Chapter 24
“Your parents went though gorrent channels to reach you. Your sister get mixed up with a sharks, couldn’t pay them back, and aterped suicide by jumping off a building. Your parents are completely devastated and desperate for you to come home.”
“I’m still stuck dealing with this hostom imference, Int you need to get the team back to campus immediately and file for emergency leave.”
Mella’s grip on the satellite phone was so tight her knickles went white, her entire body trembling with emotions shed thought she’d buried foreve
“Inderstand,” she whispered.
The moment she hung up. Aurelia’s professional mask cracked completely. She called everyone together with a voice that barely held steady, her hands shaking as she packed.
I watched her fall apart at rb his own heart breaking. ng the endless drive hack to campus, he kept trying to offer comfort.
“Aurelia, don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe it’s not as catastrophic as they’re making it sound. Your family has a history of manipulating you this could be another guilt trip to get you back”
His voice was gentle but fierce with protective anger. He’d spent years watching Aurelia build herself up from nothing and the thought of her orie family destroying her again made him want to burn the world down.
Aurelia pressed her forehead against the cold window, her reflection showing the scared eighteen year old she’d thought she’d left bebodd
didn’t speak for the entire eight hour drive.
Back at campus. Isaac helped her rush through emergency paperwork, his own hands shaking as he watched her systematic breakdown.
“I can come with you,” he offered desperately. You don’t have to face this alone.”
But Aurelia was already disappearing into herself, retreating behind walls he couldn’t breach.
Hours later, she stood outside Rosaliar’s hospital Troom her heart hammering against her ribs.
When she walked in and saw her parents–their hair gone completely sever, their faces haggard with grief–something inside her chest crumbled.
Dad… Mom…
Her father’s eyes filled with tears the moment saw her. “Aurelia.. my baby girl…”
Her mother launched herself forward, sobbing as she wrapped Aurelia in desperate arms.
“Aurelia, we’ve been searching for you for four years, praying you’d come home. We’re so sorry, so grateful you’re here.“
Her voice broke templetely. “Every single year since you left, your father and I bought you birthday presents–those collector Barbies you used to stare at in store windows, those Disney stickers you’d beg for. We wrote you letters apologizing for everything, hoping someday.”
Her mother fumbled in her purse and pressed a first–class plane ticket into Aurelia’s numb hands
“Remember how you wanted to go to Hali after graduation? We have tickets for tomorrow. Just as three–no Rosa, no drama. We can finally give you the vacation you deserved.”
Aurelia stared at the ticket, her vision blurring as four years of suppressed longing crashed over her
Her desperate, pathetic need for their love badhhways been her greatest weakness.
Birthday presents, collector dolls, Disney stickers–these were the holy grail of her childhood dreams.
But every single time, Rosalia had either “cidentally destroyed them or manipulated their parents into giving them to her instead.
Aurelia had convinced herself her parents just didn’t notice her wants and need. Now she realized they’d known exactly what would break her heart.
“If you know what I wanted so badly, why did you always choose her over me? The words came out raw, broken.
Chapter 24
Because apologies that come four years too late are worse than in apologies at all.
Her parents‘ faces went rigid at her question, her father’s eyes actually flashing with irritation before her mother squeezed his arm in e
“Sweetheart, we made mistakes. We were posting parents trying to balance I thought you didn’t need as much attention.”
odaughters needs. You were always ad strona, an indepen
Aurelia pulled away from her mother’s desperate grip and walked to the hospital bed where Rossia lay unconscious, wrapped in antages tragic princess
“What happened to her?”
Her mother’s composure shattered completely.
“Your sister got involved with predatory lenders at Boston College. When the compot interest made the debt impossible to pay, they showed up at our house demanding we sell everything we own.
a
Tears streamed down her face. “When we said no, she climbed onto our roof and threatened to jump. She’s been in a coma for three days” Through her mother’s breakdown, Aurelia pieced together the whole sordid story.
Twenty two years of spoiling Rosalia had created a monster who expected unlimited funding for her lifestyle. When reality hit, she’d turned to dangerous loans that spiraled completely out of control.
Her mother grabbed Aurelia’s hands desperately, “Baby, thank God you came hack Your father and I only had you girls–sons to help carry this burden. With Rosalia like this, losing you too would kill us.”
Her voice turned pleading, manipulative. “Your sister has severe depression now from all the stress. She talks about suicide constantly, and we owe over two hundred thousand dollars. You’re so smart, so successful–you have to help us figure this out.”
Her father, who’d been silent through the whole conversation, finally spoke with quiet desperation
“Aurelia, you know what they say–the older sister is like a second mother. You have to help Rosalia through this.”
That’s when Aurelia’s heart finally shattered into irreparable pieces.
She should have known better than to hope they’d changed.
Chapter 24
Because apologies that come four years too late are worse than in apologies at all.
Her parents‘ faces went rigid at her question, her father’s eyes actually flashing with irritation before her mother squeezed his arm in e
“Sweetheart, we made mistakes. We were posting parents trying to balance I thought you didn’t need as much attention.”
odaughters needs. You were always ad strona, an indepen
Aurelia pulled away from her mother’s desperate grip and walked to the hospital bed where Rossia lay unconscious, wrapped in antages tragic princess
“What happened to her?”
Her mother’s composure shattered completely.
“Your sister got involved with predatory lenders at Boston College. When the compot interest made the debt impossible to pay, they showed up at our house demanding we sell everything we own.
a
Tears streamed down her face. “When we said no, she climbed onto our roof and threatened to jump. She’s been in a coma for three days” Through her mother’s breakdown, Aurelia pieced together the whole sordid story.
Twenty two years of spoiling Rosalia had created a monster who expected unlimited funding for her lifestyle. When reality hit, she’d turned to dangerous loans that spiraled completely out of control.
Her mother grabbed Aurelia’s hands desperately, “Baby, thank God you came hack Your father and I only had you girls–sons to help carry this burden. With Rosalia like this, losing you too would kill us.”
Her voice turned pleading, manipulative. “Your sister has severe depression now from all the stress. She talks about suicide constantly, and we owe over two hundred thousand dollars. You’re so smart, so successful–you have to help us figure this out.”
Her father, who’d been silent through the whole conversation, finally spoke with quiet desperation
“Aurelia, you know what they say–the older sister is like a second mother. You have to help Rosalia through this.”
That’s when Aurelia’s heart finally shattered into irreparable pieces.
She should have known better than to hope they’d changed.
