Ghost Me Once More And I’m Gone Chapter 08
Three years into my life in London, I returned to the United States for a short business trip.
I didn’t go home.
I stayed at a hotel near my company’s office.
Somehow, my parents found out.
One night, when I returned to the hotel, they were waiting outside.
Three years had added deep lines to both their faces.
For a moment, they almost looked like strangers.
Mom quietly wiped away tears.
She wanted to come closer but seemed afraid to.
“Emma, why didn’t you tell us you were back?”
“We really miss you.”
Dad forced a careful smile.
“Since you’re here, why not come home for a little while?”
Since we had already run into each other, I finally agreed.
At the door, Mom handed me a brand-new pair of slippers and took my coat.
Dad poured me water and adjusted the air-conditioning until the room was comfortable.
“Sit down.”
“Your mom’s making dinner. You’ve been in the U.K. for years. You must miss home-cooked food.”
They moved around me carefully, almost nervously.
I didn’t stop them.
I looked around.
The house seemed exactly the same.
And completely different.
The living room wall was now covered with awards, certificates, and photos of me from elementary through high school.
Some were yellowed and worn at the corners.
I had no idea which forgotten box they had dug them out of.
They were trying to prove they hadn’t truly ignored me.
Trying to fill in all the missing years.
But everyone knew time could not be restored.
Very little of Chloe remained in the house.
The refrigerator door that had once been covered in her photos was nearly bare.
Dinner had no trout.
No shrimp.
Nothing I was allergic to.
Almost every dish was something I had loved as a child.
During dinner, my parents mentioned Chloe with obvious disappointment.
“She hardly ever calls after moving away. She doesn’t even come home for the holidays.”
“Emma, don’t worry about her.”
“She owes you.”
I almost laughed.
They used to say I owed Chloe.
Now Chloe owed me.
After more than twenty years, none of it could ever be balanced.
I ate only a few bites before setting down my fork.
“I’m done. I still have work.”
My parents followed me all the way to the door.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
I picked up my bag.
“I’ve already arranged for your major expenses to be covered. You don’t need to worry about money.”
Mom’s eyes immediately turned red.
“Emma, that isn’t why we asked you back.”
“Are you still angry with us?”
Dad hurried to add, “Don’t leave so soon. Stay a few more days.”
I shook my head.
“I’m not angry anymore.”
“I’m leaving. Take care of yourselves.”
I wasn’t angry anymore.
But I wasn’t coming back either.
The door closed behind me.
The hallway light came on, then slowly dimmed.
Through the door, I heard my parents crying.
They were only a few feet away.
And still far enough that I had no desire to turn around.
The next day, before I flew back to London, Ethan appeared.
I hadn’t seen him in three years.
He was much thinner.
He was still wearing the same gray coat.
Mutual acquaintances had told me that his family’s company had been struggling for years.
Cash flow had nearly collapsed.
They were buried in debt.
The man who once lived comfortably now spent his days meeting clients, chasing investors, and attending endless business dinners.
He had learned to swallow his pride because survival mattered more.
He didn’t mention any of that.
Instead, he handed me his phone.
“You should prepare yourself.”
A local news report from the previous week filled the screen.
Chloe had fallen from a cliff while traveling in the western United States.
By the time rescuers reached her, she was already dead.
I stared at the photo for a long time.
When we were children, she had always wished I would disappear from the family.
Neither of us could have imagined that she would be the first one to disappear from this world.
In the face of death, twenty years of resentment suddenly felt very far away.
Ethan spoke quietly.
“There are some things from her estate that could come to you. Her attorney will explain the details.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t want anything.”
“Leave it all to my parents.”
“Could you handle the rest?”
Ethan took back his phone.
“Sure.”
After a short silence, I checked the time.
I needed to get to the airport.
This time, he didn’t stop me.
He didn’t beg me to forgive him.
He only smiled faintly.
“Safe travels, Emma.”
I nodded.
Then I turned and walked away.
Away from the American city I had known for more than twenty years.
Away from the man who had occupied most of my youth.
For the first time, everything felt light.
Outside the window, the sky stretched endlessly blue.
Just like the life waiting ahead of me.