They Sent Me Away Novels & Stories

But my mind kept on going back to him. It was the morning after I sent Brandon away, and I told myself I’d won a small victory. I had drawn a line in the sand, made it clear that I wouldn’t be dragged like a pawn across his polished chessboard. But here I was again, sitting in Aria’s hospital room with the sunlight spilling weakly through the blinds, and my stomach knotted tighter with every tick of the clock. I'm the one who sent him away, so why was I feeling this way?

We were barely a few feet away, yet they never came to check on me once. However, I no longer cared. The moment I was discharged, I went straight home and started packing my belongings. All I wanted was to leave this place behind for good.

“It was a while ago. It’s not really worth rehashing. I mean, most people have a story like that, right?” Jenny gave a small shrug. “I guess.” Jenny leaned back and let out a long sigh. “My friend got sent away this week. Some remote training pack. Like, middle of nowhere. Totally out of the blue.” I tilted my head. “Sent away?” She nodded. “Yeah. Apparently it’s disciplinary. But I think my dad had something to do with it.” Something inside me shifted. “Wait. What friend?” “He was at the mate ball. The one—” She stopped. “You know.”

His pleas were silenced forever—left to vanish in the distance. Turning to my driver, I said, "Take me to the orphanage. Did you buy Jeannie’s birthday cake?" The car sped forward, the passing scenery blurring into long, straight lines. I rolled down the window, letting the warm breeze kiss my face. Everything was moving forward toward the light.

Maybe I'd never been part of it. But I still sent the message. “I'm leaving. Could you pick me up at the bus station?” No reply. My aunt hugged me tightly before I got on the bus. “Take care, my love.” I shook my head, too weak to say anything else. The city receded as the bus traveled down the road.The sky began to darken, as if reflecting the weight I felt in my chest. My mother. Marcelo. The baby. Every kilometer took me further away from them.

His words weren’t cruel and that terrified me more than anger ever could. "I'm done with you." and just like that, I left without signing anything. I told myself I was strong. That I would figure it out. That I didn’t need him but the universe had to disagree. That night, my power was shut off. The next morning, the hospital called again. By evening, a notice was slipped under my door. VACATE IMMEDIATELY. I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, my hands shaking. And just like fate, my phone buzzed.

Their faces went pale. “Ma’am— we were just—” “Finish what you were saying,” I said softly. They stammered. “You're both fired.” I didn’t wait. I turned and walked away, my heels echoing sharply against the floor. Every step felt like holding my dignity together piece by piece.

“Graham, everything that happened before is in the past now. We should focus on living in the moment. How about this? Take a month off and get some rest. I’ll be away on a business trip, and we can talk when I get back.” She didn’t even wait for my reaction before she picked up her suitcase and walked out, humming a tune. I stood frozen where I was, ears ringing, unable to process anything for a long time. I never expected that the thorn in my heart for years would be met with such a response. However, the old Lucy wasn’t like that.

Confirm my attendance. I clicked send. The laptop closed with a soft click. A few days away from New York suddenly sounded like exactly what I needed.

“I’ve backed enough founders to know when someone is rebuilding themselves along with the company. You’re doing both. His words stayed with me as I returned to my small apartment that evening. The space still felt new, but it was starting to feel like home. Adrian still had no idea where I was. I had made sure of that. No messages. No location sharing. For the first time in five years, I was truly on my own. But as I sat on the couch eating a simple dinner, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. Unknown: Running away doesn’t change anything. You can’t hide forever. I stared at the screen, heart racing. Sophia. The fight wasn’t over.