Chapter 1

The day I get my acceptance letter to Kellerton University, I scroll through the class group chat and find a photo of my younger brother, Corey Hollis, kissing my girlfriend, Piper Ashton.

Piper brushes it off like it's nothing. "It was a graduation party. We were playing spin the bottle, and I lost, so... we kissed."

This isn't the first time. A year earlier, I caught my first girlfriend, Naomi Drake, making out with Corey. I couldn't stop picturing their mouths all over each other, so I bombed the exam.

Back then, Piper didn't hesitate. She ripped up her own acceptance letter to a top-tier school and told me, "Logan, I've liked you since we were kids. Don't worry. I'll retake the year with you."

She stayed with me through the darkest summer of my life. I genuinely believed she was different from Naomi, so I never imagined she'd betray me for the same person.

I stare at her lips. My stomach turns, and the ache behind it hits so hard I can barely breathe. Then, she twists the knife deeper.

"Oh right, Logan, I forgot to tell you. I can't go to Kellerton with you anymore. My parents say the job market out there isn't great, so I switched my application at the last minute.

"I'm going to Branton University instead."

Corey already has his acceptance to Branton Arts Academy too.

My head buzzes. She's the one who wants to go to Kellerton. That's why I gave up my spot in a top-two school to follow her. Then, she just changes her mind and only bothers telling me now.

I clench my teeth and force the word out. "Why?"

She looks irritated. "Didn't I just say? The job market near Kellerton isn't great."

I laugh bitterly.

What I really want to ask is why does everyone always choose Corey over me?

Chapter 1

Logan's Point-of-View

Seeing how upset I was, Piper Ashton softened her tone. "Relax. Long distance won't change anything between us. Branton isn't that far from Kellerton. I'll come visit whenever I can."

She reached for my hand. "Stop sulking. Your parents are waiting for us inside. Let's go eat."

I looked down at her slender fingers laced through mine and thought of the photo in the group chat. Those same hands had been wrapped around Corey's neck while she kissed him like she meant it, like she couldn't get enough.

It made me sick. I pulled my hand free and wiped it on my jeans.

She flinched, but before she could say anything, Corey Hollis opened the front door.

Her face brightened instantly. "Congratulations on getting into Branton Arts, Corey."

He smiled back, seeming almost shy. "Thanks, Piper."

Their eyes met, and they both went red, probably remembering the kiss from the night before.

Mom came out carrying dishes and broke the moment. "Our Corey is such a go-getter. I heard the interviewers couldn't stop raving about how talented he is."

She shot me a look. "Unlike someone who just buries his nose in textbooks. After repeating a whole year, all he managed was some no-name school. It's so embarrassing."

Dad chimed in from the chess table without looking up. "When coworkers ask how my kids did, I'm too embarrassed to even bring you up. You all grew up in the same house with the same parents. How'd you turn out so different?"

My older sister, Sabrina Hollis, was the one playing against him. She let out a little laugh. "Every family's got a star and a dud."

The whole room laughed, Piper included.

My eyes stung. They used to call me slow. They used to say I'd never measure up to Corey. Piper always took my side back then. She always built me back up.

I didn't know when that had changed and when she'd quietly become one of them.

Her betrayal cut the deepest because I'd actually believed she was different. It was like being parched for years and finally getting a drink, only to watch it slip through my fingers. Losing something I'd actually held hurt worse than never having it at all.

I swallowed the bitterness and sat down without a word. One look at the table and my chest tightened all over again.

The table was loaded with maple-glazed ham, candied sweet potatoes, and peach cobbler. Every dish was Corey's favorite. Nobody remembered that I hated sweet food.

I should have been used to it by now. I was the middle child, with an overachieving older sister and a talented, good-looking younger brother. For as long as I could remember, I was the one who got overlooked.

I pushed my food around my plate and watched them laugh and talk. Sabrina was already in grad school in Branton. Now Piper was following Corey there.

My parents were thrilled, going on about how wonderful it would be to have three kids in the same city, all looking out for each other. Nobody asked whether I'd be lonely in Kellerton by myself. Nobody even knew what I'd scored on the exam.

I left the table early and sat on the couch with the television on. Still, nobody noticed.

When they finally finished eating, a dish rag landed in my lap. "We're taking Corey to see a show. Stay here and do the dishes."

Mom said it like it wasn't even a question.

Corey blinked. "Maybe we could wait for Logan to finish? That way, he could come with us."

"You're too sweet for your own good." Sabrina ruffled his hair.

"He wouldn't even get it. What's the point of bringing him?"

Dad waved Piper over. "Piper, why don't you come along too? We can chat about that investment deal your father mentioned."

Piper hesitated for half a second. Then, Corey flashed her a smile, and that was all it took. She glanced at me once, then walked out with the rest of them.

The front door closed. Their footsteps faded down the hall, and I was left alone with dirty dishes and silence.

It barely registered. It wasn't the first time I'd been left behind.

When I was nine, Dad drove Sabrina to her math competition class, and Mom took Corey to his piano lesson one weekend. They left me locked on the balcony. It was July and well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

I screamed until my voice gave out and passed out from heatstroke. When I came to, nobody apologized or even checked on me. They blamed me instead, and said I was stupid for not thinking to yell for the neighbors.

That kind of thing never stopped, not once in 18 years.

I used to think it was because I wasn't good enough, that if I just tried harder they'd finally see me. Eventually I understood that they didn't care whether I was good enough or not. They just didn't love me.

I took a deep breath. I didn't touch the dishes. Instead, I pulled out my phone and called my guidance counselor, Taylor Kensington.

"Mr. Kensington, is the spot for that study abroad scholarship still open? I changed my mind. I want to go."

He was ecstatic. "Logan! You finally came around!"

After I hung up, I found the globe on my desk and traced my finger to the country I was about to leave for.

I'd made up my mind. If nobody here cared about me, I'd go somewhere even farther than Kellerton.

If they didn't love me, then I'd stop loving them too.

Chapter 2

The study abroad program was government-funded, but living expenses still came out of my own pocket. Asking my family for money wasn't an option.

I still remembered being eight years old and staring at a pair of limited-edition basketball sneakers in a store window. They were 300 dollars. I worked up the nerve to ask my parents, and they tore into me before I could even finish the sentence.

"Do you think your father's money grows on trees? How dare you even ask?

"You're already trying to keep up with the rich kids at your age. Imagine what you'll be like when you're older."

For a while, I believed them. I thought I really was being unreasonable. Then, I found out Corey owned an autographed jersey and a pair of limited-edition sneakers, either of which cost ten times what I'd asked for.

That was when I understood. It wasn't that they didn't have the money. They just didn't want to spend it on me.

I could already picture how it would go if I told them I needed money to study abroad. They'd refuse, lecture me, and make me feel small about even asking. Fortunately, I had a debit card.

It held every dollar I'd managed to save from my allowance by skimping on everything. A rough calculation told me it should be enough to cover my first semester.

I dug the card out, walked to the nearest ATM, and checked my balance. It was zero. Every last cent was gone.

That couldn't be right. Had someone stolen it?

I gripped the card and stumbled home in a daze. Cold sweat was running down my back. I was about to push open the front door when I heard Corey's voice inside.

"Dad, Mom, thank you for such an expensive watch! But you used Logan's money for it. Shouldn't we give it back?"

Mom couldn't have cared less. "Give what back? What does he need that kind of money for?"

Dad nodded along. "Exactly. Keep your own savings for yourself. You'll have plenty of expenses in college."

Sabrina scoffed. "Logan got into a garbage school. 800 dollars for a move-in is more than he deserves."

Piper was right there with them and didn't say a word. She just sat there, watching my family mock me, strip me down to nothing, and she stayed quiet through all of it.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I shoved the door open and stormed inside. I grabbed the watch box right out of Corey's hands.

"Where's the receipt? Can it be returned?"

He looked startled. His eyes were welling up as he mumbled, "I'm sorry."

Sabrina lunged forward, snatched the box back, and shoved it into his arms. She looked down at me. "That's enough, Logan. Is bullying your little brother really all you're good for?"

Mom sighed, shaking her head like I'd let her down. "Your brother got into an incredible school. Think of the watch as a gift from you. Why do you have to make everything into a fight?"

There it was again. It was always the same. All Corey ever had to do was look even slightly hurt and everyone rushed to his defense.

"Taking someone's money without asking is stealing." My teeth were practically chattering with rage.

"If he wanted a gift, he could've asked me, and I would've bought it myself. You had no right to decide for me."

The slap came before I could finish. Dad's open palm struck my face.

"Your brother uses a little of your money, and suddenly it's theft? Are you even part of this family anymore?"

I pressed my hand against my burning cheek and clenched my jaw to keep the tears from falling. If I had a choice, I wouldn't be part of this family.

Piper caught Sabrina's eye with a look, and Sabrina reluctantly pulled my still-fuming father out of the room.

Piper walked over and reached up to touch my face. She let out a soft sigh. "If you like that watch, I'll buy you one. Just stop talking back to your parents."

Her fingers were gentle, and her eyes were so soft and tender. However, everything about her felt distant, like she was already somewhere I couldn't reach.

I took a deep breath, held her gaze, and asked, "Piper, do you really think it was okay for them to take my money and buy Corey a watch?"

Chapter 3

Piper couldn't find the words, but I already had my answer from the way her eyes darted away from mine. Her heart had shifted to Corey a long time ago.

To all of them, Corey was like a tree that had been carefully nurtured from the start—pruned and watered and given every advantage. I wasn't even a weed growing beside him.

I was the dirt under his roots, and my only purpose was to feed his growth. He stretched toward the sun, tall and thriving, while I deserved to stay buried beneath him, never seeing daylight.

Why was that? Who wouldn't want to stand in the sun? What if I wanted to grow into something too? If there was no light for me in this family, then I'd find it somewhere else.

I took a deep breath, pushed past Piper, and ran to my room. The lock clicked shut behind me.

She pounded on the door, calling my name over and over. I clenched my jaw and kept the door shut. If Corey had gotten his hands on something, I didn't want it anymore, no matter how good it was.

After about five minutes, she got tired of knocking and left. I wiped my face, pulled out my phone, and joined a local job board. I needed to earn enough over the summer to cover my living expenses abroad.

A new bar and grill was hiring waitstaff. I went in the next day for an interview, got the job on the spot, and by that afternoon I was already in uniform on the floor.

What I didn't expect was running into the last people I wanted to see on my very first shift. Piper, Corey, and Sabrina had all chosen this exact restaurant to eat at.

I tried to stay out of sight, but Corey spotted me and came over, grabbing my arm. "Logan, what are you doing working at a place like this? If you need money, just tell me. You shouldn't be earning dirty money like this."

I almost laughed. Sure, the name had "bar" in it, but it was really just a restaurant where people came for food and a drink or two.

Everyone on staff was a normal, honest server. There was nothing dirty about it.

I opened my mouth to say as much, but Sabrina cut in with a sneer. "So, that's what's been fueling all his attitude. He throws a fit at home, gives Piper the cold shoulder, and now he's out here hustling for tips."

Piper's expression had already gone dark. "Logan, I told you. If you want that watch, I'll buy it for you. Why are you degrading yourself like this?"

Just like that, they'd already made up their minds about me. There was no point explaining.

I dropped any pretense of politeness, pulled my arm free from Corey's grip, and said, "Are you ordering? If not, I'm leaving."

Sabrina slammed her hand on the table. "What kind of attitude is that? You think dressing up like that and working in a place like this is something to be proud of?"

I looked down at my uniform, a perfectly normal suit that covered me head to toe, and frowned. "If you think this place is so beneath you, then why did you come here?"

Sabrina had nothing to say to that. Corey jumped in to smooth things over. "Logan, you're misunderstanding. She's just worried about you."

"Worried about me?" I stared at him.

"So worried that she came all the way here to insult me to my face?"

Corey flinched, went quiet, and took half a step back with his eyes lowered.

That was all it took. Piper's protective instincts kicked right in.

She stood up, stepped in front of Corey like a shield, and said, "If you have something to say, say it nicely. Don't take it out on your brother."

That stung. She used to only ever stand up for me like that. Somewhere along the way, the person she protected had become Corey.

When I didn't respond, she spoke again. "I already texted your parents. They're on their way.

"I can't get through to you, so I'll let them handle it."

My blood ran cold. "This is a real job..."

Before I could finish, Mom's shrill voice cut through from the entrance. "Where is Logan Hollis? Get him out here! How did our family raise such a worthless disgrace? This is humiliating!"

Chapter 4

Mom came barreling toward me, and every pair of eyes in the restaurant turned my way. I wanted to disappear.

"Mom, can we talk about this outside?"

"You have the nerve to call me Mom? You throw a tantrum over a watch, storm off to work at a place like this, and you don't even have the decency to be embarrassed about it?"

I locked my jaw shut. The other diners were openly staring now. I tried to explain, but she wouldn't let me get a single word in.

"Your brother is about to attend a prestigious arts academy. He'll be surrounded by accomplished, well-connected people, and he needs a nice watch to hold his own.

"What about you? You can't even get into a decent school, but you've got no problem spending money. Why can't you just grow up?"

I stared at her in disbelief. All I'd wanted was my own money back. However, in her version of events, I was the selfish one throwing a fit over a watch.

Then, Corey walked over and gently took Mom's hand. "Mom, don't be mad at Logan. He's always liked nice things. There's nothing wrong with that."

He turned to me with a show of generosity. "Logan, I'll give you the watch. It's yours. Just please stop being upset, okay?"

The looks from the people around us shifted, and suddenly I was the villain. I was the jealous older brother picking fights over his younger brother's stuff. I couldn't help letting out a bitter laugh.

"You think this is funny?" Dad had caught up, and his palm cracked across my face before I could react.

"Do you have any shame at all? You're making a scene in public over a watch. Maybe you're not embarrassed, but I am."

The entire restaurant went dead silent. Every single person was looking at me, and not one of them stepped in, including Piper. There was even a trace of disappointment in her eyes, as if I really had done something unforgivable.

My right ear rang, and my cheek burned. I leaned against the table behind me just to stay on my feet.

The manager hurried over, looking uncomfortable. "Maybe it's best if you take him home for now."

Mom scoffed. "Let's go. You're coming with me."

I didn't fight it. Nothing I said would have made a difference.

They marched me out under everyone's stares. The whispers trailed after me like a wave I couldn't outrun.

"Kids these days are impossible."

"All that fuss over a watch? Really?"

"He looks like such a quiet kid. I didn't think he'd be so shallow."

I knew I could never go back to that job.

When we got home, Dad shoved me into my room. "You can come out when you've thought about what you did."

Mom stood in the doorway and added, "You can eat when you admit you were wrong."

The door slammed shut and the lock turned from the outside. For the next two days, I didn't get a single meal.

I was so hungry I could barely see straight. I just lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Nobody came to check on me.

It reminded me of the time during the pandemic when Corey and I both caught it. He had a mild case, but mine was severe. Everyone fussed over him while no one even looked in on me.

I swallowed some Tylenol on my own and lay in bed, shaking and burning at nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit. I had been drifting in and out of consciousness. All I could think was, if I died right here in this room, how long would it take any of them to notice?

At 13, I didn't know the answer, but at 18, I finally did.

Chapter 5

I let out a tired laugh and closed my eyes.

The lock on the door rattled. I sat up and watched Piper come in carrying a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"Eat. You're going to wreck your stomach."

My throat tightened. I'd been hungry for so long that the smell alone almost broke me. I stopped caring about how I looked and wolfed the whole thing down.

Piper watched me eat. Her expression was hard to read. "Logan, after you finish, apologize to your parents."

I forced down another mouthful. My chest was so tight that it hurt. I looked up at her slowly.

"Piper, do you remember what you told me once? You said that even if the whole world turned against me, you'd still be on my side."

She went quiet for a moment, then looked away. "But this time, you were the one in the wrong. You're a student. Why would you go work at some sketchy place like that?"

I laughed. "What if I told you I really needed the money?"

Piper frowned. "I already told you. Whatever you want, if your parents won't get it for you, I will. Logan, why do you insist on dragging yourself through the dirt?"

I looked down at the bowl in my hands and felt whatever appetite I had left drain away. In that moment, everything became painfully clear.

I'd put my faith in the wrong person. Whatever future I'd been imagining, she wasn't going to be part of it.

I set down the spoon and wiped my mouth. "Thanks. I'm done. You should go."

She froze. "Logan..."

I guided her out, closed the door, and shut out the sound of her voice along with the version of myself that had ever believed in her.

Over the days that followed, I was still confined to the house, though at least they let me eat again.

However, not being able to leave meant I couldn't earn money, and that gnawed at me constantly. I reached out to classmates who had summer jobs and asked if anyone knew of anything I could do remotely.

Before long, someone connected me with a video editing gig that paid per project. The money wasn't great for each job, but it was something. From that point on, I worked around the clock, picking up orders, editing, and delivering them back.

The silver lining of being punished was that my family had stopped speaking to me entirely. They treated me like I didn't exist, which actually gave me more time to focus on what I needed to do.

Two weeks later, I was watching the number in my bank account climb little by little. I finally felt a sense of calm. Right around the time I'd saved up enough for a month of living expenses, Mr. Kensington sent me a message.

"Logan, your flight is booked. Get your things in order. You leave in seven days."

I stared at that message for a long time. In seven days, I could leave the place that had been suffocating me for over a decade.

I looked out the window at the clear blue sky and let out a breath that felt like it had been trapped inside me for years. Just seven more days, and I'd be free.

I just had to hold on a little longer.

Chapter 6

I figured the next seven days would pass as quietly as the ones before. Then, on the third morning, Mom pushed open my bedroom door.

For once, she didn't yell. Her voice was flat and even. "Pack up. We're going to your grandparents' place today."

I blinked. "Why?"

She frowned. "Your brother did so well on his exams. We need to go celebrate with your grandparents."

"I don't think I need to be there," I said quietly.

My grandparents only ever had eyes for Sabrina and Corey. Sabrina got praise for her grades, and Corey got doted on for his looks. I was invisible to them, same as everywhere else.

"Getting a little too big for your britches, aren't you? You can't even be bothered to visit your own grandparents now?" Mom was furious.

Dad walked in. To my surprise, he didn't pile on. He actually softened his tone.

"It's just a little celebration dinner. Your grandparents miss you."

Something about it felt off. Every other holiday, they'd take Sabrina and Corey and leave me behind without a second thought. They never once asked if I wanted to come.

Why were they so insistent this time?

I curled my fingers tight. "Is there something you're not telling me? Why do I have to go?"

Mom's expression stiffened for just a second. Before I could press further, Dad grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the door.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you always assume the worst about your own family? It's just a trip to your grandparents' house. It's not going to kill you."

The unease in my gut only got worse. The moment we stepped outside, I wrenched free of his grip and bolted toward the edge of the neighborhood.

I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I didn't want to go with them. I was less than four days away from leaving for good, and I didn't want anything to derail that.

Mom called after me. "Logan Hollis! Get back here!"

I didn't look back. I just kept running until I collided with someone familiar.

I looked down and met Piper's eyes, wide and searching.

As I stood there staring at her, I thought back to a year ago. Corey and Naomi had been in my bedroom, on my bed, kissing like they were the only two people in the world, and I'd walked right in on them.

When I confronted Corey, asked him how he could do something so shameless, Mom grabbed my arm hard enough to bruise and screamed at me. "Do you have a conscience? That's your own brother!"

Dad shielded Corey behind him and glared. "Have you no shame? Are you that desperate for a girlfriend?"

Sabrina piled on without missing a beat. "If I were Naomi, I wouldn't pick you either. You're not half as good-looking as Corey, and your personality's even worse."

That night, in the pouring rain, I'd run out of the house and crashed right into Piper. She'd held me and said, with more conviction than anyone had ever shown me, "Come on. I'm taking you home. From now on, I won't let anyone hurt you again."

The memories washed over me one after another, and my eyes burned.

"Piper." I took her hand.

"Let's go. Let's get out of here together."

Chapter 7

Piper squeezed my hand back, and for a second I saw hesitation flicker across her face. Then, Corey's voice came from behind us.

"Piper."

Her whole expression changed. Her attention locked on him instantly, and her grip on my hand loosened.

Corey flashed a bright smile. "We're heading out to see Grandma and Grandpa. Logan doesn't want to come for some reason."

Piper sighed and pushed me away. "Logan, I thought being grounded all those days might've knocked some sense into you. Why are you picking fights with your family again?"

I looked into her familiar eyes and couldn't get a single word out. That night in the pouring rain, I'd thought this girl was my lifeline.

Now I understood that she was nothing but a dream I'd been too desperate to wake up from. She was never going to lead me out of this storm.

I let go of her hand and stood there, frozen. Dad caught up, grabbed me, and shoved me into the car.

Piper didn't look at me again. She smiled and waved goodbye to Corey, telling him to have fun out in the country.

The car pulled away, and all I could do was pray silently. I wanted time to move faster, just a little faster. Once I got on that plane, all of this would be behind me for good.

A few hours later, we pulled up to the old family farmhouse. My grandparents had set up a big outdoor feast.

Half the county had turned up, and every last person was crowded around Corey. They were telling him how handsome he was, how impressive he was, and how he was destined for great things. Mom and Dad beamed with pride.

I sat in the corner like a spectator, watching their happy little family from the outside. The table was loaded with food, but I couldn't taste any of it. I picked at a few bites and eventually drifted back inside to lie down on the couch in the living room, and nobody cared.

I didn't know how much time had passed when the noise outside finally died down, and the sky turned dark. I heard a car engine start. I walked outside and saw that Mom and Dad had already left with Sabrina and Corey.

A sick feeling crawled up the back of my neck.

"Dad! Mom!" I ran after them, but I barely made it to the front gate before my grandparents stepped in to block my path.

"Where do you think you're going?"

My heart was hammering. "Why did Mom and Dad leave? Why didn't they take me?"

Grandpa scoffed. "Take you? You're old enough to start pulling your weight for this family."

A chill sank through me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Grandma smiled, and the look on her face made my skin crawl. "The mayor's daughter passed away a few years back, and the family's been looking for the right person to take part in a spirit marriage.

"Your birth chart is a match, and they're willing to pay handsomely."

She named a figure, and her cloudy eyes gleamed. "Your brother's going to art school. That's expensive. It's time you did your part for the family."

I thought I'd heard her wrong. "A spirit marriage? You want me to marry a dead girl?

"I already got into college. My life is just starting."

Grandpa's face hardened. "Your grades are nothing special. What's the point of all that schooling?

"The mayor only had the one daughter. You marry into that family, carry on their name, and they'll take good care of you."

I stumbled back, and my whole body went cold. These people were my own flesh and blood, and they were plotting to sell me off to a corpse.

I spun around to run, but the second I took a step, my legs buckled. I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

My arms and legs went numb, one by one, and the next thing I knew, everything went black, and I hit the ground.

Chapter 8

When I came to, I was lying in a funeral chapel. Black and white drapes hung from every wall, and a table at the front held rows of candles flanking a framed photograph of a girl. I scrambled to the door and pounded on it with both fists.

"Let me out! What are you doing to me?"

Grandma's voice came from the other side. "The ceremony is in three days. Behave yourself and don't make a scene."

Over the next three days, I tried everything. I threw myself against the door and tried to break the windows, but nothing worked.

They even took my shoes so I couldn't run. I begged, I screamed, and I cursed at them through the walls. Not a single person helped me.

On the third day, a group of men pinned me down and dragged me to the chapel at the mayor's estate.

"It's time!" the officiant called out. "Let the ceremony begin!"

They forced me to my knees. The bride waiting for me at the altar was nothing but a cold stone memorial marker. I fought as hard as I could. The veins in my temples were bulging, but I couldn't break free from the rough hands holding me down.

After the ceremony, they tied me up and locked me in a back room behind the chapel. I sat in the corner with my back against the wall, staring at the black coffin in front of me.

I didn't know if they planned to kill me and bury me beside the girl inside, or keep me locked in here for the rest of my life, married to a slab of stone. Either way, I wasn't going to accept it.

I listened to the sounds outside while I worked the rope against the sharp edge of the table behind me. It tore my wrists raw, and blood oozed out of my skin, but I gritted my teeth and kept going.

It was past midnight, and the guard on duty drank himself unconscious. He was snoring loud enough to shake the walls. I knew this was my chance.

I pulled free of the frayed rope and eased open the back window, which they hadn't fully latched. The moment I dropped to the ground, a bolt of pain shot through my ankle. I clenched my jaw, hauled myself up, and ran.

It didn't take long before the shouting started behind me. "He's gone! Get after him!"

I sprinted barefoot through dark open fields with nothing but blackness ahead of me. I couldn't even see the road.

I didn't know how much longer my body would hold out. All I knew was that I couldn't stop. If I stopped, my life was over.

I didn't know how long I ran before my vision started to blur and my legs finally gave out. I collapsed at the edge of a highway.

A pair of headlights cut through the darkness and swept over me. I raised my hand with the last scrap of strength I had.

"Please... help me."

For once in my life, fate was kind. The driver was a decent person and took me all the way back to the city.

All I wanted was to get as far away as possible from the place that had turned my life into a nightmare. However, to leave the country, I needed my passport, and it was still back at that house.

It was the middle of the night. I unlocked the front door with my fingerprint and crept toward my room.

As I passed my parents' bedroom, I heard them talking and held my breath.

"Piper seems pretty attached to Logan. If she finds out we married him off in a spirit marriage, do you think she'll cause trouble?"

That was Mom.

Dad said, "Piper likes Corey, and Corey told me he likes her too. They're perfect for each other. That's the whole reason I went along with your parents' plan.

"Logan's always been difficult. It's better to keep him locked away in the country than let him get in the way of Corey and Piper's future."

My fists clenched on their own, and my knuckles went white. Part of me had still been holding out hope on the drive back. It was a small, desperate part that wanted to believe there was an explanation for all this.

Now I knew for certain. My own parents had sold me to a dead girl so that Corey could live happily ever after.

Rage and grief churned in my chest, but I couldn't make a sound. I knew that if they caught me, they'd drag me right back without a second thought.

I swallowed it all down, slipped into my room, grabbed my passport and my bag, and walked out of the house I'd lived in for 18 years.

My flight was at 10:00 am the next day. I stood at the end of the street with no idea where to spend the night. I didn't have much saved, and a hotel felt like a waste.

I thought of Piper. Even if she didn't understand me, she wouldn't sell me off the way my family had.

I went to the Ashton residence. The lights were still on inside their place, and the garden out front was full of flowers.

I walked up to ring the bell, but through the gaps in the iron gate, I saw them. There among the flowers, Corey had his arms around Piper, and they were kissing like they never wanted to stop.

I stood there as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head. The last lifeline I'd been reaching for turned out to be the very thing that pulled me under.

In the end, I dragged my suitcase to the police station. They examined my injuries overnight, took my statement, and opened a case. By the time the sun came up, I was in a car headed for the airport.

As the plane lifted off, I looked out the window at the city I'd spent 18 years in. The relief of having survived and the terror of how close I'd come hit me all at once, and my throat tightened as my eyes burned.

When the plane climbed above the clouds, I took a deep breath and told myself quietly, "Goodbye, Logan Hollis. The old one, anyway."

Starting today, I was going to become someone new.