A NEW BEGINNING

EMILY

I didn’t exchange a word on the road with Olivia. I just sat here, losing myself in painful thoughts. That shocking scene came back to my mind again and again, like a broken record. But I woke up from my reverie when we stopped in front of my sister’s house.

She was waiting for me with little Eduard who, as soon as he saw me, jumped into my arms. The smile and the warmth that this little angel, whom I love sincerely, gave me, relieved a little of the anxiety I felt when I saw they had deceived me. I had to admit that I missed him very much, so I quickly let go of my anger and enjoyed that sweet little boy.

Although he was only a year old, he knew me very well and loved me very much. I spent a lot of time with him from the moment he was born until I shut myself off from everyone because of Kevin.

As I gazed warmly at him and kissed his plump, fluffy cheeks, my little prince, he handed me an envelope. I took it looking in wonder at Olivia, my sister Gaby and my mother who was slowly coming up the alley trying not to make her presence felt.

She didn't want a fight with me and I could see that on her face. I handed the little guy to his mother and opened the envelope curiously. It had a plane ticket, keys to a house, and another sealed envelope. I gazed at Olivia in shock.

“It’s your new vacation home. I’ve put all my money down and bought you a cottage on the wild shores of Khao Lak in Thailand. You need a place like this to find yourself and get back on your feet.” Olivia paused for a moment, during which she moved closer to me and then continued. “My dear, I too have had many troubles in my life, but I didn’t let them get me down. I care for you like a little sister and it hurts to see you break down. You are an amazing writer, so please hold your head up high and get on with your life, however hard it may be. The envelope that is sealed you will open when you get to the airport in Thailand.”

I stared at her for a few minutes while I tried my hardest to hold back the tears. I wondered what should I do?

My heart felt like it was no longer beating in my chest, but in my throat. My hands trembled and the tears finally flowed as if they were an endless river. The people I had always pushed away from me were now by my side. Those I considered enemies were extending a helping hand.

“You taught me a great lesson today. I thought all of you here were hard on me because you were envious of my achievements, but in fact, you were always trying to warn me. You wanted me to open my eyes and see what their true face was,” I told them between sobs. “I thought you were my enemies, and they were my family, and it was actually the other way around. You knew who they really were and tried to show me, but I didn’t want to see anything.”

“How could you think that I, your mother, was jealous of you?” Mother spoke up in a lost voice, her eyes wet with tears that she could barely hold back. “How could I be your enemy? You are my daughter and I want your well-being. I’ve made mistakes in life too, but my children are everything to me.”

“You were never there for me. What would you have me believe? Plus, you always criticized Kevin, which I didn’t like at all,” I replied sharply to my mother.

“Emily, raising two kids as a single woman and also keeping a business going is hellishly hard. Sacrifice yourself to give your kids the life that other kids have with mom and dad by their side and others don’t even dare dream of. As for your husband, we’ve all seen that he’s a womanizer. I’m sure Susan is neither the first nor the last,” Olivia spoke calmly.

Those words came like an arrow that plunged straight into the wound, deepening it further.

“My husband? I don’t have a husband! I want an immediate divorce,” I said harshly. “Mom, help me get rid of him, please,” I said to my mother with my hands folded.

“I promise to do everything in my power to help you. It will be hard, but not impossible. “

“Listen, no more talk. Come on, you’re missing your plane. Go, have fun, and start living life to the fullest. You should live life without letting hardship get you down,” Gaby told me with a smile.

“I don’t know if I can do it?” I replied in a sad tone.

I wasn’t ready to get out of my cage yet. There was a place where I felt protected. I knew no one could hurt me as long as I stayed out of sight. I was afraid to go out into the world alone. For the past few years, I’ve only traveled with Kevin. Sometimes Susan would join us. Kevin felt sorry for her because she hadn’t gotten over her boyfriend. I’d never traveled alone, and now I was a little afraid. And then there was the fact that I was going to change everything, city, house.

I was going somewhere I didn’t know. I usually took care of the trips Kevin and I made. He let me choose and pay for it, which was probably why he liked me to take care of everything. Now it was something Olivia and my mom chose. It was something new that panicked me. I was hoping, though, that this time I wouldn’t go to a golden-polished hotel, as Kevin was always warning me to choose. I still remember our last vacation where we picked a more ordinary destination and a less luxurious resort. He made such a fuss. The whole holiday he was only with Susan and he didn’t pay any attention to me.

“Of course, you can! You’re the strongest person I know. Get your head out of the ground and keep going. Write your best book,” Gaby said as she squeezed my hand, waking me from the daydream I had entered.

“Come get in the car,” Olivia said to me in a playful tone.

I looked at her with pleading eyes, like a deserted puppy. She smiled at me, patted me lightly on the shoulder, then started for the car, waiting for my decision. I took a deep breath and spoke.

“Thank you very much! I will accept this chance to come back to life.”

I turned and walked shyly towards Olivia, my head still lowered. Even though I knew it couldn’t get any worse, a huge fear swept through my whole body and it seemed like all the pain I was feeling turned into a big lump that got stuck in my stomach, causing me quite a lot of pain.

“Hold your head up high and face any problem with dignity,” I heard my mother’s voice from behind me as gentle as ever. She was glad that for the first time in my life I was listening to her advice.

I turned my gaze to her and smiled back as I choked on my words with emotion. I then got into Olivia’s car full of fear, excitement, but with hope. Moving on to another world, another land, away from all the pain and madness of home, to a place where no one knew me and where Kevin couldn’t find me.

The flight went unexpectedly well. I was afraid of turbulence and a bumpy flight, but I was lucky. The skies were clear, and we had a beautiful view. Seeing the wonders of nature when you are close to the sky was something you rarely get to experience. Looking out the small, round window of the plane at the enchanting view helped take my mind off what had happened. For the first time in two weeks, I turned my thoughts to something else unrelated to Kevin and Susan.

When I arrived at the airport, I opened the envelope Olivia gave me before boarding. She asked me not to open anything until I landed, and for the first time, I took her advice without argument. I rarely took advice from anyone. Many times, Olivia would tell me to keep my eyes open because these two differed from I saw them, but I wouldn’t listen to anything.

The first time she saw Susan, Olivia told me to be careful with her, only I slammed the door in her face and for months I didn’t want to see her again. I regretted it all now because I was late in realizing Olivia was right.

Again, all the organization of this trip surprised me. Olivia had thought of everything that was needed. She even hired a driver to take me to my destination. Besides all the details of the trip, I also found a contract she had from that man she tricked me into meeting so she could get me out of the house. This showed me that the collection I wrote was having international success. It said there that I would receive a monthly payment and that the next book would get published directly overseas. The amount I was to receive each month was a small fortune for me.

I gathered myself a little after the immense joy I felt and walked out the doors of the airport where I expected to see a man waving a sheet with my name on it, as written on the paper in the envelope, but there was no one there. I looked around, thinking he was somewhere tucked away in a corner, but nothing.

Because there was no one there, I went back to the waiting room trying to stay as close to the front door as possible, hoping that the driver Olivia had hired would come looking for me. I just wanted to find a place to leave my luggage, which was uncomfortable and quite heavy. I was walking and looking around for someone to come and get me out of the place that looked more like a sauna.

The midday sun was as strong as the morning sun. Its rays penetrated the wide-open windows of the waiting room, ready as if to burn everything in their path. I dreamed of a swim in the sea and a few hours on the sand at the beach. Only a loud bang woke me from my beautiful dream, and I found myself knocked to the ground.

My suitcase flew off, unfolding, and all my belongings scattered. I looked around and couldn’t understand what had happened to me and how I ended up on the floor in an awkward position and why all my clothes got thrown away, as if someone was going to put them on display.