Chapter 43 —The Black Cars

Narrator:

The sticky heat hit her as soon as she stepped off the plane.

The dense air, full of dust and humidity, seeped into her lungs with her first breath of reality. She was back. But not as she had imagined. Not with her head held high, successful, with a bright future ahead of her. She was returning empty-handed. Like a failure.

She walked through the airport without looking at anyone. She just wanted to get out of there, to disappear.

The bag with her few belongings weighed heavily on her shoulder, but the real weight was in her chest.

Her family's car wasn't waiting for her. There was no one there to pick her up.

Her grandmother was too sick to move, her brother... Did he even know she was arriving today?

She clenched her teeth, pushing her way through the crowd. People were talking, laughing, reuniting with their loved ones.

Aylin was alone. She clenched her fists, feeling the rage in her throat.

She wasn't going to cry, not here, not in this damn ai