Chapter 3

This time, no one could stop me from leaving this small town for the city.

I went to Grandma Lily’s house and found an envelope in her cupboard.

I’d been accepted into a grad program at a university down south—thousands of miles away, a two-day train ride from home.

It was so far, and I’d originally considered turning it down because I didn’t want to leave Ryan and worried about Mom being alone. I’d left the acceptance letter with Grandma Lily.

Grandma Lily hadn’t gone to the engagement party. She brewed ginger tea while comforting me:

“Your mom and Ryan have both lost their minds.”

“Don’t be sad. Always put yourself first.”

“Orientation’s only a month away, right? I’ll buy your train ticket.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I fell into her arms, finally letting myself cry.

That night, Mom came into my room with a first-aid kit, and Daisy followed her.

Ryan hovered in the doorway, looking guilty, too ashamed to come in.

She roughly dabbed medicine on my hand, her tone still accusatory:

“Scarlett, you went too far today. You know how those neighborhood women already look down on Daisy for her condition.”

“Now they’ll have even more to gossip about.”

I turned my head away.

Just looking at her face made me want to lose it.

Daisy had been listening nearby and suddenly puckered her lips, trying to kiss my cheek:

“Don’t be mad. Ryan kissed me, I kiss you. No mad, okay?”

I jumped back, instinctively raising my hand to block her, but Daisy immediately plopped down on the floor.

Mom’s face softened with a tenderness I’d never seen before. She rushed over and pulled Daisy into a hug:

“Daisy, sweetie, did you fall? You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you apologizing to her?”

But when she looked at me, her eyes turned icy:

“Scarlett, what is wrong with you? I never knew you could be so cruel?! Daisy isn’t like you—she needs someone to protect her so those women don’t pick on her. Why do you have to take this from her? Can’t you let her have one good thing?”

Ryan came in too, checking on Daisy’s "injuries."

He couldn’t meet my eyes, though he didn’t yell like Mom:

“Scarlett, you used to be so kind. What happened to you?”

“So this is my fault?”

I wanted to laugh bitterly, but instead tears started flowing:

“Mom, you have the nerve to talk about security? Remember when I graduated college? There was an admin assistant opening at the company downtown. I'd already interviewed with HR—it was a stable job. What did you do?”

“You pulled strings as some 'prominent community leader' and gave my job to Daisy instead, all in the name of women's rights.”

“Now she makes six or seven grand a month doing nothing. Tell me—where's my security? What do I have?”

I gripped the canvas bag in my hand.

Inside was my grad school acceptance letter.

At least I still had that. As long as I got out of this town, far from them, I'd be okay.

Mom and Ryan looked guilty. I was done arguing.

Just as I was about to tell them to leave, a sharp sound cut through the room.

Daisy started slapping herself hard:

“Daisy bad. Daisy took sister's things. Sister not mad. Daisy punish self.”

I frowned at her:

“I didn't tell you to do that.”

But Ryan pulled her into a hug, shooting me a hateful look:

“Scarlett, do you have to provoke her like this?”

“Can't you see she's carrying my child? I have to marry her.”

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

I could barely hear anything after that.

So they'd slept together.

No wonder when I celebrated Ryan's birthday last week—drove ten miles to get his favorite cake—he was acting weird, saying he had something to tell me.

That was his secret.

I stumbled to my feet, nearly tripping over a chair, and staggered out the door:

"You two are disgusting. Absolutely shameless."

"I'm going to tell everyone the truth."