An Open Door

Several weeks had passed since the last time I stepped foot in school. My absence didn' t seem to matter to the teachers or my classmates. At first, I felt relieved, but over time, the solitude became a shadow that followed me everywhere. My relationship with my father grew colder and more tense with each passing day. We barely exchanged words, and when we did, they were shouts or accusations.

One night, my mother knocked on my bedroom door. Without waiting for permission, she came in and handed me an envelope.

"What' s this?" I asked, unenthusiastically.

"A plane ticket. You' re going to the United States, Isabela. It' s time for you to leave this place."

The news left me paralyzed. She went on to explain that thanks to our European passports, I could travel and stay there without issues. I' d be leaving in three days. My mother didn' t show much emotion, but I knew behind her tired eyes there was a mix of worry and hope.

After she left my room, I sat on the bed, staring at the ticket. The thought of leaving everything behind felt just as terrifying as it did liberating. I grabbed my phone and opened Line. MinJi, my only friend, had to know.

Me: MinJi, I' m going to the U.S. in three days. I' m finally escaping this place.

I waited for her response while my thoughts raced. I remembered the past few weeks in isolation, the days when I couldn' t even bother getting dressed or leaving my room. MinJi replied quickly:

MinJi: What? Seriously? Why so soon? Are you okay?

Me: Yeah, I' m fine. I just need to get out. I can' t take my father anymore or this life.

MinJi: I' m going to miss you so much, Isa. But if this makes you happy, then do it.

Her words made me smile, but they also brought tears to my eyes. For the first time in months, I felt like someone truly cared about me.

The days that followed felt strange. My mother helped me pack while my father barely spoke to me. Every look from him was full of judgment, but I didn' t care. Everything had already been decided.

The night before my departure, while my mother was picking up things in the living room, I decided to talk to her.

"Are you coming with me to the U.S.?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

She shook her head, her expression calm.

"No, Isa. I can' t. I traveled too many times with your father, and everyone there knows who I am. It wouldn' t be safe."

"What about me? Will they know who I am there?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Don' t worry about that. Bianca will be waiting for you. You' ll be fine."

My eyes began to sting. The idea of being alone in a foreign place overwhelmed me.

"Will I ever see you again?" I whispered, my voice breaking.

My mother nodded and took my hands.

"You' ll always be able to come back to Thailand whenever you want."

For a moment, silence surrounded us, until she broke it.

"Isa... your father…"

"I don' t want to talk about him," I interrupted quickly.

"It' s not dirty money, Isa. Like you say. Your father worked thirty years in the..."

"Mom, I' ve always hated being seen as someone ignorant," I cut her off. "You' re offending me. You and I both know where that money comes from. Look, when it comes to politicians, no one is clean. But a hundred million dollars? What does anyone do with that kind of money? Dad is fifty years old, if God is generous, maybe he has ten or twenty more years left. Even then, a hundred million over twenty years is... still too much."

"Isabela, Daniel was thinking about your future."

"No, Mom. I don' t want that money. Not a single cent."

My mother sighed, looking at me with sadness.

"Oh, honey... Over the next two years, you' ll live off that money, and your college tuition will be paid with that money. There' s no other option."

"Just my luck," I murmured, cutting her off again.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us until she, trying to change the subject, asked:

"Speaking of college... do you know what you want to study?"

"I want to be a pilot."

"Are you sure?" she asked, with a nervous laugh.

"Yes. I' ve always liked it. You know that."

"You got that from your father. Maybe if he—"

"No. I want to achieve it on my own."

She hugged me tightly.

"I' m sleeping with you tonight."

We lay down together, and for a brief moment, everything felt calm. The next day, I woke up nervous. That morning, I crossed paths with my father several times, but neither of us said a word. When we were about to leave, my mother looked at him.

"Daniel, I' m going to the airport with Isabela."

I looked at him too, but felt nothing but resentment and anger. I turned away without saying goodbye.

"Isabela, don' t be like that," my mother scolded.

"I' m not changing my mind," I replied firmly.

As we walked out the door, I noticed a familiar figure next to the driver. Kamon. She was there, talking to him, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, irritated.

"Going on a trip? It' s been a while since I saw you at school," she answered with a smile, as if she had no clue what was happening.

I ignored her and walked past, climbing into the SUV. I slammed the door shut, hoping my mother would hurry up. Suddenly, the opposite door opened. I thought it was her, but no. It was Kamon, climbing into the seat beside me.

"This has to be a fucking joke," I muttered in Spanish.

"You know I don' t understand Spanish, Chao Nòk," she said, smiling mockingly.

"What do you want?" I asked, exasperated.

"Nothing. I just saw the driver packing bags and thought, wow... your family really thinks they can run away from this country that easily…"

I glared at her, wishing she' d disappear, but she gave a soft laugh and said:

"I' m kidding."

"Where are you going?" she pushed again.

"None of your business," I snapped.

"Running away again?" she asked, and I let out a long sigh, leaning my head back against the seat.

"Please get out. I' m going to be late."

"I' m not leaving until you tell me where you' re going."

"Why do you care?" I shouted, frustrated.

"I do care," she said softly.

Suddenly, her face reminded me of the Kamon I met at her party, the same expression she' d used to trick me. I didn' t answer. I just got out of the car. My mother approached with a curious look.

"Did you say goodbye to your friend?" she asked.

I looked Kamon up and down and answered coldly:

"She' s not my friend."

Kamon raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She turned and walked away with her usual arrogance. My mother and I got into the car and headed to the airport.

The silence in the car was heavy. While we waited in the boarding area, my phone buzzed. I looked at the screen and felt a mix of anger and surprise at the message from Kamon.

Kamon Srisaku: I' m going to miss you, Chao Nòk.

I turned off my phone immediately, suppressing the emotions that threatened to spill out. I was determined to leave everything behind: a country where I never fit in, a father who only filled me with resentment, and a girl who enjoyed playing with my emotions.

As the plane took off, I looked out the window and thought: I' m finally leaving this place. Now I could begin a new life, far from everything that ever hurt me. I was ready to face the future.