After ninety-nine disappointments, I’m done chasing their love

On my wedding day, my sister, Luna, came back home out of the blue. My parents, my brother, and my fiance all abandoned me, just to pick her up at the airport. Luna posted a group photo on Facebook, bragging about how many people loved her. I called over and over, but every single call was ignored. The only one who picked up was my fiance, and all he said was, “Stop throwing a fit. We can always redo the wedding.” They turned my long-awaited wedding into a joke. Everyone stared and whispered about me. I calmly wrapped everything up by myself. I opened my journal and wrote down a new number — ninety-nine. This was the ninety-ninth time they’d let me down. I won’t hold out for their love anymore. I filled out my study-abroad application and packed my bags. They all thought I’d finally calmed down. Little did they know, I was leaving for good.