ut the window and saw that Brendan Maynard had driven away with Chloie Ellis. She c

silence in her room. The screen displayed 'Mom'

om

raveling for a month, and you cause a scandal like this. Your brother is getting married, and you're still trying

ily had gone bankrupt. Her parents divorced. Her father went to Californ

n't have another child with Mr. Maynard. Over the years, her mother had rarely sho

n, her mother had called and screa

her of climbing into Brendan'

ou're just certain I was the one who initi

again. "We're both women. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!

that, her m

ayde' s lost and haggard face. She bit he

ught silently, Mom, don't worry. This daughter you dislike wil

as busy with her own preparations for going abroad and d

st 24th. One minute be

ed. But after staring at the screen for a long time, she closed the chat.

ning, a flight reminder

in 14 hours. Please arrive at the airport

She had only 12 hours lef

social media again. She saw

utiful. Looking forward to the

her and Brendan holding hands

ered. Her heart was calm

Chloie sent her

birthday alone with me this yea

lying on a large, couple's-themed waterbed in a hotel room. Chloie was lying besid

to know what kind of passio

social media app, and then began to reconfirm a

urs

f Brendan into tiny pieces, one by one. The shredded paper went into th

urs

onal items in the house, leaving no

urs

iving room coffee table. She put it on top of the drawing she had made of Br

en a light in her life. But from n

sunflower, no long

ur l

ge in the bottom right

Let' s part ways here. We

the best in a fu

erent paths. Mountains and

loie Ellis as friends and deactivated her social media account. T

done without a singl

ok one last look at the home s

nd headed straigh

roared int