The Invisible Daughter Ruined Their Lavish Celebrations Chapter 08

The Invisible Daughter Ruined Their Lavish Celebrations Chapter 08

A text flashed across my screen from an unknown number.

The message read: [It’s Julian.]

I stared at it for a few seconds. Before I could delete it, another text came through.

[Elena, I know you’re reading this.]

[Your parents are freaking out. They’re asking everyone they know to find you.)

[They’re still your parents. Can you at least give them one chance?]

I read it twice. Then I almost laughed.

A chance.

Did they ever give me one?

When I was burning up with a 104-degree fever and Grandma was half-carrying me through a downpour, trying to get a cab to the ER, where were they?

When I got into the district’s elite magnet school and had no one to show my acceptance letter to, where were they?

When Grandma was dying and I was the only one sitting in that hospital room, where were they?

All those years. All those times I needed them. And what did I get?

Did it ever occur to them that I was their daughter too?

My phone buzzed again.

[Elena, don’t do this.]

[I know I messed up. I should’ve told you I was changing my decision. I shouldn’t have let you go to

Southport alone.]

[But I had my family to think about too. I didn’t have a choice.)

[You’ve got an amazing future ahead of you. Why hold on to all this?]

[At the end of the day, they’re your parents. Family is family, right?]

Family is family.

What a joke.

I took a breath and started typing.

[Julian, stop contacting me.]

[You’re right, your family wants you in North Crest. So stay in North Crest.]

[As for my parents, if they think I have such a bright future, they can watch it from a distance.]

[I don’t need parents. And I don’t need that so-called home.]

[The day I sold that house, I officially became an orphan.]

[Don’t ever contact me again.]

I hit send.

Then I blocked the number and turned off my phone.

Outside the window, the afternoon sun spilled through the trees.

I picked up my textbook and started reading.

This time, I was the one who walked away.