My Family’s Suitcase Was Always Too Small for My Future Chapter 04

My Family’s Suitcase Was Always Too Small for My Future Chapter 04

“You need to apologize to Mom.”

Tessa stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm.

“Let go.”

She shook her head, looking at me like I was something she pitied.

“She’s your mom, Maren. She does everything for you. And this is how you repay her? Do you even hear yourself?”

Something cracked inside my chest. Out of everyone in this family, she was the last person who had any right to judge me.

I had swallowed every slight, every time. But the one time I pushed back, I was the villain.

Everyone loved Tessa. So Tessa was always right.

“How noble of you.”

I didn’t even look at her when I said it.

Her face twisted. Like I’d slapped her.

“No wonder nobody in this family can stand you. There’s something seriously wrong with you.”

She shoved me and stormed out.

My hip caught the edge of the table. I doubled over.

Grant went after Tessa.

Dad went after Mom.

Nobody came for me.

Perfect.

I pressed a hand to my stomach and made it to my room.

Nobody called me for dinner that night either.

The pain killed what little appetite I had. I stayed in.

When I finally came out to use the bathroom, the dishes were still on the table. Waiting for me.

Maybe they thought they were being generous, giving me a chance to make it up to them.

They expected me to do what I always did: clean up, fall in line, earn my way back into their good graces.

Not this time.

The next morning, Mom, Dad, and Tessa were buzzing around the house, getting ready to leave.

They went quiet when they saw me.

Mom scoffed.

“Moping around with that face, like the whole world’s out to get her.”

Grant followed me to the bathroom. I met his eyes in the mirror.

“You’re really not going to apologize? You’re just gonna let her leave like this?”

“She seems fine to me.”

I shook the water off my hands and walked past him.

Grant came after me, jaw clenched, ready to fire back.

But Mom beat him to it.

“Don’t bother with her. She just pushes everyone away.”

Dad and Grant, who on a good day might have said something, stayed quiet.

I walked out first.

Downstairs, Tessa stopped when she saw me.

“Where’s Maren going?”

“Where do you think? Work.”

Mom barely glanced at me as she pulled Tessa toward the car.

But Dad stopped. His eyes landed on my suitcase.

The grocery store was ten minutes away. So why did I have luggage?

Something shifted in his face. He called out, waving me down, but I didn’t see him.

He started toward me.

“Maren, where are you going?”

A horn blasted through the air.

He froze. The color drained from his face.