~TOXIC TIES~

~You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden~

- Matthew 5:14

Song - You broke me first by Tate McRae

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Sophie stood in front of the old mirror in her room, staring at her reflection. She looked tired, her eyes sunken from lack of sleep. She ran a hand through her tangled hair, trying to tame the knots.

As she stood there, Sophie's mind began to wander. She thought about her life, about the choices she had made and the paths she had taken.
Her eyes drifted to the small tattoo on her wrist. It was a tiny star, one that she had gotten on a whim a few years ago. She smiled to herself, remembering the night she had gotten the tattoo.

Just as Sophie was lost in thought, she heard a knock at the door. Aunt Mildred would never knock, so who could it be? "Come in," she said.

Surprisingly, it was aunt Mildred. "Sophie dear."

Sophie shuddered at her gesture. Her eyes narrowed, suspicion written all over her face. "Aunt Mildred, what's going on? You never knock."

Aunt Mildred's expression was sweet and innocent, but Sophie knew better. "Oh, I was just being polite, dear. I didn't want to startle you."

"Polite? You? Since when?"

Aunt Mildred chuckled.  "Oh, Sophie. You always were one to cut to the chase. Very well, I'll drop the act. I need to talk to you about something."

Sophie's instincts were screaming at her to be cautious. She didn't trust Aunt Mildred as far as she could throw her. "What is it?" she asked warily.

Aunt Mildred's expression turned serious, her eyes boring into Sophie's. "The rent, when are you going to pay it?"

"The rent?" Sophie repeated, trying to sound nonchalant. "Oh, I'll get to it eventually."

Aunt Mildred's expression turned stern. "Eventually? Eventually isn't good enough, Sophie. You're already three months behind. When can I expect payment?"

"I don't know, Aunt Mildred. I'll have to check my finances."

Aunt Mildred's face turned red with anger. "You mean the money you're making from...whatever it is you're doing? Because I know you're not making enough from those part-time jobs of yours to cover the rent."

Sophie felt a surge of defensiveness, but she tried to keep her cool. "Aunt Mildred, I'll pay the rent when I can. Okay?"

"See that you do, Sophie. Because if I end up on the streets because of you, I'll make sure you suffer."

"Don't worry, I will."

"And oh," Aunt Mildred muttered. "There's a mail for you, it's in the mailbox outside."

With that, Aunt Mildred turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Sophie feeling anxious. She knew she needed to come up with the rent money, and fast. But for now, she just didn't know how.

In the meantime, she went outside to check the mail that was addressed to her. When she got her hands on the letter, she unraveled it, strolling inside the house.

She unfolded the letter and began to read. Her eyes scanned the page, and at first, she didn't register what she was seeing. But as the words began to sink in, a huge smile spread across her face.

She had done it. She had actually done it.

Sophie felt like she was walking on air as she read the letter again, the words "Congratulations, you have been accepted to Stanford University" dancing across the page.

Just as she was about to let out a little squeal of excitement, Sophie heard a voice behind her.

"What does the letter say?" Aunt Mildred asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "I hope it isn't a notice."

Sophie turned to face her aunt, the letter still clutched in her hand. "I got into Stanford!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.

Aunt Mildred's face scrunched up in a scowl. "Stanford? You think you can just up and leave? What about your responsibilities here?"

Sophie felt her excitement begin to deflate. "I'll figure it out, Aunt Mildred. I'll make it work."

Aunt Mildred snorted. "You're not even thinking about your health, are you? You're still going through treatment for your cancer. How do you expect to keep up with school?"

Sophie felt a pang of agony, but she tried to push it aside. "I'll be fine, Aunt Mildred. I'll make sure to take care of myself."

Aunt Mildred shook her head. "You're being foolish, Sophie. You're not thinking about what's best for you. You're just chasing some silly dream. You have just six months, six months Sophie! Keep that in mind."

Sophie felt her anger rise, but she tried to keep her cool. Aunt Mildred turned and walked away, leaving Sophie standing alone in the room.

Sophie felt a stinging pain in her heart. The words cut deep, a harsh reminder of the fate that awaited her. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she felt a wave of despair wash over her. The weight of her mortality crushed her, making it hard to breathe. She felt betrayed by the universe, by the cruel hand that had dealt her this fate.

Sophie's eyes blazed with anger as she stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She couldn't believe the cruel words Aunt Mildred had just spoken. The room seemed to spin around her as she felt a wave of rage wash over her.

With shaking hands, Sophie began to pack her clothes and belongings into a suitcase. She tossed in her favorite books, her laptop, and a few cherished mementos. As she packed, her anger gave way to a sense of determination. She was done with Aunt Mildred's toxic behavior. She was done with being treated like dirt.

She zipped up her suitcase and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She took one last look around the room, feeling a sense of liberation wash over her.

She was leaving. She was starting fresh. And she was never looking back.

Sophie dragged her suitcase behind her, the wheels scraping against the floor as she made her way to the front door. Aunt Mildred, who had been sitting on the couch, looked up at Sophie with a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"Where do you think you're going?" Aunt Mildred asked, her voice dripping with venom.

Sophie stood tall with confidence. "I'm leaving, Aunt Mildred. I'm leaving this place, this toxicity, I'm leaving you."

Aunt Mildred's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Oh, you think you're too good for me, huh? You think you can just up and leave whenever you feel like it? Well, let me tell you something, Sophie. You're not going to make it out there on your own. You're going to fail, and you're going to come crawling back to me. And when you do, don't expect me to be waiting with open arms. That's if you'll still be alive."

Sophie felt a stinging sensation in her eyes, but she refused to let Aunt Mildred's mean words get to her. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked out the door, leaving Aunt Mildred and her toxic behavior behind.

She slammed the door shut behind her, the sound echoing. She stood outside the door for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. She could still hear Aunt Mildred's angry voice yelling through the door, "Get out! Get lost and fail!"

Sophie shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. She was finally free from Aunt Mildred's toxic grasp. She turned and walked down the stairs, her suitcase rolling behind her.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Sophie felt a sense of freedom. She was starting a new chapter in her life, one where she was in control and free to make her own choices.

With a newfound sense of confidence, she stepped out into the bright sunlight. She took a deep breath, feeling the warm breeze fill her lungs.

She felt a little bit scared, where was she supposed to go now? She scrolled through her phone, looking for a contact she could call. Unfortunately, Sophie was a loner.

She sighed, opening her chat with her boyfriend, Alexander Ryan Thomas, who claims to be in Florida. Ever since she broke the news about her cancer to him, he became distant.

He ignored her text messages and calls. She read the last message she sent to him last month...."I know you're hurting, but please don't shut me out. I need you now more than ever. I love you, Alex."

Sophie's eyes stung as she read the message again, feeling a pang of sadness and rejection. She had poured her heart out to him, and he had responded with silence.

She wondered if he was still hurting from the news, or if he had simply given up on their relationship. The thought of losing him was almost too much to bear, but Sophie knew she had to be strong. She had to focus on her own healing and recovery, with or without Alex by her side.

With a heavy heart, Sophie closed the chat window and began to scroll through her contacts, searching for someone else to reach out to. She needed support, and she needed it now.

Her scrolling paused when her eyes met a certain contact.

Julian Saint.

                 ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Aubrey chewed up the last piece of pizza in the box while scrolling through his phone.

His eyes widened as he read through a text conversation on his phone. Ryan had just landed tickets to a sold-out concert and was offering him the spare ticket. Aubrey's heart started racing as he quickly typed out a response, his thumbs flying across the screen.

"Yooo, that's insane! I'm so down!" he typed, already imagining himself rocking out to his favorite band.

After that conversation, Aubrey came across Emma's story on Instagram. He was going to ignore it, but curiosity killed the cat.

He tapped on Emma's story, seeing a snap of her with some white dude.

Aubrey's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the snap. Emma was smiling brightly, her arm wrapped around the waist of the tall, blond-haired guy. Aubrey's mind began to whirl with questions. Who was this guy? How long had Emma been seeing him?

Aubrey's thumb hovered over the screen, tempted to swipe up and see if Emma had posted any other snaps. But he hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to know more. He had thought he was over Emma, but the sting of seeing her with someone else was still there, lingering just below the surface.

"Aubrey darling," Emily barged into his room without knocking.

Aubrey's head jerked up, his eyes widening in annoyance. "Momma, can't you knock?" he asked, trying to hide the phone screen from her view.

Emily, oblivious to his frustration, breezed into the room, a bright smile plastered on her face. "I brought your favorite cookies, sweetie," she said, holding out a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Aubrey's expression softened slightly at the sight of the cookies, but he was still distracted by the snap he had just seen. He took the plate from his mom, muttering a quick "thanks" before turning his attention back to his phone.

Emily, however, seemed to sense that something was off. She narrowed her eyes, peering at Aubrey's face. "Is everything okay, sweetie? You look a little...distracted."

"Yeah, I need something," Aubrey said, leaning closer to his mother and holding her hand.

"What is it? You know you can ask me for anything," Emily said, cupping his face.

"I need some money."

Emily creased her brows in turmoil. "How much?"

Aubrey smiled, knowing his mother would do anything for him without a question. "Ten thousand dollars."

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A/N

Thank you for reading, please vote and comment your thoughts.

CiCi 🌹