Chapter 28
Her parents‘ faces immediately twisted with shock and lapely concealed rage,
*This 15 your bone! You can’t just waltz back here and leave again like we’re strangers. You finished rage–it’s time to come back and la family,” her father snapped, his voice dripping with entitlement,
Her mother lunged forward and grabbed Aurelia’s wrist with desperate fingers
“Sweetheart, we haven’t seen you in four years. How can you want family?”
ant to run away after barely two comversations? Don’t you love us? Don’t you
Aurelia stared doen at her mother’s grip, seeing the manipulation disguised as affection with crystal clarity.
She didn’t hesitate to shatter their illusions: “I stopped having a family the day I left for New Mexico. You want me to stay can be Rosalia’s live an raregner, don’t you?”
Her brutal honesty left both parents stummed into silence.
Realizing Aurelia was serious about leaving her mother switched tactics to emotional terrorism.
“The doctors say Rosalia will be paralyzed for life–she’ll need round–the–clock care forever. Even if you won’t help your own sister, what about that Luigi boy who’s so devoted to her?”
Aurelia’s blood went cold with dishe
“He came here with you, didn’t he? Could you convince him to stay and take care of Rosalia? She’s been crying for him constantly since he visited”
For a moment, Aurelia thought she was having some kind of psychotic break Surely her mother wasn’t asking what she thought she was ask
But seeing Aurelia’s shocked pause, her mother pressed on with renewed hope “You two have history together, right? He’d listen to you. Please, just ask him to consider in–for Rosalia’s sake.”
Aurelia wrenched her wrist free, her voice deadly calm “If you want Luigi to play muremaid to your precious daughter, ask him yourself. He’s not my responsibility.”
At the hospital room door, she turned back one final tune, her words cutting like glass.
“I never belonged in this family anyway. I’ve given my life to my country now–that’s my only allegiance. Lose my number.”
fer father’s face went purple with fury: “What kind of heartless monster did we raise?”
We fed yes, clothed you, put a roof over your head for eighteen fucking years, and this is how you repay us? You’re nothing but an ungrateful little
bitch!”
Each word felt like acid being poured into open wounds, but Aurelia’s voice stayed steady.
“You think I’m heartless? Look in a mirror.”
“I fulfill my legal obligations–1 set up automatic payments through government channels like the law requires, Bur that’s all you’re getting from
“Enjoy your
your life with
your perfect daughter. You finally got what you always wanted–jun the three of you.”
She walked away with her back straight and her head high, even as her chest felt like it was being ripped apart by wild animals,
These people had never loved her. They’d kept her around as backup emotional support for their real child.
Her father stood frozen with rate while her mother started to chase after her, calling her name desperately.
Aurelia saw them coming and stopped into the elevator, slamming the close button like her de depended on it.
The doors sealed her away from them forever.
Chapter 28
Outside the hospital, Luigi had been paring for over an hour, his anxiety eating him alive,
Isaac had already left for urgent campas business, leaving just Luigi and Aurelia for the long drive back in New Medra –
The moment Luigi saw Aurelia’s devastated expression, his heart cracked completely. He pulled out a white bakery het he’d been checking
“I knew talking to them would destroy you, so I got your favorite–drasberry shortcake from that place you used to love.”
His voice was desperme, pleading, like he could somehow fix her pals with cake and good intentions.
Aurelia stared at the delicate pink strawberries and pristine white frosting, feeling absolutely nothing.
“Thate strawberry cake now.”
She got in the passenger seat and stared straight ahead, her voice completely how
Luigi felt like she’d punched him in the stomach. He’d remembered wrong–or maybe she’d changed so completely that even her favorite dessert was different no
He stood there holding the cake like an idiot until à homeless man walked by, then he practically threw the boot at him before getting behind the wheel.
During the endless drive through the desert, Luigi kept stealing glances at Aurelia through the rearview mirror.
She was pressed against the window like she was trying to disappear into it, watching the New York skyline fade behind them with empty eyes
Every familiar landmark they passed seemed to trigger another memory–probably painful ones, judging by the way her face kept crumpling and then going blank again.
Luigi’s hands were shaking
gun the steering wheel as he realised this was it
She was saying goodbye to her entire past life.
Including him.
