Chapter 1: The Unexpected Decision
Abby's POV
It had been a long, tiring day, and the last thing I wanted was to think about my future. Graduation had come and gone, and here I was a senior high school graduate who had no idea what came next. Everyone around me seemed to have their lives figured out. My classmates were talking about college plans, scholarships, internships while I was stuck wondering if I had missed the memo on how to plan for adulthood.
But I wasn't alone, that's when Aunt Lily stepped in. She'd always been the ambitious one, and when I told her I hadn't picked a college yet, she wasted no time.
"You're coming with me to find a school, Abby. I've already done the research." Her tone was firm, but caring, like she knew what was best for me.
I hadn't even asked for her help. But I let her take charge because… well, that's just Aunt Lily.
We spent the next few days touring campuses. She had a plan for me one that I wasn't fully on board with but never questioned. Medicine. She wanted me to become a doctor, just like her. It made sense, I guess. She'd always talked about how I had so much potential. How I could do anything if I put my mind to it.
"Look at all these amazing programs, Abby," she said, as we stood in a grand medical facility one afternoon. "You'll be great at this. You'll help so many people."
I wasn't so sure. I mean, I liked the idea of helping people, but the thought of spending my life in a hospital, diagnosing patients, studying for endless exams it wasn't me. But I didn't say anything. How could I? She was so excited, so sure.
So when Aunt Lily enrolled me in a private university with a top-tier medical program, I didn't argue. She had my future planned, right?
But that was the problem. It wasn't my future. It was hers.
A few days later, Aunt Lily and I went to the school to finalize everything. It felt like just another step in the plan she'd set up for me. I still wasn't sure, but at least it was something. I'd have a purpose. I'd be on my way to something... right?
As we stood in the administration office, Aunt Lily's energy buzzed with excitement. She filled out forms with a precision I could only envy, chatting away with the staff and making sure everything was in order. I stood beside her, watching, unsure of what was happening but too tired to question it.
Then came the moment that would change everything.
"Let's go to the finance office, sweetie," Aunt Lily said, her voice cheery and bright.
We walked through the hallways, and I couldn't help but feel like something was off. Aunt Lily was moving a bit faster than usual, her expression distracted. Maybe she was just excited, I told myself. But as we stood outside the finance office, she looked at me with a gleam in her eyes an unmistakable spark that made my stomach twist.
"I've been thinking," she said, her voice lowered, "Maybe I've been too focused on the medical path for you. Maybe this is better."
I didn't have time to process her words before she pushed the door open and led me inside.
I didn't know it then, but my whole future was about to be set in a direction I never even knew was possible.
The next thing I knew, Aunt Lily was walking away from the counter with an envelope in her hand, her eyes sparkling with pride. I stood there, confused, still trying to figure out what she meant by "maybe this is better," but I didn't have time to ask.
"Here you go," Aunt Lily said, holding out the envelope. "Everything's taken care of. Don't open it until the first day of school, alright?"
I stared at the envelope, bewildered. I was so close to asking her what she meant, but there was something in her smile that stopped me. Maybe I had been too resistant to the idea of medicine, too afraid to speak up. Maybe Aunt Lily had a point.
After all, she always had everything figured out.
The first day of school arrived in a blur. I wasn't nervous I didn't even have time to be. I had my classes, my schedule, and a vague understanding that I was supposed to be in a medical program, following Aunt Lily's well-laid plans. I could do this. I would do this.
I went to the campus early, eager to get my bearings, though still unsure of exactly where I was supposed to be. The list of classes was in my hands, and I made my way to the medical building. I wasn't sure if my name would be on the roster yet, but I figured it would be there. After all, Aunt Lily had arranged everything.
I walked to the front of the hall and checked the list medical students, I told myself. It had to be right.
But as I scanned the list, I felt my chest tighten. My name wasn't there.
I double-checked. Maybe I missed it. I moved down the list again, but still, nothing. Panic started to bubble up in my chest. What was happening?
It wasn't until I opened the envelope Aunt Lily had given me, my hands shaking, that I found the answer I didn't want to know.
The words stared back at me BS-ARCHITECTURE.
Architecture? What? I must have read it wrong. I glanced at the paper again. But no, there it was—clear as day.
I wasn't enrolled in the medical program at all.
Before I could process the shock, Aunt Lily appeared at my side. She looked at me with that knowing, proud smile of hers, the one she always wore when she knew something I didn't.
"You're going to be fine, Abby," she said, her voice warm but unbothered. "I know you can do this."
I turned to her, too stunned to speak. "But... why? Why architecture?"
She shrugged nonchalantly. "I always wanted to be an architect. But I never got the chance. You do it for me."
I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came out. I couldn't understand. This wasn't what I wanted. This wasn't my decision. But Aunt Lily wasn't listening, not really. She was already walking off toward the next part of the school tour, eager to show me more.
She didn't know, couldn't know, how much she had just flipped my world upside down.
There was nothing I could do. I had been swept along in her secret plan. And now, there I was a student of architecture, completely clueless, and completely out of my depth.