Childhood Loves Go Mad Chapter 1

I was the Ashton family’s showpiece daughter.

My father drove my mother to her death and never once gave me a kind look.

The one saving grace was my two childhood knights.

They were the ones who pulled me from the rooftop ledge, who stopped my numb acts of self-harm.

They were my antidote.

But when I returned home from my studies abroad, everything had changed.

They had found a new princess, and I was cast as the wicked witch who tormented her.

I watched them shield my father’s stepdaughter, their eyes filled with a wariness once reserved for strangers.

The antidote had become a lethal poison.

My illness worsened. Finally, I decided to grant them their wish and disappear.

* * *

Today was my birthday. It was also the first anniversary of my return to the city.

I scrolled numbly through my social media feed, watching the endless stream of birthday wishes Sean and Ian were posting for Molly.

They were the boys I had grown up with, my closest friends.

Now, it was as if I’d never existed.

A bitter smile touched my lips. I wasn't sure if it was the medication kicking in or my psychosomatic symptoms flaring up again, but the exhaustion was bone-deep. On a day meant for celebration, all I could feel was a creeping desire for it all to end.

I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. My illness was winning. After a moment of hesitation, I dialed my grandfather's number overseas.

“Grandpa, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll come back for the treatment.”

A heavy sigh came from the other end. “Leah, my dear,” he said, his voice laced with pain, “Why would you say this on your birthday? Did they hurt you again?”

His words were enough to make my eyes well up, but I fought back the tears, not wanting to worry him. "No, nothing like that."

“It’s okay, my sweet girl,” his loving voice soothed me. “I’m an old man now. I can’t do much about that bastard Julian, but I can make sure you get well. I’ll make the arrangements. In two weeks, I’ll have you here with me.”

“As for those two boys…, people change, Leah. Don’t let them break your heart.”

I nodded, though he couldn’t see, and after saying our goodbyes, I ended the call.

Staring out at the city lights, I was lost in thought.

People change. I knew that.

But when I came home and saw the two friends I cherished most in the world ignoring me, choosing my father’s illegitimate daughter over me, believing her lies and looking at me with disgust… the pain was so sharp it stole the air from my lungs.

The depth of my love for them was matched only by the depth of the wounds they inflicted.

As a child, my father, Julian Ashton, had despised my mother, and by extension, me. His years of cold neglect had sent me spiraling into a deep depression.

At its worst, I almost stepped off the roof of our penthouse.

It was Sean and Ian who pulled me back, time and time again. They dragged me out, made me play, and slowly, carefully, drew me out of the shadows.

Back then, they were my cure.

Now, the medicine had turned to poison. Their distance, their coldness, had made me sicker than ever.

My body was a knot of tension as I lay in bed. I took two extra sleeping pills, hoping for oblivion. Just as sleep was about to take me, my phone buzzed.

I squinted at the screen. It was Sean. A flicker of hope, pathetic as it was, sparked in my chest. Maybe this was it. Maybe they remembered.

Then his first words snuffed it out. “We’re at Molly’s birthday party. She mentioned it was your birthday too and was worried you’d be lonely, so she asked us to call.”

The raucous sound of their celebration was a stark contrast to the crushing silence of my room.

My last shred of hope shattered.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I didn’t have the strength.

Sean waited a moment, then his voice, usually warm, was clipped with impatience. “Leah? Are you there? What’s with the silent treatment? Molly was being nice, worried you were all alone. Can you stop being so hostile to her all the time?”

I could hear a soft murmur in the background, probably Molly telling him not to be so harsh.

Sean huffed but fell silent, passing the phone to his brother.

Ian’s cool, detached voice came through the line. “Happy birthday. We got you a gift, we’ll give it to you at the party tomorrow… If there’s nothing else, we’re going to hang up. The fireworks Molly wanted to see are about to start.”

His tone was all business, softening only when he said Molly’s name, a hint of affection coloring the word.

I ended the call, my hand falling limply to my side.

I didn’t understand. I had only been away for a few years. How could the devotion that was once mine be given away so easily, so completely?

I had tried to win them back. I had fought and cried, but nothing worked. It never earned me so much as a second glance.

All I could do was retreat, defeated and alone.

I wiped the tears from my face. I knew it was going to be another long, sleepless night.