New Beginning
571 Words
The street outside smelled of rain and gasoline. A stray dog barked at the corner as I dragged my bag to the curb.
I hailed a taxi When the taxi pulled up, its headlights flickered weakly, and the driver didn’t even glance at me just popped the trunk like I was another piece of luggage.
I sank into the back seat, pressing my forehead against the window. As the city blurred past, so did everything I’d ever known.
Jake.
Sophie.
The apartment we decorated together.
The memories.
I remembered how I and Sophie met. I was 18, standing alone in a cake shop on my birthday. I had just lost my parents in a car accident a few months before. No friends. No family. Just pain and a slice of cake.
And then I saw her Sophie. Surrounded by her family and friends. Celebrating.
She noticed me sitting alone in the corner, and she walked over. She took my hand and brought me to her table. We found out we were born on the same day , the same month, the same year. We had even chosen the same cake.
Just like that we became friends From that day, we were inseparable. We celebrated our birthdays together every year. And now… she betrayed me for a man she even set me up as a game prize .
Was that all I was to her? A toy? A prize?
The tears rolled down my cheeks again. This time, I didn’t stop them.
Maybe I’d feel better if I let them fall.
Yes, Jake’s betrayal hurt but Sophie’s? That one shattered me.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Anywhere but here. Somewhere far away with no Sophie and no Daniel,” I whispered. “Maybe Eastbridge. Take me there.”
He didn’t ask why. He just drove.
By the time we arrive at Eastbridge
the sun peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of peach and lavender, I was in a new city.
Eastbridge.
I booked a cheap motel room
The room reeked of damp carpets and stale cigarettes. The curtains were thin, barely shielding me from the neon sign outside that blinked ROOMS AVAILABLE in angry red. The sheets were scratchy, and the air conditioner rattled like it might die any second. But at least it wasn’t home.
I remove my SIM card. Turned off all my social media.
And just like that… I disappeared.
Not for a break.
Not for healing.
But to start over.
I didn’t want them to find me. I didn’t want to hear explanations or apologies. I didn’t want to give anyone a second chance.
I wanted to be:
Unreachable.
Untraceable.
Unbreakable.
The truth is, I had no one left.
My parents were gone taken too soon. No siblings. No extended family. Just Jake and Sophie. They were my people…
And now they weren’t.
They never truly were.
They didn’t see me as one of them. I was just an object. A toy. A joystick for their game.
Which meant, I had nothing left to lose.
Wherever I go now…
I’ll be alone.
But I’ll also be free.
And for once, I’ll be mine.
As I lay on the stiff mattress, I promised myself one thing I would never be this powerless again. If Sophie and Jake had played me like a game, then next time… I’d be the one holding the rules.
- Writer
