Leaving You All Behind

The day I come home to my biological family, it seems like no one is taking the fake heiress' side. My fiancé, Hank Graham, is the one who kicks Olivia Horton out and sends her back to the mountains. Mom and Dad tell everyone I'm their only daughter. Every holiday, my brother, Chester Horton, sends me money without a second thought. A week before my wedding, the whole family even comes with me to my wedding dress fitting. The zipper at my side gets stuck, so I call for Hank a few times. When he doesn't answer, I step out of the fitting room and hear the contempt in Chester's voice. "Olivia got upset this morning because you're getting married. It took us forever to get her to eat." Hank rubs his forehead, worried but helpless. "What am I supposed to do? If my future self hadn't called me from ten years ahead, Amanda would've driven Olivia to her death. You think I actually want to marry Amanda?" Then Mom speaks up. "Hank, marrying Amanda is just for show. Don't forget, Olivia is your legal wife." I freeze. The wedding dress slips from my hands and falls to the floor. So that's why they brought me home. It was all to protect her. They've been lying to me all along. Chapter 1 "Is the dress not fitting right?" The sales associate picked up the dress, patted it down, and handed it back to me with both hands. The bodice was covered in hand-sewn beadwork and embroidery, and the train glittered with rhinestones. I stared at the dress for a moment. "It's beautiful, but it's not my size." The dress was one size too small around the waist. No matter what I did, the zipper wouldn't close. "Olivia Horton, size XS. That should be your size, right? You and your husband came in for measurements last time, but one of my coworkers helped you." She handed me the customer information form, and my hands started shaking as soon as I looked at it. The date was the 15th of last month, my birthday. Hank Graham had been away on a business trip. Mom and Dad had been hosting some old friends, and my brother, Chester Horton, had said he was tied up at work. But the form showed that four people had come in that day. Hank and I had been engaged since last year, and I'd asked him more than 50 times to schedule our pre-wedding photos. He always said he didn't have time. But the form showed they'd already taken nine different sets of wedding photos that cost 69,500 dollars. There was even a family portrait listed under the add-ons, the same one I'd brought up over and over again at dinner. I'd spent all that time trying to work around everyone's schedules. Looking at that form now, all that effort felt like a joke. They weren't too busy. They just didn't want to take those pictures with me. I took a photo of the form and walked out into the main area, only to find it empty. A voice message from Hank came through on my phone. "Babe, a last-minute meeting came up at work, so I had to leave. If you find a dress you like, just use my card." Less than three minutes later, Mom, Dad, and Chester called one after another. They all had some excuse about suddenly not feeling well or something coming up at work. My heart sank. Last July, I'd suddenly gotten appendicitis. I called Hank, but he declined the call almost immediately. I texted Mom and Dad, but neither of them replied. I called Chester over and over, but couldn't get through. I tried to walk to the hospital in the pouring rain, but I passed out on the way. A stranger found me and got me to the hospital. Later, Hank said he hadn't had his phone with him. Mom and Dad said they'd been cooking and hadn't seen my messages. Chester said he'd had his phone on silent because he was working. Then there was our engagement celebration last December. I waited at the restaurant from noon until midnight, but not one of them showed up. Hank said his flight had been delayed. Mom and Dad said their car had broken down on the way. Chester said he'd had to work late at the last minute. Bit by bit, it all started to make sense. Every time something important came up in my life, all of them somehow had a reason not to be there. There was no way that was a coincidence. They hadn't been missing those moments because they were busy. They'd been doing it to keep Olivia happy. I stared at the address at the bottom of the photo, then flagged down a cab. "Alder Cove, Building 18." I wanted to see for myself what the other home they'd been hiding from me was really like. Chapter 2 The higher the elevator climbed, the faster my heart pounded. It stopped on the 26th floor. As soon as the doors opened, I heard laughter coming from inside the condo. "Mom, I want some watermelon." "Okay. I'll cut some up for you." "Chester, I found a new bag I really want. Who's going to buy it for me?" "I will. When have I ever said no to something you wanted?" I didn't even have to see them to picture Olivia in the middle of it all, with everyone fussing over her. It was exactly how they'd treated me on my first day with the Hortons. Back then, Hank called just as I'd finished feeding the pigs. I was so excited that my biological parents had finally found me that I could barely think straight. Even so, I took a shower, put on the nicest clothes I owned, and got into the car. On the way there, I must've practiced what I was going to say hundreds of times. But the moment I got there, Olivia screamed and threw up. "Ugh, she smells! Did she just crawl out of a dumpster? That's disgusting." I was wearing the cleanest outfit I owned. I'd washed it over and over with soap, and it didn't smell like the pigpen at all. But one comment from Olivia was enough to make even Mom and Dad cover their noses. I wanted to say something, but my throat tightened, and a sour taste rose in my mouth. Back then, Hank had stepped in front of me without a second thought and shielded me from them. But now, he had Olivia in his arms, looking at her with a gentleness I'd never seen before. "Don't be mad, babe. I'm here to make it up to you, aren't I? Amanda's nowhere near as important as you are. Didn't you say you wanted to go to Avernia to see the snow? I already got the time off. I'll take you next week." Babe? Hank had never called me that. Even when we were crazy about each other, he always had me saved in his phone under my full name. After I started working, he even added my department to my name. Once, I took his phone and changed my contact name myself. He blocked my number that same night. He always explained it like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "My coworkers might see it. There's no need to make our relationship so obvious." Since when was a contact name too much? The truth was, he just didn't want people to know what I was to him. After we got engaged, I brought up our honeymoon more than once, but Hank always had an excuse. The weather was never right. The timing was never right. Neither was the place. In the end, I realized I was the one who was never right for him. And yet, in the hottest part of summer, Hank was willing to fly all the way to Avernia just so Olivia could see the snow. I stood outside the door and suddenly couldn't bring myself to step inside. "Amanda? Why are you here?" Olivia's voice was barely above a whisper, and the color drained from her face. Hank didn't even glance at me. He just pulled Olivia behind him and stood in front of her. "Amanda, what are you doing here?" "What am I doing here? Hank, what are you doing here? Comforting your other wife?" He'd just been caught cheating, but he didn't look worried at all. His first instinct was still to protect Olivia. The way they acted, you'd think I was the one trying to tear their family apart. "Amanda, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have come here. I just missed Mom and Dad, Chester, and Hank so much. I wasn't trying to take anything away from you." Olivia's eyes were red, and her whole body trembled. Chester shoved me aside and stepped over to Olivia's other side. "Amanda, that's enough. Olivia didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who brought her here. If you're angry, take it out on me." I hadn't even done anything. I'd only shown up, and somehow that alone was enough to make them treat me like the enemy. It hurt so much I could barely breathe. "Why? Why are you all doing this? All because of one ridiculous phone call, you went to all this trouble to lie to me just to protect her? Hank, even you don't believe me?" Hank and I had been together for three years, and he was the one who'd made the first move. He wasn't good at expressing his feelings, but he'd always made me feel secure. If the water dispenser broke, he'd have it fixed by the next day. Whenever the seasons changed, he'd buy me whole new outfits. Even when he cooked, he always made everything the way I liked it. "You even know about that phone call? Amanda, you're even more despicable than I thought. Why should I believe you won't hurt Olivia?" I froze. Before I could explain, the door slammed shut in my face, and a rush of air hit me. I fumbled to wipe away my tears, only to see a message from Mom and Dad. "Amanda, Olivia is our daughter too. We're begging you, please don't go after her." So that was why they hadn't said anything earlier. It wasn't because they believed me. They were just afraid that if they upset me, I might do something to Olivia. Everything I'd been holding back came rushing out. With shaking hands, I texted back, "Okay." Then I downloaded the transfer application my manager, Ms. Parker, had sent me. My fiancé was never really mine. The wedding was a lie, and so was the love I thought I had from my family. So what was the point of being a Horton? I didn't want this fake family anymore. Chapter 3 On the cab ride home, the city lights slowly faded, and the streets grew quieter. When Hank and I bought the condo we planned to live in after the wedding, he said he wanted somewhere quiet, so we chose a place out in the suburbs. But it was over six miles from my office, and getting a cab usually meant waiting at least half an hour. Hank was too busy with work to drive me, so whenever it rained, I had to get up two hours early just to make sure I could get a ride. I asked him three times if we could move, but he said no every time. He always looked a little troubled when he said, "Amanda, just hang in there a little longer. Once I get through this busy stretch at work, we'll move.” Hang in there? Meanwhile, Olivia was living in a spacious condo right downtown. The vintage furniture and decor looked familiar. I'd seen the same style in the design plans tucked away in Hank's drawer. I'd thought those plans were for the place we were going to move into. It had never crossed my mind that he was designing another home for her. After I got out of the cab, I took the stairs up to the sixth floor. When I opened the door, the condo looked the same as always, plain and sparsely furnished. Chester had given me the wardrobe, saying I should have plenty of nice clothes. Even after the sliding-door track started to rust, I could never bring myself to get rid of it. Mom and Dad had bought the bed. They'd said a wooden bed frame would be sturdy. But even the slightest movement made it creak at night, and it often kept me awake. I looked around the condo, and it finally hit me. All those little things I'd held on to so tightly had never meant what I thought they did. They'd just been cheap gestures meant to keep me happy. After I finished packing my clothes, I closed my suitcase. Then I sat down at the coffee table in the living room and signed the transfer application. "Going on a business trip? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll drive you.” I hadn't even noticed Hank come in. He was taking off his shoes by the door. Without looking up from the application, I said, "I can drive myself. I don't need someone else's husband driving me." Hank frowned, clearly annoyed. "Amanda, do you really have to be jealous over this? Olivia wouldn't have to hide like this if you hadn't come back. We've already given you enough.” "Jealous? Don't flatter yourself. Hank, we're done. You can keep the condo. I'm taking the car.” Hank let out a disbelieving laugh. "Trying to get a reaction out of me again? I got a call yesterday saying you'd threaten to break up with me, and sure enough, that's exactly what you're doing. Amanda, can't you come up with anything new?” He looked at me like I'd completely let him down. Then he slammed the door and walked away without looking back. So this was what it felt like when no one would believe a word you said. I swallowed hard, tasting blood at the back of my throat. I grabbed my suitcase and headed down to the parking garage. I sent the transfer application to Ms. Parker for approval. By tomorrow, I could book my flight. As I drove away, the condo complex behind me grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight. There were no streetlights this far out in the suburbs, and even my headlights barely cut through the darkness. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel when something suddenly slammed into the back of my car. Before I could turn around and see what had hit me, everything went red. My phone automatically dialed my emergency contact three times, but no one answered. With what little strength I had left, I called Mom and Dad, but the line was busy. Then, just when I needed someone to answer, Chester called me back, sounding irritated. "Stop calling. Can't you give it a rest? Let me guess, you're going to say you got into a car accident, right? Hank got another call from his future self ten minutes ago warning us not to fall for your sob story.” My heart sank. My smartwatch had already sent Hank more than a dozen alerts about my heart rate, but he still wouldn't believe me. I closed my eyes, and my mind went completely blank. Chapter 4 By the time I woke up, it was already bright outside, and there was barely any sign left of last night's storm. "You're awake?" I tried to turn my head, but a stabbing pain shot through it. Ms. Parker handed me a glass of water. "You never showed up when we'd agreed to meet last night, and you weren't answering your phone. I got worried and called the police. I had no idea it would end up saving your life." She took the transfer application out of my bag and stamped it. "Amanda, does your family know about your transfer?" I stared at the ceiling, confused by the question. "I called your husband this morning. The first thing he said was, 'Stop pretending.' The hospital tried to contact your family too, but they wanted nothing to do with it. It was like they were afraid to get involved in anything involving you." I'd expected them to react that way, but hearing it out loud still made my chest ache. After Ms. Parker helped me finish the hospital paperwork, she left. I was scrolling through my phone when I saw that Olivia had made a new post. "I suddenly felt like learning how to bake a cake in the middle of the night, so Mom and Dad got up and started watching tutorials. "Chester called a chef friend of his for help, and my husband drove dozens of miles to get the baking supplies. 27 years old and still surrounded by so much love!" Hank was the first to like it, followed by Chester, Mom, and Dad. Three minutes later, all four of them shared the post. I casually liked Olivia's post and kept scrolling. Less than five minutes later, my phone blew up with dozens of messages. Hank: "What are you trying to pull now? We're just making a cake with Olivia. Do you really need to be mad about that?" Chester: "Amanda, you're taking this too far. What gives you the right to threaten Olivia like this?" Mom and Dad: "Amanda, Olivia is your sister too. She's been through a lot because of you all these years." My stomach turned. It had been more than ten hours since my car accident, and not one of them had called to ask if I was okay. But all I did was like Olivia's post, and suddenly they were blowing up my phone. My expression hardened as I blocked every one of them. The crash had come out of nowhere, but luckily, I hadn't hurt my legs. I had a mild concussion, so the hospital kept me for observation for a few days. Once I was discharged, I bought a plane ticket. Before I headed to the gate, the bridal shop called. "Ms. Olivia Horton? We finished altering the wedding dress you tried on last time. When would you like to come in for another fitting?" "There's no need. The wedding's off. And I'm not Olivia. My name is Amanda Horton." I took the SIM card out of my phone, dropped it into a trash can, and headed for the gate. "Your flight will depart in 30 minutes. Please have your ID ready for boarding." A notification suddenly popped up on the account Hank and I shared. For some reason, Hank had a bad feeling. I'd packed my bags four days ago, so why was I only leaving today? Chester glanced at the notification and scoffed. "I bet she was never going on a business trip. She's probably hiding from us on purpose. Does she really think this will get our attention?" Normally, Hank would've thought the same thing. This time, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Mom and Dad asked carefully, "Why don't you call that number from the future again? See where she's hiding." That made Hank feel a little better. He still had the calls from the future to rely on. He dialed the number. As soon as the call connected, an unfamiliar woman answered. Hank tried to explain everything, but she had no idea what he was talking about. "What future call? I just got this number today. It was assigned to me when I got a new SIM."