They Took My Ticket, I Destroyed Their Lives Chapter 01
On the eve of Thanksgiving, I pulled three straight all-nighters just to score Amtrak tickets for me and my boyfriend.
I finally took a breath of relief, but then a text popped up on my phone:
“Vivian’s in a bad way. I gave her your ticket.”
“See if you can grab a standing-room spot. It’s only a ten-hour ride anyway.”
I stared at the screen, looking at the canceled confirmation.
I stayed silent for a moment, then picked up the phone.
“Dad, can we land the private bird right in front of the campus gates?”
There was a two-second beat of silence on the other end.
My father was clearly caught off guard by such a high-profile request.
Our Family has always lived by one rule: Make money, not headlines.
But he knows me. I’m not some spoiled brat throwing a tantrum.
“Consider it done,” he said, asking no questions.
The second I hung up with my father, Jayden’s call came screaming in.
“Kira! What the hell? Why aren’t you answering your messages?”
His voice was dripping with impatience and localized heat.
“It’s just a ticket, alright? Don’t start a war over it. Vivian is depressed; the least you could do is show some sympathy.”
I gripped the phone, my knuckles turning white.
“My ticket. You gave it away without a word? I never should’ve given you my login info.”
“It was an emergency!” Jayden barked, sounding entirely too entitled.
“Vivian flunked her exams. She’s a wreck, Kira. The Bedroom Suite you booked is quiet—it gives her some space to get her head straight.”
“Besides, why didn’t you just book an extra one? Now you’re making this a whole thing!”
I almost laughed at his twisted logic.
“Jayden, I spent three nights staring at a screen until my eyes bled just to secure those spots.”
“This was supposed to be our first trip home together. I wanted something special, and you handed my seat to someone else without even checking with me?”
I’d never even been on a train before. I was actually looking forward to the long haul.
I thought we’d talk all night, watch the world go by through the glass—like some old-school romantic flick.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jayden’s voice jumped an octave. “Honestly, Kira, since when did you get so cold-blooded and petty?”
“Vivian is supposed to be your friend! She’s a girl out here on her own—we’re supposed to look out for her. Are you really going to hold a grudge over a seat?”
“On her own?”
I whispered the words, feeling a chill settle in my chest.
“And what am I? A ghost? You’re telling me to stand for ten hours, and you don’t give a damn about me?”
“So you stand! What, you’re too soft for a little hard work?” Jayden sounded disgusted. “I thought you were a ‘stand-up’ girl, but you’re just a snob. What, is it about the status? You’re embarrassed because you’re not in a Suite? You’re gonna blow up everyone’s holiday over your own fragile ego?”
I listened to him, the irony tasting like copper.
Status?
The Principessa of the Rosetti Crime Family getting an ego trip over an Amtrak suite?
If I gave the word, my father wouldn’t just buy a ticket—he’d buy the whole damn railroad.
But I didn’t say a word.
I just wanted to see how far he and his little “Virgin Mary” would push this act.