Changing My Flight, I Canceled the Toxic Family Forever Chapter 10

Changing My Flight, I Canceled the Toxic Family Forever Chapter 10

After Sarah and David learned the truth, Sarah raised her hand and slapped Chloe hard across the face.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You destroyed this family!”

My parents were heartbroken and furious.

For a moment, they looked like they wanted to tear Chloe apart.

They ended the party early.

Then they dragged Chloe home and locked her in her room.

“You can come out when you actually understand what you did wrong.”

After punishing her, my parents contacted me through my academic advisor.

They had hoped the college acceptance party would help repair our relationship, but instead, it had backfired completely.

Most of the guests at the party had been able to tell right from wrong. They hadn’t blamed me too harshly.

But there were too many people talking and too many versions of the story. Someone spread the story beyond the ballroom.

By the time it spread online, people were calling me a fraud both academically and morally.

Over the phone, my mom and my dad sobbed through their apologies.

“Emma, you have to believe us. None of this was what we wanted.”

Ethan apologized on the call too. “Emma, I was blind before. You’ve always been the best sister I could have asked for. And you’ve always been the one I’m most proud of.”

Then the three of them hesitated before begging me.

“Emma, please forgive us one more time. Give us one more chance.”

I cut off their endless pleading, “You want me to forgive you? Fine. Go public with the whole truth. Tell everyone what really happened, including how Chloe drugged my milk before.”

“Do that, and maybe I’ll still call you my parents.”

Sarah and David, who had been talking nonstop a moment ago, went silent.

“But… but if we do that, Chloe’s reputation will be ruined.”

“Why don’t you ask for something else? Money, or anything you want. As long as you ask, we’ll…”

“No need.” My voice stayed calm. “One more thing. Don’t contact me again.”

I hung up without hesitation.

Even when they claimed they wanted to make it up to me, their actions still chose Chloe.

But unlike before, I no longer felt hurt or disappointed; there was no storm left inside me.

I had already walked out of the shadow of never being chosen.

College life was calm and fulfilling.

Besides my major courses, I took electives in international trade.

I earned top marks in every class.

I won every major academic award the university offered.

Before graduation, I had already received an offer from a Fortune 500 company.

Over those four years, Noah sent countless gifts and letters from Boston.

Every letter said the same thing: he apologized for ignoring me in the past and confessed that he loved me.

I never replied to a single letter and returned every gift unopened.

On graduation day, I saw Sarah and David again.

In only four years, they seemed to have aged more than a decade.

Their dull, tired eyes were full of exhaustion.

From their tearful explanation, I learned what had happened after I left.

Even though they had refused to clear my name, the truth eventually spread online.

Someone who knew the story had exposed everything.

As the one behind it all, Chloe faced brutal online backlash.

She developed depression and had to take a leave from school.

She blamed everything on Sarah and David, insisting they had exposed the truth and ruined her.

Sarah and David couldn’t handle her anymore.

In the end, they sent her to a residential treatment center.

After that, they stopped seeing her.

They took my hands, their eyes filled with regret.

“Emma, we really know we were wrong this time.”

“We’re so sorry.”

I simply pulled my hands free, said nothing, and turned to leave.

It had taken me four full years to pull myself out of the mire of my past.

I no longer needed the family love I had once longed for.