They Played a Game to Make Me Beg, I Played a Game to Make Me Gone Chapter 05

They Played a Game to Make Me Beg, I Played a Game to Make Me Gone Chapter 05

The plane touched down at Milan Malpensa. By my watch, it had been over twelve hours since the engagement party was supposed to start.

The moment the cabin announcement chimed, my phone exploded. Four numbers flooded the screen. Dad. Mom. Savannah. Derek.

I didn’t answer. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the terminal, finding a bench at a convenience shop just outside the airport. I let the phone ring itself out, go.silent, and light up all over again.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. But there was no longing left in my chest. My only regret was not being able to see their faces when that screen lit up.

A few minutes later, I steadied myself and answered my mom’s call. Her shrill scream punctured my ear immediately.

“Natalie, what the hell did you do?! Are you out of your goddamn mind? Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?””

I stared out at the unfamiliar streets of a foreign city. The noise in my ear was sharp enough to sting. But the distance, and the time difference, finally let me breathe.

I kept my voice flat. I used the exact same line Mom always pulled out to defend Savannah. “It’s just a game. Why do you have to take it so seriously?”

That single sentence lit a fire inside her. Her voice pitched higher. “A game? You call this a game? You don’t air your family’s dirty laundry! Do you get that? We’re your family! Savannah is your sister! Is this how you repay us?!”

I felt nothing. It was almost laughable. “Whenever you played along with Savannah’s pranks on me, you said you were just playing a game. So you’re allowed to play, but I’m not?”

Mom froze for a second. She clearly hadn’t expected the quiet daughter to push back. I didn’t give her time to recover. I hung up.

Dad’s call came through a second later. His voice was low and heavy, dripping with that commanding parent energy. “Where are you right now? You turn around and come home. Right

now.”

“I’m not coming back.” I shut it down.

“Do you have any clue how much trouble you’ve caused? Our friends and family are treating us like a joke. You come back here, you apologize in public, and you clear Savannah’s name. Otherwise, don’t you ever call this place your home again.”

He had no idea that his threat wasn’t a weapon. It was exactly what I wanted.

Savannah’s voice tore through in the background. “Natalie! You released that stuff? How am I ever supposed to face anyone again?!”

She clung to Mom and Dad, wailing. “She’s always been so sensitive! She’s doing this on purpose to get back at me! You have to stand up for me!”

The girl who always hid behind the word “joke” was finally out of calm, smug energy. Funny how that works. Funny how that works. It’s only cruel when it happens to her.

I was still lost in that thought when Derek’s incoming call cut off Savannah’s sobbing.

I picked up. He asked only one question. “Are you in Milan?”

“Yeah.” I kept it flat.

Five years with Derek, and every major life decision I’d made was built around staying close to him.

So when the Milan transfer came through, he naturally assumed I’d turn it down. Now, without a word, I’d just left.

I could practically see him losing his mind on the other end of the line. “Natalie. I’ll chalk this up to you throwing a fit. Buy a ticket, get on a plane right now, apologize to Savannah, and we can put this whole thing behind us. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” I shot back.

“Otherwise the engagement is off.” Derek’s voice was strained, every word gritted out from

between clenched teeth.

I just let out a soft laugh. “Derek. You still haven’t figured it out, have you? I didn’t come to Milan for us. There is no us. Not anymore.”