Her New Life

Cutting Off Ties

The rest of the day went really well. They stayed at the cafe for a while, then went shopping and at the night at a bar. They decided to have a sleepover at Flora's place so Jessica didn't have to face her so-called family. Even though she would need to go back later to cut off ties with them.

"Are you ready to get rid of those scumbags?" Flora excitedly exited the car with her best friend.

"Can't wait! Let's go!" She grabbed her handbag and headed to the main door of the Carsons' Mansion.

After knocking on the door, the two girls waited for the butler to open it.

"Hello, Alfred." She kindly greeted the butler before he let her in.

He bowed at the sight of her and them stepped aside to let them in. "Good morning Miss Carson and Miss Levine." He paused for a brief moment but then hesitantly said, "Your parents and brothers have been trying to contact since last night. They must be really mad right now, so be careful."

"Thank you for the warning, but I can handle them. After what I say to them they will be even more mad tyan now." Said Jessica and headed upstairs leaving the butler dumbfounded.

She packed her stuff in her suitcase ready to leave after she talked to her soon-to-be former family. She headed to the living room with her suitcase in her hand, facing a crying Scarlett and an angry family trying to comfort her.

"Were in the world have you been?! Do you know how many times we tried to call you?!"

"Since when does my absence concern you?" She retorted in a calm tome angring her mother even more.

"Please Jessica, don't start again. You're giving me a headache. Why can't you just behave well like your sister does?"

"And we're do you think you are going with that suitcase?"

Jessica couldn't help but sigh helplessly at their foolines. "Look, I don't have time for more of your lectures. I'm just here to inform you that we don't have to be a family from now on."

"What do you mean?" Benjamin retorted with a somewhat puzzled expression, matching the rest of them.

"I'm cutting off ties with you. Since you don't have any intention to start treating me like a real member of your family, I don't have to do it either. From now on we are strangers." She stared coldly at them, which made them feel kind of upset.

"Is it all just because we treat Scarlett better than you? Look you don't have to do this all. We have been living with her for over a decade so we feel more familiar with her than with you." Her mother continued, "If you start treating Scarlett like a real sister we will consider you as a member of our family. Now go back upstairs and unpack like am obedient child. Stop causing trouble for us."

"Too bad I have already made up my mind! Bye."

And with that she picked up her suitcase and left.

"Ok, what just happened? She isn't serious is she?"

"Don't worry mother. She probablyjust wants to seek our attention, don't fall for her tricks."

"Guys, t-this is all my fault, r-right? If I hadn't been here, now Jessica would be with y-you and she wouldn't have left you. I'm the reason of your arguments. I should be t-the one who leaves, not her..." Scarlett stuttered making her family's hearts break just at the sight of it.

"No Scarlett, don't blame yourself. It's just her fault only. She can't accept having a step sister because she wants all the attention for herself."

"David is right. Let her live outside alone for a while; she will learn her lesson and return."

With the girls.

"How did it go?" Fiona asked getting in the car.

"Better than I expected actually. Now the only thing left is to break up with Karter. He's just like them."

"I have to agree with that. He is being suspiciously close with Scarlett lately. Although I understand they have been friends for years like you, it doesn't seem that simple anymore. "

Jessica chuckled at her words."You read my mind." She continued, "But knowing him, he will probably think I'm just fooling around."

"Right, he's just a jerk so ignore him and make him understand that you mean it." She added jokingly, "After that I will try to find the perfect replacement for him; one that will treat you better, that you deserve!"

They laughed together and drove off, leaving the Mansion with Jessica's past in it.

***

"She did what?" Karter's shocked voice was heard through the phone.

"Just as you heard. She said she is cutting off ties with us."

"Ben, she can't be serious right? She is your sister. We all know how much she values family."

He scoffed then retorted. "I know. She must be acting so she can get out attention. She will return don't worry; she can't live alone in the outside world."

"You're right. Let me just call her. I'll try to change her mind."

"Ok, I'm waiting."

They hung up but before Karter could call his girlfriend, he noticed a message from her.

'We're breaking up'

What is that supposed to mean? He wondered to himself.

He shook his head and called her.

"I think i was clear enough on the message. Or maybe your even more dump than I thought and you couldn't get the meaning of the words?" Said Jessica.

He blinked in confusion but managed to ask, "First of all, what do you mean we're breaking up? Why do you want that out of the blue?"

"It's not that sudden. I should have done it a long time ago, but I couldn't see your true colors. Don't think that I would never figure out about how close you have been with Scarlett lately."

"What are you blurring out? Do you hear what you're saying?"

"Yes, I know very well, and I mean it. We're over. Feel free to continue meeting up with Scarlett publicly or even date her officially now that I'm out of the way. From now on we're strangers." She said that and hung up.

He stared at the blank screen for a few moments and then composed himself and called Benjamin again.

"Any news?"

"Jessica broke up with me!" He said with a hint of panic.

"She did what? What is going on with this girl?"

"I honestly don't know. Shw said that she knows my meetings with Scarlett and now that she's out of the way I can date her." He explained. "Is she assuming that I'm cheating on her?"

"From what it seems, yes." He sighed in frustration and added, "I can't believe she's doing it all just because of a conflict with Scarlett and us."

"I understand the reason why she caused trouble to you, but did she think that i could cheat on her?" This situation was driving him more frustrated.

"Don't worry. She will calm down and come back, then everything will go back to normal." Ben tried to comfort his friend.

"You're probably right."

They exchanged a few more words with each other and then hung up. However, Karter couldn't help but think of what Jessica had told him.

'It's not that sudden. I should have done it a long time ago, but I couldn't see your true colors. Don't think that I would never figure out about how close you have been with Scarlett lately.'

Those words kept roaming on his mind. Did she actually mean all of this? He thought about what Ben had said and came to the conclusion that after she spent some time outside and cleared her mind, she would apologize to all of them and they would make up. That thought finally calmed him down and he logged into social media and scrolled through the posts, to take his mind off of these thoughts.