My mom was satisfied.
She thought she had me completely under her
thumb.
“Good. And prepare a surprise for your
mother too.”
“I gave birth to you, I deserve it.”
I smiled. “Okay, just wait and see!”
I’d give them the surprise of their lives. The next day, I went to work to finalize my resignation.
<
My boss, Ashley, knew about my family. She
didn’t ask any questions, just processed
everything and handed me my final paycheck.
“Emily,” she said, “I hope you find happiness.”
My eyes welled up. “Ashley, don’t forget to
keep me in the loop about those stocks.”
She chuckled.
“Of course. I’ll let you know if anything
happens.”
“And if you’re ever short on cash, just holler.”
I hugged her tight, whispering, “Thank you.”
L
I hugged her tight, whispering, “Thank you.”
Without her, I wouldn’t have known how to
fight back.
She’d helped me set up a separate bank
account, taught me how to hide money.
I started writing fiction in my junior year of
college. I used to write long–form, squeezing
in time whenever I could, churning out four
thousand words an hour.
The results were average. I mostly relied on completing monthly quotas for income.
I made a couple thousand dollars a month,
<
maue a couple thousand dollars a NLE,
which they never knew about. They still tried
to control me with my six–hundred–dollar
monthly allowance.
Later, I switched to short stories, publishing
three or four a month, sometimes earning
over ten grand if I was lucky.
Now, I had over thirty thousand saved.
Ashley said softly, “I know a place where they won’t be able to touch you, even if they find
you.”
My eyes lit up. I honestly had no idea where
to go.
<
The train ticket I bought yesterday was to
Yellowstone, but I didn’t know anyone there,
so I was still apprehensive.
“Tell me, Ashley. This is really important.”
Ashley grinned. “My hometown, back in Montana. Folks stick together there. Nobody would be able to take you.”
I’d visited Ashley’s hometown a few times, but
only for a day or two each time because
Sarah always demanded I come back and take care of her.
<
It was beautiful there, mountains and wide
open spaces, the air felt free. I loved it.
“Could I really go there?”
Ashley winked. “Absolutely! You can rent a
cabin, get a couple of guard dogs. No one will
mess with you.”
Wow. I was sold.
