Chapter 13. Is This the Past?

ASHLENE

To fill in the time just until Debbie and Camille could make it to the club, Hope told us the story of her rhinoplasty in Thailand. She made it an interesting narration.

“Mom didn’t let me do it. She even forbade me to have any tattoos on my body, no matter how minimal. I didn’t like it. I’m not a kid anymore! I can make decisions of my own. I have to; it’s the only way for me to mature. And then, one day, I had a trigger. They saw me in my room, kissing a man. Mom sent him out and nagged at me. Hello, I’m an adult! I can do that! So, the midnight that night, I decided to leave home. Just like you, Ash… and then now, I couldn’t be happier. I have three tattoos now, and, well, this operation absolutely enhanced my confidence. I love it. All of it.”

It was true. Hope was happy. Unlike me who regretted what I did for the past years. She was happy and had no regrets. I wish I could also be like that. But I couldn’t. I was full of regrets now… and these regrets