The new semester would start at the end of August, but I decided to leave a month early. I would need time to settle in to get acquainted with my new life.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from my Aunt Petunia.
[Darcey, I’ll handle your passport and visa. You just focus on getting ready, okay? Let me know if you need help with anything.]
I felt my eyes sting again reading her words.
She’d tried, gently, to tell me before to let my feelings for Ulysses go. But I was too stubborn to listen.
Now, looking back, I realized she’d been right. Some paths just don’t lead anywhere.
Laughter floated up from downstairs—Ginger must’ve arrived. I turned up the music on my phone and started packing.
In the back of my closet, I found a pile of postcards and photos I’d stashed away over the years—all tied to Ulysses.
I looked through them one by one. Each photo felt like a tiny blade, slicing fresh wounds into my heart.
In the end, I packed them all into a box, sealing them away along with the naive feelings of my younger self.
This time, I was leaving for good. Taking my secret with me, along with my dream of becoming a professional ballerina, and a love I couldn’t hold onto. I’d go somewhere no one knew me and start fresh.
There, no one would know I was adopted by the d'Amboises. No one would know I’d fallen for someone I never should’ve loved.
I could finally chase my dreams without these feelings trapping me here.
As the night deepened, I stood by the window and watched Ulysses walk Ginger to her car.
They hugged in front of the car, exchanging kisses in the twilight.
I looked away and gently closed the curtains.
‘Goodbye, brother.’
‘Goodbye, my first love.’
Seven days before my flight—the same day Ginger moved in—I was in the practice room, rehearsing a new dance routine.
Through the floor-to-ceiling mirror, I saw her walk in, flanked by maids carrying two Louis Vuitton luggage.
Ulysses was right behind her, holding her makeup bag in one hand.
“Darcey, come help out,” he called to me.
I took off my headphones, wiping sweat from my forehead. “I still gotta practice—the competition’s coming up soon.”
Ginger slid her arm through his, smiling bright and charming.
“Lee, don’t distract your sister. I heard she’s competing in the Youth America Grand Prix. She can’t afford to lose focus.”
Her words sounded sweet enough, but they made my skin crawl