Backup Girl No More: Adios to my V-card and My First Love (Brooklyn) novel Chapter 25

Chapter 5 

Everyone else stood to leave. 

“We’re heading out, Zoey.” Their whispered comments carried clearly to my ears. “Who does she think she is, challenging Sara? As if she didn’t steal someone else’s man.” “Just jealous. Look at Sara – beautiful, accomplished. What’s she got?” “Picks a fight with Sara, and her own husband runs after 

her. Pathetic!” 

Their mocking laughter faded down the hallway, leaving the private room in eerie silence. 

Alone, I let out a bitter laugh and poured another drink, downing it in one go. 

Truth be told, Sara wasn’t entirely wrong – I hadn’t been to those places. But I knew she was lying. 

Because of my mother. 

I wasn’t always parentless. 

My mother served with Doctors Without Borders in conflict zones. Back then, a woman working 

abroad while her husband raised their child was unthinkable. Neighbors would sneer: “Your mother 

abandoned you!” I’d fight back with my tiny fists, defending what little pride I had, only to face crueler mockery. 

Mother sent letters with exotic stamps, describing her work in vivid detail, always including photographs. When Father read them to me, I’d picture her – my hero in a white coat. 

She once wrote: “Zoey, most people live in small worlds, but the real world is vast. See it for yourself. Only by broadening your horizons will you discover what you truly want.” 

But when I was five, she died serving in the Kosovo War. Her colleagues recovered only her ID badge. Inside, among the patient records she died protecting, was a photo of me – from who knows 

when. 

I was too young to understand “killed in action,” but I remember the neighbors‘ cruel words: “See? 

Women who step out of line never end well.” 

I lost my mother, but her words stayed with me: Go see for yourself. Document everything. Only 

then will you know what you truly want. 

Yesterday, finding that old camera, its worn body still seemed to hold her warmth. Her legacy, my childhood guide. Burying my face in my hands, tears slipping through my fingers, I whispered: “Mom, I miss you so much…” 

17:42 

Backup Girl No More: Adios To My V–Card and My First Love 

18.8% 

Chapter 5 

The next morning, a splitting headache jolted me awake. Opening my eyes to a familiar ceiling – 

home. But how did I get here? 

After gulping water to soothe my throat, I noticed Jackson in the living room, face dark with anger. “Is this how a proper wife behaves?” Ignoring him, I headed for the study. The desk was empty. 

“Where’s my camera?” My voice cracked. 

Jackson smiled coldly. “I gave it to Sara.” 

My breath stopped. “What did you say?” 

Arms crossed, he smirked. “Didn’t you tell her to take more pictures?” 

A roar filled my head. He gave my mother’s legacy to Sara? 

The glass slipped from my hand, shattering. I lunged, grabbing his collar: “How dare you touch my 

camera?! How dare you?!”