There was still a delicate box sitting on my desk. Inside were all the little things Nevaeh had given me over the years, along with a thick stack of letters she had written to me.

I opened the box and glanced inside. Then, without hesitation, I picked it up, walked out to the yard, and tossed the whole thing into the trash.

"Chester?" My mom stood in the doorway, looking at me in surprise.

"They're useless now. It’s better to throw them away." I dusted off my hands, my tone light.

She walked over and pulled me into a gentle hug. "Good. It's time to move forward."

The days before leaving the country passed quickly. I met up with friends, spent time with my family, and got everything ready for the trip.

I deliberately blocked out anything related to Nevaeh and Edward.

All I knew was that she had tried to contact me many times, but every attempt failed.

Her mom said she cried for a long time on the day she found out I had thrown away all the gifts and letters.

She said she did not understand why I had changed like that.

She said she regretted it.

As for me, I did not know what she was supposed to regret, and I did not care to figure it out. All I felt was excitement for the chapter ahead of me.

The airport was loud and crowded.

After checking in my luggage, I stood with my parents for one last goodbye.

"When you get there, you have to video call us every day," my mom said, her eyes red.

"I will, Mom. Don't worry."

"If you ever run short on money, tell me," my dad added, patting my shoulder firmly. "Don't make yourself suffer."

I promised them both and said a lot more things I did not even fully remember.

Just as I was about to go through security, someone came running toward me, out of breath.

She was stopped outside the checkpoint.

"Chester!"

Nevaeh's hair was messy, as if she had rushed over.

"Weren't you supposed to come to Brookshire University with me? Why did your parents say you're going abroad?

"Where are you going?"

There was panic in her voice, impossible to hide.

I did not respond.

I kept walking, letting her cry out behind me until security escorted her away.

When the plane finally took off, I looked out the window at the city shrinking below.

My heart was calm.

I knew that my new life, free from Nevaeh’s clutches, had finally begun.