The Only Thing I Wanted Was A Place In The Family Album Chapter 08

The Only Thing I Wanted Was A Place In The Family Album Chapter 08

Chloe was sent away.

But Margaret and Jonathan stayed.

They bought the house next door for an exorbitant price and moved in.

Every day, they tried to talk to me.

I ignored them and went on with my life.

During the day, I watered the garden, fed the chickens, fed the pigs.

In the afternoon, I rested a bit, then cooked dinner.

After dinner, I went for a walk around the village. Then I went to bed.

Day after day.

This kind of life was second nature to me. Even after being away for three years, it wasn’t hard to fall back into.

But Margaret and Jonathan were used to big houses and luxury cars. They were definitely not comfortable in the countryside.

Two weeks later, I was feeding the pigs in the morning. Jonathan couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to help.

“Amelia, a girl shouldn’t be doing this kind of work. Let me.”

He took the bucket of pig slop from me but tripped over a rock a few steps later.

He lost his balance. The bucket flew out of his hands and splattered everywhere.

I was furious and shoved him.

“Can you stop getting in my way? I was doing just fine before you helped! Now I have to do it all over again. Are you doing this on purpose?”

Jonathan stood there, looking miserable.

“I’m sorry, Amelia. I don’t know how to do any of this…”

“Just go home, okay?” My emotions were getting the better of me. I shouted in frustration,

“Even if you stay here forever, I’m not going back with you! Why do you have to make everyone miserable? Can’t you just live your own lives?”

Jonathan’s face went white. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He looked at me for a long moment, his eyes reddening. “Amelia… will you ever forgive me?”

“No.” I said it honestly. “I don’t hate you. But I won’t forgive you either. Because there’s no point. Aside from the blood we share, I don’t want anything to do with you.”

Jonathan went completely still and didn’t say anything for a long time.

Then, as I walked past him with a fresh bucket of slop, he bowed his head and left my yard.

That night, Margaret called to me over the fence.

“Amelia. We’re leaving. Since you don’t want to see us, we’ll go back home. But… before we go, could we have one meal together? I made an apple pie.”

My heart clenched, like a fist was squeezing it.

I spent my first New Year’s Eve in Fairhaven alone.

I begged Jonathan and my mother to let me come home so I could eat with them.

My foster parents always said New Year’s was for family. Even if you didn’t see each other all year, you came home on New Year’s Eve.

Jonathan had sighed. “Chloe will be here. Just stay put for now. It’s New Year’s. If she throws a fit, it’ll be a bad omen for the whole year. You want apple pie? I’ll have someone send you some.”

I was so pathetic back then. I just nodded happily.

“Okay. As long as it’s Mom’s homemade pie. I’ll buy my own groceries!”

Jonathan patted my head, relieved, and went home.

But that night, I waited from dusk until late. The pie never came.

The next morning, Jonathan sent me an apologetic text.

[Sorry, Amelia. We were up late with Chloe, watching the ball drop. I forgot to send the pie over. Did you eat?]

My nose stung. Big tears of hurt rolled down my cheeks.

It took me a while to reply.

[Yeah. I ordered pizza.]

[Good.]

Just that one word. Good.

He didn’t think about how lonely I must have been, out in the suburbs on New Year’s Eve.

He didn’t think about how you can’t order pizza on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

He just didn’t care.

Now, looking at my mother’s eager, apologetic face, I kept my expression blank.

“No thanks. I don’t like apple pie.”

I turned and went back inside, without looking at Margaret’s frozen expression.

The next day, they left.

I didn’t go outside or say a word.

Through my window, I watched them load their luggage into the car.

Margaret’s tearful voice drifted over.

“Jonathan… do you think Amelia will ever come home?”

Jonathan’s tired sigh followed.

“She has to figure it out herself. We were wrong. Staying here will only annoy her more. I left a card in the house. A million dollars. That should be enough for the rest of her life.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have someone check on her from time to time.”

Their voices faded as I looked away.

The car engine roared. Then it drove off down the dirt road toward town.

I waited until I couldn’t hear it anymore, then went next door.

On the cabinet, just like he said, there was a debit card and a property deed.

I opened it. It was for the luxury condo in downtown Fairhaven, the one Jonathan had promised me.

I was silent for a long time, then put the card and the deed away.

Maybe one day, I would go back to Fairhaven.

But if I did, it would be for me. Not for them.

From now on, I would live my life for myself.