~SCARLETT.

*~FLASHBACK~*

 EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD.

 

 

 

I clutched my small bag tightly, the strap digging into my shoulder. It held everything I had left, which was just a few clothes thrown together in a hurry. Everything else was gone.

 

 

 

It had only been a month since my parents died, and my life had unraveled faster than I thought possible. At first, I couldn't leave the house. I spent days locked in my room, crying until I couldn't anymore.

 

 

 

Then came the knock on the door.

 

 

 

The men in suits were cold and clinical. They spoke about bankruptcy, debts, and legalities with practiced detachment, while I sat on the couch, numb. My...