Changing My Flight, I Canceled the Toxic Family Forever Chapter 07

Changing My Flight, I Canceled the Toxic Family Forever Chapter 07

While everyone back home drowned in regret, I arrived in Charleston without a hitch.

Because of my outstanding scores, Charleston University waived my tuition.

They also helped secure an additional scholarship for me.

With that and the money I had saved from part-time jobs during school breaks, I didn’t have to worry about college expenses.

At least for the next four years, I could breathe.

There was still a month before the semester officially started.

In addition to exploring the city, I decided to give myself a complete makeover.

I cut off the waist-length hair I had kept for eighteen years.

In its place, I got a clean shoulder-length cut.

The truth was, I had never liked long hair.

Chloe had always worn her hair long.

Whenever people saw us together, their first reaction was always to praise her.

They said she looked like a pretty little fairy with all that flowing hair.

Then they turned to me and laughed.

They said my short hair made me look like a tomboy no one would ever date.

To stop people from mocking me, I copied Chloe.

I grew my hair out.

I put away my jeans and started wearing long skirts.

I still remembered one time when Chloe walked up to Noah in a dress, her long hair loose over her shoulders.

I clearly saw his eyes light up.

For the rest of that day, his gaze never left her.

The next morning, I deliberately wore my hair down.

I even borrowed a dress from Chloe and went to see Noah.

The moment he saw me, he started laughing.

When he finally stopped laughing, he looked me up and down.

“Emma, are you trying to show me what a pathetic imitation looks like?”

He laughed again. “I’ve never seen an ugly duckling in a princess dress before. That’s honestly hilarious.”

Back then, I thought I hadn’t copied her well enough.

Only now did I understand.

Every person in this world was one of a kind.

Everyone had something that made them shine.

But the people around me had gotten used to looking at Chloe first.

They only saw her prettier face.

They ignored everything I had inside.

Luckily, I had stepped out of that shadow in time.

After cutting my hair, I went shopping for a comfortable pair of pants and a simple top.

With my new look, I went to Charleston Harbor.

Under the glittering city lights, I walked slowly along the waterfront promenade.

The harbor breeze brushed my face, carrying a coolness I had never felt back home.

When I reached the end, a reflection on the water caught my eye.

The girl in the reflection had a graceful figure.

Her short hair was neat and sharp.

But what drew me in most were her eyes.

They were bright, confident, and full of light.

The longer I looked, the more my eyes stung.

So without all that criticism and comparison, I could be beautiful too, and I could stand out.

Here, I was no longer Chloe’s backdrop.

I didn’t have to let irrelevant people pick me apart anymore.

I could stand in front of the world with my shoulders straight.

I could see whatever view I wanted to see.

I could do whatever I wanted to do.

That day, I tried the pastries I had never dared to touch before.

I kept eating until the sweetness turned almost sickening.

In the past, Chloe had always been petite and delicate.

I was five foot six.

Even when I weighed only about 110 pounds, people called me huge if I stood beside her.

Now I didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

I no longer cared what anyone thought.

Whether I weighed 110 pounds, 145 pounds, or even 165 pounds, I was still me.

I was my own rare spark, one of a kind and entirely my own.

And while I was lost in the joy of starting over, everything back home was falling apart.