The Simple Life 2: Road Trip Novels & Stories

She got up and gave me a hug. "It's all over. Live for yourself from now on." It was something so simple, even an outsider understood. And yet, it had taken me six whole years to finally wake up. Fortunately, it still wasn't too late.

Strip away the family fortune and reputation, and you've got absolutely nothing. Sebastian's mother was imprisoned because of what happened to Mom, and he was banned from joining Hamilton Corporation. Even so, he never lacked food, clothing, or luxuries. The whole living in the "housekeepers' quarters" story was just his own sob story. His actual room was only slightly smaller than mine. In my previous life, he lived quite lavishly after he went abroad with no one to supervise him. I was curious to see what would happen to him in this lifetime.

After I unzipped the compressed file, I played the video. In a church that had seen better days, a young man, looking to be about 18, was playing an old piano. The sunlight streaming in illuminated his bleached shirt, causing him to almost glow. The clean, innocent vibe he gave off was like a breath of fresh air, a gentle spring breeze caressing one lightly. Despite only half her face being visible, it was clear from Sylvia's profile that she was smiling gently. Her gaze was also full of adoration as she lost herself in the soothing music.

Bailey's POV Inside the cramped, sweltering room, which reeked of grease and sweat, I could still hear the crude, filthy language of the workers outside loud and clear. Mom’s arms shook violently as she held me close. I covered my ears, nodding frantically. "I only want you, Mom. Wherever you go, I go." "Okay. Then we leave tomorrow." Mom began packing our things. In reality, our luggage was incredibly simple. Everything we owned could fit into a worn duffel bag.

~Arthur Callaghan There were a lot of things one had to go through in life. One had to face the struggle of growing up, one had to face the struggle of the process of growing up, one had to struggle to do every damn thing and it was frustrating. Life was supposed to be easy for the rich, like wasn't that why they made the money? But for fuck’s sake, why the hell did rich people have to have a money-hungry self-obsessed villain of a relative that just causes problems?

I’ve decided on Oklahoma City and I'm using mom’s laptop to try to find a cheap place to stay. I might already have a job. The black escalade was gone when we left the funeral home and I haven’t seen it since. There hasn’t been any strangeness going on with Brodie and Wyatt, so it must have been my anxiety causing me to be suspicious. They had no idea about Rob or Wyatt would be in my face about it. I still haven’t contacted Rob. I don’t have it in me to deal with him and I want to enjoy my time away from him and not have him ruining it.

I lay beside her that night, yet I barely slept. After returning to the city, life quickly fell back into its usual rhythm. Work, home, meals, sleep... Everything seemed unchanged, as if that trip had been nothing more than an ordinary getaway. However, something had quietly shifted. Shanine seemed to like Phoebe even more after the trip. She brought up the vacation from time to time, praising how considerate Phoebe had been and how thoughtful she was. She even started enthusiastically planning where the three of us should travel next.

Life couldn't be any better. THE END

My grandmother patted my shoulder, soothing me. "Nightmares always end." I nodded. Not everyone gets a second chance at life. But everyone has the chance to wake up from a nightmare. If you ever feel trapped in one, you must wake up and save yourself—no matter how many times it takes.

And the fact that her father also owns a tech company. Then the lights dimmed a little, signaling the end of the launch. Nora lifted her clutch bag. “I don’t know if this sounds strange, but would you like to grab a drink and do some karaoke after this? Nothing crazy though. I could use company, and you seem like someone I’d get along with.” I hesitated for half a second. Not because I didn’t want to go, but because I wasn’t used to letting people in anymore. Still… something told me it was fine especially because she had saved my life seven years ago.