Chapter 2: Scars of the Past
Amy walked down the hotel’s rear staircase, avoiding the main lobby where three hundred guests waited in anticipation. Her heels clicked steadily against the stone, each step a declaration of freedom.
When she reached her vehicle in the private parking garage, she sat in the driver’s seat for a long moment. She didn't cry. The tears had died the moment she saw Chloe’s eyes meet hers.
Growing up in the small town of Willow Creek, Amy had lost her father at a young age. Her mother, Sarah, had worked two jobs at a local diner to put Amy through interior design school. Amy had spent her entire life trying to be perfect, believing that security meant building a life so flawless that no one could ever leave her again.
Ethan Bennett had represented that security. Or so she thought.
Her phone buzzed repeatedly on the passenger seat—calls from Ethan, hysterical texts from Chloe, and urgent notifications from her mother. Amy answered Sarah’s call.
""Amy! Sweetheart, where are you?"" Sarah’s voice panicked. ""Mrs. Bennett just announced the wedding is canceled. Everyone is leaving! What happened?""
""I'm okay, Mom,"" Amy whispered, taking a deep breath. ""I’m coming home.""
""Home?""
May you like
""Back to Willow Creek. I need to start over.""
Amy stripped off the veil from her hair, threw it into the back seat, and started the engine. As she drove away from the grand estate, the reflection of the city skyline faded in her rearview mirror. She was leaving behind the wealth and status she had chased, but for the first time in years, her lungs filled with real air.
