Chapter 12

They didn’t call for a long time.

A week later, Mom said that Ashley had died. I didn’t say anything. Ashley had used her illness to hurt me. She died because of it.

Mom and Dad came to see me a lot. I was nice to them. They sold the house and got one near my school.

They said that they wanted to make up for it. But I didn’t need it. I had to study. They stopped me at the restaurant on my college graduation.

They said, “You look skinny. We made your favorite soup.”

I said, “I just ate.”

Mom cried. “Why won’t you forgive us?”

I didn’t know what to say. They used Ashley to hurt me. Now, they looked like the victims. I shook my head.

“I’ve learned to do everything by myself.”

“I don’t need your help.”

I got into the taxi.

They stayed there.

I wasn’t a little girl anymore.

I was going to do great things.

THE END