Chapter Two

By the time she reached her bedroom, she knew she’d have to run as soon as she could. After she finished getting ready for bed, she packed a few suitcases and hid them under her bed.

Courtney sat at her desk with a pen and paper, trying to figure out what to write to her mother. As much as she wanted to leave without it, she knew her mother would move heaven and earth to find her either way. She just hoped her new friends would be able to hide her until she could figure out what to do next.

She couldn’t get her stomach to settle, and the stress and tension made it hard for her to concentrate.

Dear Mother,

I am sorry to leave without talking to you, but I know you won’t listen to anything I say. I know you’ll be upset, not because you’ll miss me but because your ticket to the high society in the city was taken away. You’ll have to find another way. Maybe you can find a rich man to marry.

I won’t go into everything I’d like to say, but the fact I put up with your diets, studying different languages, and never going outside or having fun was exhausting, and I disliked most of it. You never even let me watch movies. You told me I would get more out of reading boring nonfiction books.

The final straw happened tonight. The fact that you set up an engagement with a man I don’t know and frankly is gross, opened my eyes to the fact that you’ll do anything, even destroy your own daughter, your only living relative, to get what you want.

I can’t get over the fact that you care nothing for me or my happiness. Every year, you’ve become more selfish and obsessed with money, and it affected me the most.

I’m twenty-three years old, and I’ve never been to a movie theater or eaten pizza or an ice cream cone. I don’t have friends or hobbies because you won’t allow it. My whole life revolves around your dream. I feel like you don’t even see me anymore. I’mjust the perfect little model you’re trying to turn me into.

I want you to think back to when you were my age or younger. Was your childhood happy? From what I remember, Grandma, your mother, told me it was a normal middle-class upbringing, and they spoiled you rotten. Since my father died, mine has been boring, stressful, and sometimes painful, all because of you and your dreams.

I can’t do this anymore, so I’m going away. I’ll contact you when I get settled, but otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, you’ll never see me again unless you change. Just think, someday I’ll have children, and you’ll never be able to see them. You’ll grow old and alone.

Please just let me go without trying to find me. I’ll be fine.

I really hope you are hearing me now.

Courtney

Courtney read the letter again. There was so much more she wanted to say, but the letter was already longer than she intended. She folded the paper and slid it into an envelope, writing “Mother” on the front. She then hid the envelope in a book, turned off the lights, got into bed, and fell asleep instantly.

That night, she dreamed about the things she wanted to do instead of the vast, blank, dark dreams she had before.

The next morning, she dressed in yoga pants and a t-shirt and walked down to the dining room, where her mother had already sat, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper.

“Good morning, Mother,” Courtney said and sat.

Her mother glanced up at her. “Why is your hair down like that? It’s unbecoming.”

Courtney almost rolled her eyes. “I’ll put it up after breakfast.”

Courtney turned toward the kitchen door, where one of their maids walked out with her breakfast. She never got to decide what she ate. Her mother had the whole day planned, from the food to the activities.

“Thank you, Mary,” Courtney said.

“You’re welcome, Miss.”

Courtney heard her mother sigh and knew it was because Courtney treated the staff like people instead of robots as her mother did.

She looked down at her food. One half of a grapefruit, which she disliked, and a piece of wheat toast. She was able to have orange juice, which she loved, but she never let it show.

Diana slid a piece of paper over to her. “This is your schedule for today.”

Courtney glanced at it. Diana had her exercise in the morning after breakfast, showered, and dressed, and read and practice a language in the afternoon. Her brows snapped together when she read the bottom of the list.

“What does this mean, Mother?”

“We’re having guests for dinner,” Diana said without looking up.

“Who?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just look your best, dear.”

Courtney gritted her teeth. She knew her mother had invited Neil from the night before, even knowing her daughter didn’t like the man. She kept from saying anything because she hoped it wouldn’t matter and she’d be gone by the afternoon.

She finished eating and went into the room that was set up with the exercise equipment she needed to stay slim. An hour later, Courtney paused on her way up the stairs when her mother stopped her.

“Dear, I will be gone a few hours, but I want you to keep to your schedule,” Diana said.

“Yes, Mother.”

Her mother looked pleased as she walked out the front door.

Courtney raced up the steps, found the number Larkin had given her, and then hurried back down to the kitchen.

“May I use one of your phones, please?” she asked the cook or maid.

The two women looked surprised, but the maid handed her the phone.

“Thank you so much. I’ll bring it right back,” Courtney said. She went out the back door and walked until she was several yards away from the house.

She dialed the phone and waited. By the fourth ring, Courtney started to panic. What if the girls couldn’t help her? What would she do then?

“Hello,” Larkin answered a little breathless.

“Hi, it’s Courtney.”

“Oh, wow. We’re so glad you called. We were all worried about you last night. We saw the man beside you and how miserable you were.”

“My mother wants me to marry the jerk.”

“Yuk. He did look creepy,” Larkin said.

Courtney was glad someone else felt the same way. “The man is supposed to come by tonight for dinner.”

“Oh, shit. We need to get you out of there now. I need to call Nia. She’s the only one of us that can drive. Give me your address.”

Courtney told her.

“I’ll call you back,” Larkin said.

“You can’t. I had to borrow a phone. My mother didn’t feel I needed one.”

“That bitch,” Larkin hissed.

It was the first real smile Courtney could remember having. “Yeah, you can say that again.”

“Tell me your full name and address.”

Courtney told her.

“Okay. Hold on.”

Courtney could hear the other girl talking to another woman, but it was muffled.

“Okay, I think we have it figured out. Sienna checked it out on Google, and she found out where your house is.”

Larkin paused for a second to listen to someone.

“You have a side door that goes into the garage?”

“Yes.”

“We can see from the satellite that there is a fence behind it. Is there a gate?”

“Yes,” Courtney said.

“Good. Go through the gate and walk between the two houses. They’re far apart, and there are a lot of trees between them, so you shouldn’t be seen. Sienna just told me Nia can get a car and we can be at your house within the hour. Can you be ready by then?” Larkin asked.

“Yes. I’m already packed,” Courtney said. She barely kept from screaming with joy.

“Can you carry it easily?”

Courtney hadn’t thought about that. “I have three suitcases.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to carry those. Can you leave some behind? The girls and I have plenty of things we can give you.”

“I’ll just bring one then.”

“Okay. We’ll be in a blue four-door car,” Larkin told her.

“Okay, I’ll be there, and I’ll hide behind a tree until I see you guys.” Both excitement and fear raced through Courtney. Was she finally going to get away from this house and her mother for good?

“Okay, great. See you soon.”

Courtney hung up and then deleted the number she called from the phone before heading back inside. She handed it off to Mary. “Thank you so much.”

“Is there anything we can do for you?” the cook, Betty, asked.

Courtney thought maybe she should tell them, but she didn’t want them to get in trouble if her mother found out they knew she was leaving, and they didn’t stop her or inform her mother.

“No. Thank you.”

Courtney headed up the stairs, practically running. She showered and dressed in jeans and a dark shirt before pulling everything out of the three bags and finding the things she absolutely needed. She placed the picture of her father, her bank information, and important papers her father had given her in between some clothing and zipped it up. She lifted it, and although it was heavy, she decided she would be able to carry it for a short distance.

Courtney checked the time and realized the girls would be in place in less than ten minutes, so she had to hurry.

She pulled out the letter and stood it up against the lamp on her nightstand so her mother could easily see it. She looked around one more time. She didn’t think she’d miss anything, even her mother.

Courtney made sure to go down the front steps quietly and the hallway to the side door. After closing the door behind her, she took a breath and leaned against the house before heading toward the gate.

She kept looking over her shoulder, waiting for her mother to jump out and drag her back. It sounded funny that even at the age of twenty-three, her mother kept her a virtual prisoner. But until she turned twenty-five and got her inheritance, she had no money, and her mother prevented her from having anyone around who would help her.

Courtney relaxed. She knew she was really gone because her car hadn’t been there, but she wouldn’t feel safe until she was with the girls, in the car, and speeding away.