From Ruin She Rose novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Emily sat on the ground for a long time. She didn’t move until the dizziness in her head finally faded.

She didn’t feel sad or disappointed.

She searched her pockets and found only one twenty-dollar bill, two fives, and two fifty-cent coins.

Lucas had told her to take a cab back, but he hadn’t left her any money.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that two years ago, when Emily was sent to St. Gabriel Reform Academy, the Bennett family took away everything she had. They’d said she needed to live without luxury if she wanted to change-even took her hair tie.

These thirty-one dollars were left to her by the original owner of the hoodie she was wearing now.

Emily clenched the coins in her hand. A sharp pain shot through her chest, and her nose started to sting.

She just pulled the hoodie tighter around herself, put on the hood, slipped the money back into her pocket, and started walking down the mountain road, one step at a time.

The cool wind blew as her small, lonely figure slowly disappeared at the end of the road.

The weather was getting cooler, and night fell quickly.

Lucas had won his race easily and hung out with friends afterward. By the time he got home, it was already late.

As soon as he walked in, he saw his family sitting on the couch, all looking upset.

Andrew frowned at him. “We told you to pick up Emily. Why are you just getting back? And why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Lucas paused, then pulled out his phone and saw several missed calls.

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “I told you I had a race today. If Lydia hadn’t asked me to go, I wouldn’t have bothered picking her up.”

He walked around to the front of the couch and finally noticed the angry looks on his parents’ faces-and Lydia’s red eyes like she’d been crying.

Lucas seemed to realize something. “Lydia, did Emily mess with you again? She really hasn’t changed at all. I knew two years wouldn’t fix her.”

He rolled up his sleeves, full of anger. “Where is she? Bring her out. I’m going to teach her a lesson today!”

But after his little outburst, he saw that everyone was staring at him in shock.

Emma looked confused. “Wasn’t Emily supposed to come back with you? We thought you didn’t answer because she wouldn’t let you.”

“She’s not back yet?” Lucas was surprised. “I told her to take a cab.”

Andrew pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and it all clicked. “You left her on the side of the road and went to your race, didn’t you?”

Lucas had always been scared of his serious brother. Though he felt a little guilty under Andrew’s stare, he mumbled

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Chapter 2

stubbornly, “It’s not like she doesn’t know the way. I made a bet on this race-I would’ve had to buy dinner if I lost.”

Lydia, eyes still red, looked at Andrew. “Andrew, the fact that Emily’s not back yet… it must be because of me.”

Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “I should’ve just told everyone I fell down the stairs on my own. It wasn’t her fault. This is all my fault…”

She walked over and tugged on Andrew’s sleeve. “Andrew, let’s go look for Emily. I’ll apologize to her. I’m sure we can bring

her home.”

Seeing Lydia cry-the one he always stood up for-Lucas instantly forgot any guilt or worry he had about Emily. “You don’t need to say sorry to her,” he snapped. “Lydia, this isn’t your fault.”

Now, all Lucas felt toward Emily was anger. “So she still hasn’t changed at all. Just playing tricks to mess with you.

“If you want to look for her, Andrew, go ahead. I’m not going. I don’t believe she’s really not coming back. She’s just doing this for attention.

“Someone like her, all about money and status-there’s no way she’d walk away from our family.”

Just as he finished talking, a maid walked in and said, “Ms. Harper has returned.”

Everyone immediately saw the skinny girl standing behind the maid.

After two years, seeing Emily again left Gale, Emma, and Andrew completely stunned.

They couldn’t match this girl-head down, hands tightly clasped in front of her-with the bright and confident Emily they used to know.

Lucas suddenly raised his voice, sounding smug. “See? I knew she couldn’t stay away. We didn’t even go looking, and she still came running back.”

Gale snapped out of it and gave Emily a displeased look. “You’re a girl-what are you doing out so late? Do you want to embarrass us?”

His tone was harsh, and everyone expected Emily to fire back, making excuses and arguing like before.

They even had speeches ready-ready to lecture her the second she opened her mouth.

But Emily just kept her head down. Her voice was calm, without a trace of emotion. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

The room fell silent. No one had expected that.

In the quiet, Emma suddenly noticed something. She walked up to Emily. “Emily, you’ve lost so much weight. Was life hard at St. Gabriel’s?”

Emma’s warm, soft hand wrapped around Emily’s. Emily froze.

No one knew how many times she’d hoped someone would care about her, ask how she was doing. And how many times that hope had been crushed.

For two whole years, they had left her in St. Gabriel Reform Academy and not once looked back.

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