Chapter 5: Goodbye, My Golden Cage

Before I could go to Mrs. Miller, she found me first.

She sat behind her desk in a sharp suit, Cartier watch gleaming. "Emma, there’s something I want to discuss."

I waited, the leather chair squeaking under me.

"When I chose you at the group home, I had two reasons. You’re strong, and you’re a girl—mature enough to handle Nathan. I needed someone who could manage him without... complications."

"You’ve done well. Nathan stopped being bullied after you arrived. I thought you’d keep caring for him, but now it seems that’s not appropriate."

"You’re a girl. Being with Nathan all the time leads to gossip. Now Ashley’s here, and Nathan’s improved a lot. She comes from a good family—the Rivers own that pharmaceutical company downtown."

She tapped the table, looking me straight in the eye. "After graduation, you’re done with Nathan. His scores are about the same as Ashley’s, so they’ll apply to New York schools together. You can go wherever you want—Boston, Chicago, LA."

"We have history. I’ll keep sponsoring you through college. Two hundred a month should cover basics."

My mind raced—two hundred a month, that was a hundred packs of ramen or maybe, finally, a real winter coat.

Relief hit me like surfacing for air. I’d scored 1540 on my SAT—enough for Harvard, who’d already sent interest letters.

I thanked her. "Thank you, Mrs. Miller."

She gave me a month to transition. "Move out after you get your acceptance letter. Find a place near campus. Start fresh."

I looked for apartments while juggling three jobs—Starbucks, tutoring, restaurant hostess.

Nathan, after graduation, traveled with Ashley. First-class tickets, five-star hotels.

Before leaving, Ashley asked if I wanted to come along. Her smile was fake as a Halloween mask.

Nathan muttered for me: "She’s not going. She has her own things to do."

Ashley smiled: "Emma will follow you to New York anyway. This gives you space."

She turned to me, chirping: "You’ve taken care of Nathan so long—you must be great at housework. When school starts, can you help me clean the dorm and change sheets? I’ll be busy helping Nathan with rehab. You understand, right?"

Nathan nodded: "She knows how to do all that stuff. She’s used to it."

They went to New York together, posting selfies at every tourist trap. Nathan, who never posted, suddenly shared daily: Times Square, matching Yankees caps, the Staten Island Ferry. Ashley’s head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist.

When they came back, acceptance letters were in. Nathan and Ashley both got into NYU—full ride for him, partial for her.

Nathan looked thinner, less hostile. Maybe Ashley told him to be nicer to the help.

He brought me a bag of New York bagels and cheesecake—the bagels still soft, the paper bag greasy with melted butter. The cheesecake box left a cold spot on the counter.

"New York’s nice. You’d like the food. Junior’s cheesecake is famous."

"If Ashley agrees, I can take you to some restaurants when you visit."

I shook my head and packed my things. "No need."

Nathan froze. "Isn’t three thousand a month enough for you? Why do you still need to work? Are you that desperate for money?"

He didn’t know Mrs. Miller only gave him an allowance. I never saw a penny. My meal card was reloaded with a hundred a month—just enough for cafeteria food. Even tampons had to be requested and approved.

Nathan’s birthday dinner had come from my scholarship money—every dollar carefully saved.

Mrs. Miller promised to sponsor my college: two hundred a month, barely enough for ramen and textbooks.

I needed extra for emergencies—medical bills, laptop repairs, whatever life threw at me.

But there was no time to explain. I was late for work. "I really need money," I said, and left.