The Only Family I Ever Had Chapter 04

The Only Family I Ever Had Chapter 04

On the way to the airport, giant screens on office towers and digital ads on taxis were all showing coverage of Sebastian and Vanessa’s wedding.

The wedding of the year.

I watched in silence until my eyes felt dry and sore.

When I arrived at the airport, Ethan sent me a photo.

It was the reception setup.

Lavender everywhere.

Purple flowers.

Falling petals.

A purple diamond.

My heart stopped for a second.

It looked almost exactly like the dream wedding I’d described to Sebastian a few days earlier.

Had he done it intentionally?

Or was it just a coincidence?

I pushed the thought away.

It didn’t matter.

I was leaving.

None of it had anything to do with me anymore.

The second photo showed the ceremony space.

Sebastian wore a black tuxedo.

Vanessa stood beside him in a white gown, elegant and beautiful.

Then Ethan texted me.

Ethan: [I’ll give him the documents on the wedding day. Claire, I hope the treatment goes well. Take care of yourself.]

Looking at the photo still hurt.

But I let out a long breath.

At least the last person I had left in this world had found his happiness.

I typed back.

Claire replied: [Thank you, Ethan. I hope you find yours too.]

Then I turned off my phone.

A flight attendant stopped beside my seat and offered me a small box of chocolates stamped with the Whitmore Group logo.

“Whitmore Group sent these over for today’s wedding. Apparently half the city is celebrating.”

I stared at the box.

So the entire city really was celebrating Sebastian’s wedding.

“Thank you.”

I unwrapped one of the chocolates and put it in my mouth.

Sweet.

It tasted almost exactly like the chocolates Sebastian used to drive across the city to buy for me.

This would probably be the last one.

As the plane began taxiing, I looked out at the New York skyline and turned my phone back one final time.

I typed, deleted, and rewrote the message several times.

Claire: [Sebastian, I know I caused you a lot of trouble when I was younger.]

Claire: [I’m leaving now. Please forget about me completely. I hope you’re always happy.]

I sent the messages.

Then I removed my U.S. SIM card, snapped it in half, and dropped it into the trash bag beside my seat.

I inserted the Swiss SIM card.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our flight to Switzerland will be departing shortly…”

The engines grew louder.

As the plane accelerated, I put on my sleep mask.

It blocked out the city beyond the window.

It also hid the tears slipping silently down my face.

Thousands of miles would soon separate us.

Maybe years.

Maybe forever.

This was the last time I would cry for the girl I used to be.

The girl who loved too much.

Who held on too hard.

Who gave everything she had.

From now on, whether I was healthy or sick, happy or miserable, I would learn to love myself.

I would not look back.

Goodbye, Sebastian.

Goodbye forever.