Beloved Amara

Epi (2) One way Ticket

The announcement echoed through the bustling transit hall:

"This is the final call for Emirates Airlines Flight EK183 to Brussels, now boarding at Gate C11."

The words rang loud and clear, yet for Amara, they were distant, almost as if they didn't pertain to her. She sat in the waiting area, her boarding pass clenched tightly in her trembling hand, her phone pressed against her ear.

"Darling," said her father's voice on the other end, devoid of warmth,

"Don't forget to send the bridal money once you receive it. My situation is urgent; I need to cover business penalties. And do be mindful of Shirley, alright?"

'Yes, I understand,' Amara replied softly.

"Good. I'll hang up now. I need to be with Shirley. You know how low-spirited she gets if left alone.

Goodbye, and good luck."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Amara staring at her phone, her heart heavy. Not a single word of concern had been offered to her. As if she was an object, a mere means to an end, sitting alone in that airport, waiting to depart for a future she could hardly fathom.

The chilled air of the airport couldn't soothe the cold sweat that had begun to form on her brow. She was shivering, not from the air conditioning but from the anxiety gnawing at her insides.

An air hostess approached, her polished high heels clicking against the floor. Soon as seeing her elegant shoes, Amara looked up before meeting the attendant's gaze.

"Miss Barnett? This is the final call. All other passengers have boarded."

Amara inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself.

'Thank you,' she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

She stood, determined yet burdened, and proceeded to the counter, where she scanned her boarding pass.

>>This journey... it's the one I can never turn back from. Every step takes me further from the home I once knew. Or should I even call it home? Perhaps, there never was one.<<

As she entered the jet bridge, her heart ached with uncertainty. She had been given a business-class ticket, something she had never experienced before. The plush, spacious seats were a far cry from the economy class she had flown only once in her life, years ago. She sank into the large chair and let out a sigh. The journey ahead felt both surreal and foreboding.

>>I'm really leaving... but it's not the kind of escape I wanted. There is no place that feels like home anymore. <<

Her thoughts wandered to her family. Even now, they hadn't come to see her off. They weren't attending her wedding either, the wedding of their own daughter to a man of great wealth and title, Sir John Nathan, Duke of Belle Français. A wedding that, by tradition, should have been celebrated only once in a woman's lifetime. But her family's absence spoke volumes.

>>All they see is Shirley. Shirley's health, Shirley's happiness, Shirley's future... Shirley's husband. That's what matters to them.<<

The screenwriter who made these situations happen is Shirley, her younger sister, had always been the favored one. After returning from Ko Phyo's house, she decided to kill herself by jumping off the balcony. Even when she had attempted to end her own life by jumping off a balcony, injuring her legs and cracking her ribs, she had been the one who garnered all the attention, all the sympathy. That incident had solidified everything—Amara's father turned his back on her completely. From then on, Shirley's welfare was all that mattered, and Amara... well, she was only a burden, a stubborn obstacle standing in the way.