Chapter 5

In the afternoon, my school called.

Thomas answered it again.

"Hello, is this Chloe's parent? This is her homeroom teacher, Mrs. Gable. Chloe didn't show up for school today. Is she sick?"

Thomas looked at the family portrait hanging on the wall and hesitated. "Ah... yes, she's not feeling well today. She's resting at home."

In the photo, Dad and Mom were holding a beaming Julian. I was standing on the very edge of the frame, my smile stiff and forced.

On the other end, Mrs. Gable went quiet for a moment. Then she lowered her voice. "Is Mr. Carter there? I think it's better if I tell you this directly.

About the scholarship spot to Vienna... During the auditions, several judges actually agreed that Chloe played much better. But..."

"Her mother came to the school personally. She said Julian needed this to overcome his psychological trauma, and asked the school to give the spot to him."

"Sigh, Chloe is a good kid... but her spirit has been very low since then. Her test grades have dropped significantly. She's a proud girl with high self-esteem, and we're all very worried about her."

"I understand. Thank you, Mrs. Gable," Thomas said, his voice sounding incredibly heavy.

After hanging up, the massive house fell into a graveyard silence.

Thomas sat on the couch for a long, long time. Finally, he picked up the phone and dialed Dad’s number in Europe.

It rang for a while before Dad picked up. The background was filled with loud music and clinking glasses.

"Thomas? What is it? I'm busy here," Dad said, sounding annoyed.

Thomas repeated everything Mrs. Gable had just said, word for word.

There was a long silence on the other end.

After what felt like forever, Dad spoke, his voice suddenly sounding exhausted. "I... I see. Go... go check on Chloe. Don't let her stay locked up. Take her out for a nice meal."

But before he could finish, Mom's sharp voice cut in over the line: "Arthur, what do you mean by that? Are you blaming me? Was I wrong to do that for Julian?"

"Julian is the future of our family! Chloe is just petty and jealous! She can't even handle a little setback like this? How is she going to survive in the real world?"

"Don't pamper her! Let her reflect on her behavior! I want to see how long she can keep up this attitude!"

The call disconnected again.

I floated next to Thomas, looking at the deep sadness and pity etched into his wrinkled face. My heart ached.

Mom, I didn't want to make you feel guilty.

I only wished that, just once, you could have believed in my talent the way you believed in Julian's.

Just once. That would have been enough.

By evening, Thomas had made a bowl of my favorite seafood pasta. He walked up to my room.

He stood at the door for a long time before finally pushing it open.

He set the bowl on my nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.

Looking at the small shape under the blanket, he sighed softly.

"Miss Chloe, I know you feel wronged. It's Mr. and Mrs. Carter's fault. They... they are just more worried about the young master."

"Don't be angry with them. It's not worth ruining your health over. Come on, sit up and eat some pasta. It's still hot."

He reached out, wanting to pat my head, but his hand hovered in the air before gently resting on the blanket, patting it softly.

"Tomorrow... tomorrow, Thomas will take you to the amusement park. We won't tell them."

His back looked so lonely.

"Thomas, I'm not angry anymore."

"But I don't think I can go to the amusement park tomorrow."

...

Dad and Mom finally came back from Vienna with Julian.

The house was incredibly lively today. Nana, Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa—everyone was here.

They brought piles of presents, their faces glowing with joy.

I suddenly remembered. Today was Julian's birthday.

Mom used to say that both Julian and I were precious gifts from heaven.

Later, she said I was a curse sent to punish her, and Julian was her only true angel.

In the living room, Julian was wearing a custom white suit. His hair was perfectly styled. He looked like an elegant little prince.

Everyone crowded around him, praising his piano skills, saying he brought glory to the Carter family, and talking about how he looked more like a proper heir every day.

Mom had a genuine, beautiful smile on her face—the kind I hadn't seen in years. It was so warm, so gentle.

This was nice. Mom was finally smiling.

As long as I wasn't around, she could be this happy.

Nana handed Julian a massive, limited-edition Lego set and casually looked around. "By the way, where is Chloe?"

The smile on Mom’s face instantly froze. Her tone turned icy.

"Don't bring her up. Who knows what kind of tantrum she's throwing now. She's been locked in her room 'sleeping' for days. Having her out here on a happy day like this would only ruin the mood!"