Sunlight sliced through the cracked blinds of our crumbling apartment, spotlighting the cardboard boxes like evidence in a crime scene.
Mom zipped up another suitcase, humming some pop song like we were packing for a beach trip instead of abandoning our entire life.
I yanked open the box of my sketchbooks, deliberately spilling charcoal pencils across the faded linoleum.
"Remember the fire escape? All-nighters drawing stars, you promising we'd always have us against the world?"
She paused, kneeling to scoop up the mess, her smile faltering.
"Scarlett, we still do. Elias isn't taking that away… he's giving us stability. A real home, college money. No more late rent notices."
"Stability," I spat, my voice cracking just enough to hit her guilt button. "You're picking some guy you met six months ago over me. Over Dad. What happens when you leave me there alone in that mansion, surrounded by his perfect family? You promised you wouldn't ditch me like he did."
Her hand trembled as she touched my neck.
"I'm not ditching you. This is for both of us."
But her eyes glistened… she was wavering.
I pushed harder, tears welling up.
"Then prove it. Stay. We can make it work here, like always."
She sighed, standing firm despite the crack in her armor.
"Pack your art bag, Scar. Car leaves in ten."
Ten minutes later, sketchbook clutched like a lifeline, I slammed the passenger door. The apartment shrank in the rearview mirror, taking my last shot with it. For now.
I continued to push harder in the car, argument practically the whole way, while my mom didn't change her mind.
"You can't seriously think this is fair," I snapped as the city skyline faded behind us, my fingers digging into the sketchbook. "Elias's money doesn't fix everything. What about my art show next month? My friends? You're ripping me away from my life!"
Mom kept her eyes on the road, jaw tight.
"Your art show can wait. Elias has connections… real ones. This is bigger than a high school exhibit."
"Bigger?" I laughed bitterly, twisting to face her. "It's your fantasy. Not mine. You'll marry him and forget I exist just like Dad did when he walked out. 'Stability'…. That's code for leaving me behind."
"Stop it, Scarlett," she said, voice sharp but shaky. "This is our chance. Elias loves me. He wants you there too."
"Wants me there?" I shot back. "As what, the charity case stepdaughter? I bet his son hates the idea already. We're invading their perfect world."
She exhaled hard, merging onto the highway.
"Kai's just…. Adjusting, like you. Give it time."
"Time," I muttered, slumping back. "Yeah, right." But she didn't budge, mile after mile, her silence louder than my pleas.
I figured it wasn't worth continuing as she made it clear already; we're not turning back…. So, I just doodled on the window to pass the time, in my own fantasy, angry, not even sad, annoyed how life turned out to be, against me.
It was a long ride, but I managed to survive, not sure how I'd survive the mansion, Kai or Elias himself, and their perfect little world, whether Kai even wanted me there, if I would be welcomed there, would I even care if I was welcomed there, probably not.
"We're almost there, Scar, just a couple more minutes. You'll love it there, I promise," she said, after a while.
The mansion came into view, it was huge… sprawling modern glass walls reflecting the late afternoon sun like a fortress of wealth, surrounded by manicured lawns that stretched to iron gates, a shimmering pool out back catching the light, palm trees lining the driveway like silent guards, the whole place screaming money and perfection I already wanted to burn down.
We arrived at the towering iron gates, their intricate scrollwork parting smoothly with a low hum as Mom punched in the code, then we drove up the curving driveway to the grand front entrance, fountains bubbling on either side like they were mocking my entire existence.
"We are here. Please, try to enjoy your time, the view, everything about this place, Elias, Kai," she said.
"As if," I snapped.
She looked at me long and hard but didn't say anything, I knew she wanted as she got out of the car and opened the door for me.
I saw one of the staff open the trunk and try to take out my suitcase. I got out quickly and pushed him away, yelling, "No, I can do it myself!" My mom didn't seem shocked, only surprised.
"Scarlett, that's no way to talk to the staff who will be taking care of us," she said.
"I don't care," I shot back. "I can take care of my own stuff."
"Yes, you can," she replied, "but you talk nicely, not like a child, because you're not a child. You're seventeen. You can be better than that," she exclaimed.
"Sorry, miss, I'll let you be," he said, and I snapped, "You better be sorry," as Elias came into view, excited more to see my mom than me.
"Hannah, how nice of you to finally be here, and Scarlett," he said.
"Save it," I snapped, yanking my suitcase from the trunk and brushing past him without a glance.
"She's just adjusting to this new life, don't worry about her, she'll come around," my mom spoke for me, I heard her say in the background as he nodded.
I shook my head and saw the pool in front of me and thought, well, that sure looks reassuring. A nice dunk in the pool… maybe if I drown or don' come back up, I'll be missed and we'll go back home, away from this place.
It was tempting. I stood right at the edge of the pool and then glanced back at my mom who seemed to be savoring Elias, hugging him.
"Don't even think about it," I heard a voice behind me, and I shot back to see who it was, and gasped… it was him, Kai, who was standing there.
"What are you talking about?" I snapped.
"I know you're thinking of disappearing through that water," he said.
"So, what if I am? You can't stop me," I shot back.
"You have no idea what I've gone through. It would be nice to disappear, and you wouldn't understand," I said.
"Try me," he replied.
It was tempting. I wanted to see the reaction on my mom's face, what Kai would do, what Elias would do.
"Well, here goes nothing," I said, and I tried to fall into the pool, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrist, keeping me from falling and making a huge mistake.
"Hey, let me go!" I yelled, and that's when I got my mom's attention.
"Scarlett, what in the world is going on?" she yelled.
Kai seemed to speak for me, saying, "She was going to go for a swim without proper swimwear."
"Ah, the pool," Elias said, stepping closer with that overly calm businessman smile. "Well, why don't we settle down, put on swimsuits, and then you can go for a swim, Scarlett?"
"You don't get to tell me what to do," I snapped. "You're not my dad."
My mom only seemed disappointed in me, but didn't say anything, just shook her head.
"Well, no, I'm not," he said. "I'm just trying to be helpful around here."
I groaned and marched my way up the stairs, yelling, "Which is my room?"
My mom said, "Let's all go in together."
My life was not my own, I knew that. I was being controlled, I couldn't make my own decisions until I was eighteen, and when I turn eighteen, I am so out of this place and back home… just one year to go.