise, I just want to make it up to you. I want to put my apartment in your name. I've even reached out to the best advisors in Kelderwick for you...""I don't need any of that." My voice was cold."All this making it up to me is just a way to ease your own guilt. You think if you throw money and special treatment at me, I'll be grateful to you like I used to be? Aiden, you're wrong."I looked him straight in the eye, my voice perfectly steady. "What I wanted back then was for you to tilt your umbrella a little toward me when it rained. I wanted you to stand by my side when everyone else was blaming me."But you gave all of that to Clarissa. Now I've learned to hold my own umbrella. If you try to hand me yours now, it'll only get in my way."Aiden swayed."Eloise..." His eyes wer

Chapter 10

During my senior year, I received a full scholarship and guaranteed admission to the university's direct PhD program.The wind and sand at the Tamberlin campus were as strong as ever, but I had fully adjusted to life there.In all that time, no one from the Mallory family came looking for me again. I heard that Jack's company had run into trouble and that he was scrambling to keep it afloat.Mom had worried herself sick and ended up in the hospital. As for Clarissa, she could not stand living in her hometown and ran back to Kelderwick, only to be asked to withdraw from school because her grades were too poor.They had finally paid the price for their favoritism, but I no longer cared.On graduation day, I gave the speech on behalf of the top graduates. Wearing my cap and gown, I stood at the microphone and looked out at the packed crowd."When I first came to Tamberlin, I felt like a blade of grass that had been torn up by the roots." My voice was steady as it echoed through the

I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App

DMCA.com Protection Status