Everyone in My Family Had AC Except Me-So I Walked Away Chapter 06

Everyone in My Family Had AC Except Me-So I Walked Away Chapter 06

Jordan stood in Erin’s bedroom with a letter in his hand.

“Come here, quick. I found this in Erin’s desk drawer.”

Mom, Dad, and Lily rushed into the room and took the letter from him. The handwriting on the page was

unnaturally neat, every stroke controlled.

Dad, Mom, Jordan, and Lily,

By the time you read this letter, I should already be in another city. I will never forget the countless moments over the past twenty-two years when all of you ignored me and made me feel invisible. Years ago, you said the wiring in our old house could not handle too many appliances, so we could only have three AC units. One went into Mom and Dad’s bedroom, one belonged to Jordan, and the last belonged to Lily. All I had was an old fan that could stop working at any moment. The truth is, I feel the heat too. I wanted a birthday cake of my own at least once, and when I got into college, I wanted someone to be genuinely happy for me too.

But what I truly wanted was never just an air conditioner or a slice of cake. I wanted my family’s love, and I wanted to be treated fairly. Now I understand that you can never give me either of those things, so I left. I accepted a position at a biotech research institute with strict confidentiality requirements.

It is a rare opportunity, but because of the project’s confidentiality rules, I can only leave the campus once a year for an extended vacation. You do not need to look for me. There is no reason to. For the past twenty-two years, none of you ever truly needed me. There is enough food in the refrigerator to last a few more days, and I also left a plate of Lily’s favorite breakfast in the freezer. I’ve left. You do not need to worry

about me.

Erin

After reading the letter, Mom’s hands began to tremble. Dad’s face turned livid.

“A confidential research institute? Has she lost her mind? What kind of place only lets its employees come home once a year? She’s been scammed, and she doesn’t even realize it.”

He pulled out his phone, took a picture of the letter, and sent it to the family group chat.

Dad: Erin, what is this supposed to mean?

He immediately followed it with another message.

Dad: After all these years, did we ever let you go hungry or make you sleep on the street? And now you run

off to some confidential research institute without saying a word? You’re unbelievably ungrateful.

The group chat, which had only just quieted down, was once again flooded with messages. Aunt Lucy was the first to respond.

Aunt Lucy: Erin, did you see this? Your father is furious. Come home and apologize immediately. We’re family. There’s no reason to let this get so ugly. The outside world is dangerous. What if that job is a scam?

Another aunt quickly joined in.

Aunt Listen to your mother. Raising you was not easy. You cannot act this recklessly and willfully

Erin’s older cousin Brooke sent another message.

Brooke: What you wrote in that letter was incredibly hurtful. Your parents have done so much for you. How could you say those things about them?

The messages came one after another, and everyone kept tagging Erin in the group chat. There was no sign that she had seen any of them, and she never replied. The muscles in Mom’s face twitched.

“Keep looking. See whether she left any other clues, like a plane ticket or employment documents.”

Dad, Jordan, and Lily immediately began searching through Erin’s drawers and cabinets. Ten minutes later, everything from the drawers and cabinets had been thrown across the floor of the already cramped

bedroom. Dad kicked the doorframe.

“Stop looking. Let her go. If she doesn’t want to come back, then from now on, I’ll pretend I never had a

daughter.”

He pulled Mom out of the room, and Lily followed behind them. Jordan came out last, wiping the sweat from

his face as he complained.

“It’s like a sealed-up garage in there. How did she sleep in that room all these years?”

They all looked at one another. No one answered. In the living room, the newly installed AC continued

blowing cold air. Cold air flooded the entire living room, but no one said a word.