*~~Chapter One Hundred And Four~~*

/THE PAST- SIX YEARS AND NINE MONTHS PRIOR/

{~~Avery Sterling~~}

Sometimes, there's nothing you can change about the past. No matter how much you wish you could, it remains the same, etched in the annals of time. This year marks the end of an era for me. The end of high school, the end of a chapter filled with bittersweet memories, and the end of my last moments in this school. As I stand on the precipice of a new beginning, there is one more thing I feel like I have to do before I leave for college.

College. The word feels like a promise and a breath of fresh air. It's an escape, a beacon of hope, a chance to start anew. I am going to college to be a Green 400 level nurse, to help others and to build a life far removed from the toxic environment of my terrible family. The thought of leaving them behind brings a surge of relief and a touch of apprehension. But most of all, it fills me with an overwhelming sense of freedom. No more being stuck in Ava’s shadow. No more pain and having t