"Six months ago, on my grandfather's birthday, we gathered as a family to celebrate."

My brother, who had been studying in another city for three years, did not attend the celebration. Our grandfather's birthday was also the occasion for my graduation from ninth grade, and I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. However, my father's words caused me great sadness.

"You didn't accomplish anything!" he shouted at me, accusing me of being responsible for everything. I felt hurt and confused, as I had worked hard to achieve my goals.

Previously, after my brother left, we saw each other every few months, but then it stopped. I hoped to see him on that day, hoping his support would play a significant role. I had done a lot of things on my own, and I would continue to do so.

I begged my father, "It's not true!" Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt taken down. I wanted to prove myself, to show my worth. "I will do it on my own!" I cried.

He replied, "Vanessa, where will you go? To whom will you turn? Will you fight on stage your whole life?"

His words made me question my path. I realized that I needed to find my own way, without relying on others. I knew that I had the strength and determination to achieve my dreams.

– But I like it! I couldn't help but say, my tone was uncontrollable as I felt hurt by what I heard from people close to me.

– What difference does it really make? It won't get you anywhere. Did you graduate with perfect grades? Well done, it's a testament to your genes, we didn't have any failures in our family, my father said, his words sounding so ridiculous and absurd but he believed them so firmly that I couldn't think of any words to put him in his place.

"But Dad... Mom, what do you think?" I asked, looking at my mother for support, but she just gave me a distant, almost blank look, letting me know that she wouldn't interfere in the discussion.

Anger at my refusal and rebellion must have taken over my father, because he slammed his fist on the table, "No buts, you will not waste your time on such a pointless activity."

These words were the final straw for me. Unable to bear being at the same table as them for another moment, I ran out of the apartment in tears, onto the street. Thankfully, it was a warm day and Pen had his phone with him.

I didn't know what to do or how to escape their influence. I wanted to avoid being controlled by them and deciding what was best for me, but I felt trapped by their expectations. Acting had always inspired me and I was passionate about it.

There were risks to this profession, especially in terms of finding work. But I was excited about the possibility of one day being on stage or in a big movie. The thought of it excited me and made me feel alive.

The first thought that crossed my mind when I left the house was, "I need to call Lina." With trembling hands, I looked for her contact information. She didn't answer right away, so I called back a few minutes later. The guy realized something was wrong immediately. I started to cry and promised to explain everything as soon as I saw him. He offered to take me to his house in a taxi, and I agreed.

I sat down on the pavement at the entrance, resting my head on my knees. That day knocked me off my usual routine so much that, for the next few months until my departure, I hardly appeared at home and didn't talk to anyone. My parents tried to keep me at home, placing me under house arrest. If I went out for a long time, they would file a police report. My dad didn't understand what was going on with me, and my mom just stayed silent.

She wasn't intimidated by her father, no. In fact, her best strategy for dealing with Raven and me was neutrality. Her mom never openly confronted us, either. Yes, sometimes I imposed my own sanctions and wanted to apologize afterwards, but that was all. She never did anything else like that, nor did she scream or hit. Unlike her father, who wasn't always the easiest person to deal with. But I understand why he was the way he was, and he understands that too.

Sometimes, his methods were effective, but unfortunately, I'm much less grateful for my father than I am for my mother. My parents really loved each other, and although my father wasn't their first marriage, my mother was our stepmother. To be fair, she never treated me or my sister any differently than her own daughter.

As September approached, Lin and I made a final decision to study in another city. Although everything in his family was fine, at least it was better than in mine. He initially wanted to stay there, but after a day when I arrived and started crying, he saw how difficult it was for me to hold a glass of water without breaking it, and he cried with me for twenty-four hours. I refused to eat or sleep, and I didn't want to talk to anyone. This put so much pressure on him that he was willing to go to any length to make me happy, as long as I didn't cry again.

We applied to the same college, but we chose different majors. Thanks to a friend of ours, Raven, we were able to get in on a scholarship. Surprisingly, we both got accepted on a budget basis. If I was 100% sure of my decision, he wasn't so sure. His average grade was slightly lower than mine, but that didn't stop us from getting accepted into the best art college named after a famous impressionist.

We rented the apartment without knowing the details, but fortunately, the host agreed to wait until our arrival to sign the contract. Despite paying her deposit, it was not surprising that the aunt remained silent about our situation. At first, it was difficult to convince her, as she said she needed the apartment urgently. After some persuasion and a small amount of money, she finally agreed.

The tickets were purchased and the bags were packed. We had only a few hours until the flight, which would take us to a place where my parents' control would no longer be able to reach me. Lin's mother cried as she saw us off. I asked her not to forget to call and to make sure she called as soon as we arrived. No one else came to see us off, which was expected but still made me feel sad.

On the plane, I relived all my memories of my hometown, family, old classmates and friends. It was such a mixed feeling; it's hard to describe it. You want it so much, but at the same time, it hurts to say goodbye to all that has happened. It's scary to change things so drastically, but you go through all the internal struggles. Contradictory feelings tear you apart, and you become lost. You don't know what's happening or what you need to do.

Lin hugged me the whole flight. I'm sure he felt the same way as I did at that moment. Of course, there were differences. Perhaps he was even more scared than me, because his best friend had always been closer to his family.

"Ness, wake up. We've arrived."

I slowly opened my eyes and, for a minute or so, I didn't really know where I was. For a moment, it even felt like the whole move had been a dream, but as I regained my senses, I saw the plane and relaxed. We collected our luggage and ordered a taxi to take us to our rented apartment.

The landlord was waiting for us when we arrived, with two copies of the lease contract. She was a young woman in her thirties, with light yellow hair that wasn't exactly pleasant, but her kind face made up for it. The wrinkles on her face showed that she often laughed and smiled.

She let me sign the lease, which was the first adult thing I'd done in a long time, and it made my head spin.

It took about 15 minutes to sign the paperwork, after which Mrs. Amelia Watson left us, giving us the keys and one copy of the contract before leaving.

It was a small studio apartment. There were no separate bedrooms, and the kitchen was combined with the living area. There was a large double bed that seemed to fit three people other than Lin and me, and a small bathroom that was combined with another room. The apartment was about 20 square meters, but it was enough for us. At that moment, I felt happier than I had ever felt in my life, finally saying goodbye to my past life of constant care, reproach, and drama.

Something new and exciting had begun for both of us, but we didn't know what would happen a few months later...