anctuary of her mountain cabin, El

ng 52°C oven, but inside, the te

ered batteries was the on

creen, several f

hots of text messages, bank statements, and

ret relationship. Elena had spent the previous night

blind. She had protected them

their own filth to destroy

ed her mouse over the broadcast butto

love survives without a

she sent the packages

parents. They were strict, prideful peop

ners, and how well she took care of their son. They t

nto the master inbox of HR and the ex

ics company, and she had spent the last three y

olicy against workplace mi

ngle mutual friend, college acquaintance,

ploaded directly onto the main cit

stuck indoors, glued to their phones, desperately looking

agged with their fu

one hundred percent, Ele

do anything else.

sweaty studio apartment that smelled like stale sweat and sp

heap plastic table. Ryan, who was trying to patch up hi

text from Elena beggi

s flooded with missed

Ryan answered it quickly, his voice desperate. "Dad? Thank

d through the speaker, so loud that Ryan

king with pure rage. "You pathetic, disgusting

g slipping from his han

or your clothes, your food, and your rent! You dragged our family name through the dirt! The entire neighbor

Ryan stammered, his face turn

clean of you. Do not come to our house. Do not ask us for a single dollar

ent comple

out over his body. "How did he find out?" he thought, his mind ra

family's support, the door to the stud

't look like the beautiful, co

ith fury, and she threw her expensive

against the wall, spilling lips

a screamed, her voice cracking

etent idiot! Look w

wn anger flaring up

aming about? My dad

Sophia roared, marching up to him and

motion is gone, Ryan! They fired me! They escorted me

messages from three years ago, the hotel receipts, the pictures from the trips you bought me with Elena's cards! I

t? Who did you tell, Sophia? Did you brag to one o

way, laughing hysterically, her

who completely lost his mind when Elena locked you out! You probably go

n his neck. "You're the one who wanted to take those stupid photo

iting for you to drain that stupid girl's inheritance! And now, because of your utter stupidity, we have no m

es her money bought!" Ryan screamed, grabbing a gl

k room, panting heavily, glaring

had built on a foundation of lies and

ected Elena. To them, Elena was just a broken, pa

us friend had exposed them. They had no idea who

, and blame each other as the

r wooden porch, watching the sunset bleed

hand, silently scrolling throug

me people who had laughed at her a few days ago for buying

being hunted by loan sharks, abandoned by t

She looked out over the vast, wi

time in two lifetimes, the suffocating we

life's betrayal was finally fading, r

er face. It was her very first smile

p electronic chime vibrate

aterialized in the air, glowing be

jor emotional and psycho

Progres