Chapter 1: Unexpected journey
"I'm sorry, Amber, but we have to let you go. The company is going through some difficult times, and we have to make cutbacks."
Amber's heart sank as her boss sat her down in his office. His face wore a somber expression, and she could feel the tension in the air. The words that followed struck her like a bolt of lightning.
The words echoed in her ears, a painful reminder of the uncertainty and fear that now clouded her future. She nodded, unable to find her voice, and quietly gathered her belongings before leaving the office. Her dreams of moving up the corporate ladder shattered in an instant.
Feeling lost and vulnerable, Amber made her way to her best friend Jessica's home, seeking comfort and solace. But as she stepped into the house, her world crumbled even further. There, in the living room, Jessica and Dylan, her own boyfriend, were locked in a passionate embrace. She hear here’s her boyfriend say “I love you Jessica”. Shocked and hurt, Amber confronted them, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"What is happening? How could you, Dylan? And you, Jessica?" she cried out, tears welling up in her eyes.
Dylan, looking guilt-ridden, spoke up hesitantly. "Amber, I'm sorry. I really am. But my feelings for Jessica... they've changed. I want to be with her."
“How long has this been going on!?!? How long have you two been doing this behind my back” Amber angerly shouts.
“Did you even hear what he said Amber he doesn’t want to be with you? See you never hear him! You never listen to him! Does it really matter how long this has it been going?” Jessica calmly says with a hint of pride in her voice. “It was never going to work, I knew it, Dylan knew it.. and deep down even you knew it!”
Amber took back step back in shock. “Your disgusting people!!” Amber says as storms out trembling with anger and sadness all at once.. How could her friend of 11 years do this to her. They had countless conversations of being each other’s bridesmaids at each other’s weddings. Jessica being the godmother to Amber’s child with Dylan, and all that came crashing down at once like it meant nothing.
Heartbroken and feeling betrayed by those she trusted the most, Amber fled from the house, her tears flowing uncontrollably. She found refuge in her car, seeking solace in the solitude it provided. Determined to escape the pain, she drove home, seeking any ounce of familiarity that still remained.
However, when she arrived at her apartment, another devastating blow awaited her. An 24 hour eviction notice fluttered against her door, further shattering the fragments of her crumbling life. Confused, she sought out her landlord, hoping for an explanation.
"Why am I being evicted? I've always paid my rent on time," Amber questioned, her voice tinged with desperation.
Her landlord sighed, seeming sympathetic yet burdened. "I'm sorry, Amber. It appears that Dylan hasn't been paying his share of the rent for the past few months. I've tried to reach out, but he keeps avoiding me. Unfortunately, since you're co-tenants, I have no choice but to evict both of you."
Amber thought back to all the times. Dylan told her that he was out working late to make extra money for them. She thought back how proud she was that her man would make sacrifices to live in a luxury apartment in the city. That was just a lie. He told her so he could see Jessica..be with Jessica.
As Amber entered what was once her luxuriously decorated expensive overpriced city apartment that she shared with the love of her life, now was a cold reminder of a dream that was never even real. Her heart heavy with defeat, she begins packing her belongings, deciding what to salvage from her broken dreams. She always knew she wanted to live in the city since she was a kid. Have the great husband and the great luxury apartment to match, but now that seemed like a nightmare. Amidst the chaos as she is packing, a photo slipped from a letter she had found in the stack of paperwork. It depicted her mother, Luna, as a young girl. Curiosity piqued, she unfolded the letter and reads the heartfelt words that was addressed to her mother by her grandmother, whom she had never known.
"I know you're always chasing a bigger world, but don't forget where you come from. Daniel took you away from us, but Misty Habor is your home forever. It is your inheritance and one day your Amber’s inheritance. We miss and love you always. Remember, the sea is calling you back..please come back before it’s too late," the letter revealed.
Shocked and confused, she never met her grandparents, and her mom would never answer any questions about them either when asked. “ How could they know her name?” she thought. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to the story and couldn't help but be intrigued by the mention of Misty Harbor being her home. She desperately needed a home. She quickly looks up the return address on the letter. With nowhere else to go, she impulsively decided to embark on a journey to this unknown place that seemed to hold a connection to her past.
