Chapter 4 - Escape

RAELYNN

Did I want to run away? Yes.

Could I? No.

I knock on the door and I knew what to expect. The door was opened. My mom jumped on me, hugging me. I needed the same love and affection after what I was planning to tell them.

"Oh baby, we missed you so much," I returned the smile.

"I missed you guys too, umm where's dad?" Dad wasn't there.

"He's out to get some stuff because I'm going to make your favourite food today," but I wanted dad to be here. My parents were really conservative, there's no way they're gonna let me do anything I was going to ask for. I quickly changed and came back down.

"Mom I need to talk to you." There goes nothing, I told myself.

I made her sit with me as I took a deep breath. Holding back my emotions, I started telling her everything. My dream is to go to Los Angeles and make something out of myself. I wanted to stand up on my own feet, just like Sherri, Della, and everyone else.

But suddenly, a thunderous voice stormed in.

"NO ONE IS GOING ANYWHERE." I turn to my dad's deep and angry voice. He was standing at the door with a bag full of groceries. "The only time you'll step out of the house is when you get married. Understood?"

It was happening. Her worst nightmare was coming to life.

"But I... I want to go.. please just listen to me. This is my dream, dad!" He glared at me.

"NO! Go back to your room Raelynn," he said, loudly.

My dreams felt like they shattered in bits and pieces. My dad's word in this house was the final word. I ran back to my room as tears rolled down my eyes. I stared at my room's shabby grey walls. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I'd keep trying.

.

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AFTER 2 MONTHS ~

The time passed with me trying to convince my parents for the next 2 months and them refusing. I was constantly grounded, my privacy is taken away, my voice shut down.

All my attempts at proving myself were shunned down by my own parents. I had changed in one night and their constant dominance was burdening me. It was making me tear apart.

That's when I decided to do something I never imagined. I was thinking unbelievable things, putting myself out there and was a completely different person.

My parents and I didn't talk much anymore. I stopped sitting with them because I've tried every last way I could but they made me hate them. They just wanted to marry me off to someone well settled to keep me bound. They never cared about my happiness.

So, one night, I decided to take things into my hand. I felt out of my mind as I packed up my bags. Tiptoeing into my parents' room, I stole the cash they've been saving up for my marriage and decided to leave.

~

It felt like it's been hours I'd been wandering in the streets. It was way past midnight and I had already left the house without anyone knowing.

Everything felt so wrong. I was feeling like I was lost in the middle of nowhere. This was the wrong way. I was helpless...

"For your dreams, Rae. Only For your dreams," Sherri's words crossed my mind and that was when I started feeling better. It was like if I believed in myself, I could do what I wanted to for soo long. After that, I was unstoppable.

Soon I was at the airport, and the sun was rising. I checked in and completed all the procedures with a calm state of mind.

I was either making everything or breaking everything. I had no clue either way. What was I doing?

Is it worth it? I kept rethinking. I kept straining myself. I got a window seat but even that didn't stop me from crying. I was unaware as tears rolled down from my eyes.

Chills ran down my spine as I thought about how they were going to react when they can't find me anywhere. When they'll read my letter. I dread at the thought that how they're gonna forget all about me, maybe not even consider me as their daughter.

But.. It was too late, I was already flying towards LA. Towards, when it'll all start.

I jumped out of my sleep. The flight landed and I managed to pull myself back to my senses as I got out of the airport. I was still shocked at everything happening. With the reality, I was facing.

I suppressed the urge to buy a ticket back to Portsmouth. The 6 hours journey drained the very little spirit or even happiness I had. I felt terrible.

But suddenly, a silent gush of wind blew sending shivers to my whole body. It felt like a sign. Like even if I might've made a mistake, I should at least try to fix it before making another mistake. I knew at that moment, that all I can do right now was try.

My heart started beating rapidly.

I knew what to do to get to a hotel in the posh areas of Los Angeles but in the rush. I got so puzzled that I nearly just got killed. The car screeched to stop an inch before my legs. Through my dizziness and as I was aware of the yelling I'm gonna be getting, I ran away to the sidewalk.

Luckily enough, there was a taxi. I asked the taxi to take me to the hotel I've researched about and didn't look back even once.

Hotel Del View. It was the cheapest possible hotel still not affordable if I didn't have my parent's savings.

I checked in the hotel but my heart ached to give away that amount of money. The room was 3 times larger than my room and as beautiful as something I cannot describe. Since then, I bury myself with all those thoughts, mostly of how my parents were feeling right now. I was scared of them showing up here. I couldn't think of something better...

.

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NEXT WEEK ~

The most dreadful and humiliating week came up after that day. I realised I had failed to understand that reality wasn't easy at all.

I have been rejected by almost everywhere I went with my underwhelming CV. I haven't heard from any of the companies I mailed and I've been pushed around and looked down at by almost everyone.

I had never even met the world so I was delusional. I.. wished I had someone to guide me through it even if my parents gave up on me. I was almost out of money because everything was too costly. I didn't get a job which meant I was not earning.

I was naive enough to think that life will be all rainbows and unicorns after I get here. I almost gave up the hope of meeting Zayn but my eyes always looked around for him. How could I think that it'd be that easy to get a well-settled job here? How could I make such a huge decision without even thinking twice? This place was killing me little by little. Even though I tried being positive, the outcomes just made me fall lower and lower.

I was giving up. It was a big mistake. I couldn't let myself down anymore because I was already humiliated enough to take shelter in Sherri's house. She just wanted me to replace her for her needs, she had nothing to do with me. She made it very clear.

So I decided it's the best to just... Quit.

The next morning, I got up early. I took a shower, packed my bags and went around looking for some minor things lying here and there. I was going home.

I leaned in closer to the mirror scanning the details of the features I'd lost recently. Black bags were visible under my eyes, blackheads, I looked pale and blue. I tried smiling but I winced at how bad it looked.

I accidentally tripped down my purse, scattering everything inside it. Everything was thrown in every direction and I tried to gather everything.

Finally, as I stood up on my feet, I noticed something near the table's corner on the floor. I crawl under the table and pick it up.

It was a white card that looked like a business card. I flipped it to its front and scanned the card. Why was it in my purse? What was...

I stare blankly at the thing right in front of me.

"Oh my God," I gasped.