Chapter 3

But my refusal to play along didn't mean they were going to let me go.

The next afternoon, Julian burst into my house, trembling with rage.

"Clara! Why didn't you come home yesterday? You made Mom cry her eyes out!"

The fury in his eyes was so intense it looked like he wanted to burn me alive.

I just stared at him, my expression completely blank.

My lack of reaction only made him angrier. "I hate this fake, emotionless act of yours! Stop pretending!"

"Do you have any idea what yesterday was? It was Chloe's death anniversary! You killed her five years ago, and you don't feel a single shred of remorse? You knew Mom would be devastated, and you didn't even bother to come back and comfort her!"

"You don't deserve to be Mom's daughter. You aren't even worth a single hair on Chloe's head. Why couldn't it have been you who died?"

Listening to his harsh words, I remembered how much it used to hurt. I used to cry and beg for his forgiveness, trying everything to make him like me.

I wanted him to protect me the way other brothers protected their sisters.

But five years of coldness had completely frozen my heart. I was done coddling them.

After all, Chloe was on her way back.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain flared in my chest. It was happening so fast. In my past life, this was the exact time I had died of bone cancer brought on by extreme exhaustion.

Since I had failed the System's mission, was my body reverting to its cancerous state?

I clutched my chest, my face turning deathly pale as cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

"Clara, cut the act. I'm not falling for your pathetic drama," Julian sneered.

I couldn't help but laugh, a cold, mocking sound escaping my lips. "Wow, you're so smart, Julian. You saw right through me."

"You're right. I did it on purpose. I deliberately stayed away to ruin Mom's day, and now I'm pretending to be sick just to annoy you."

I lifted my chin, looking at him with a spiteful glare I had never shown before. "Seeing how miserable and angry you all are... it actually makes me incredibly happy."

"If I had known this would be so much fun, I wouldn't have spent the last five years acting like a kicked puppy. It's such a pity that a horrible person like me is still alive..."

"...while your precious, perfect Chloe is rotting in the ocean."

I curled my lips into a cruel smile. "Jumping off a cliff... that must have been so terrifying and painful. But honestly, she got off easy after stealing my wealth for eighteen years."

*SLAP!*

A stinging slap landed squarely on my cheek.

My face burned instantly, and my ears started ringing.

Julian's face went pale. He stared at his hand in shock, a brief flicker of regret crossing his eyes.

His mouth opened slightly, and for a split second, I thought he was going to apologize.

But the next moment, his arrogant, defensive mask slipped right back on.

He pressed his lips together, looking down at me with disdain. "You brought this on yourself. You know Chloe is a topic you never touch, yet you deliberately brought her up to provoke me."

With that, he turned on his heel and slammed the door.

Feeling the fiery pain on my face, I finally lost my battle with tears.

To say it didn't hurt would be a lie. I had desperately wanted a brother's love.

I remembered my childhood neighbor, Lily, who had an older brother.

Whenever it rained, he would carry her on his back. When they walked, he would hold her hand.

And whenever their parents scolded her, he would stand in front of her, shielding her.

Every time Mrs. Miller beat me, I would pray to God that I had a brother who would protect me and stand by my side.

But when I finally got a brother, Julian coldly told me that he only had one sister, and her name was Chloe.

That was when I realized not all brothers were created equal.

Still, I had tried so hard to please him. When Chloe "died," Julian was so devastated he couldn't eat or drink.

I stayed up all night to bake his favorite chicken pot pie, only for him to smash the dish onto the floor.

"You will never replace Chloe! Don't you dare touch her recipes! Only Chloe is allowed to make this for me!"

The scalding hot gravy had splattered all over my arms, breaking out into painful blisters.

Tears had welled up in my eyes from the pain, but Julian had only sneered. "It was just a little splash. Stop acting so dramatic. Who are you trying to manipulate?"

Back then, I had lowered my gaze, telling myself that he was just grieving the sister he had lived with for over a decade. I shouldn't hold a grudge. As long as I kept treating him well, he would accept me eventually.

But it was all just a foolish delusion.

Some hearts are made of ice, and no amount of warmth can melt them.

***

In my sleep, I felt a soft sigh brush against my ear.

Then, a cool, soothing ointment was gently spread across my bruised cheek.

"Why do you have to provoke Julian? You know his temper is always terrible around the anniversary."

"You've behaved yourself for five years. Why start trouble now?"

I opened my eyes to see Tristan sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a tube of bruise cream. He clearly already knew what had happened.

"Tomorrow, I'll take you back to the Sterling mansion. I'll make Julian apologize to you," Tristan said.

Looking at his hypocritical face, I let out a dry laugh. "Why are you pretending to be the good guy now? You're no better than Julian."

"If you loved Chloe so much, why didn't you jump off the cliff with her?"

"Everyone says she died because of me, so why did you marry her supposed murderer? Oh, right. Because of the Vance Group’s profits. It was a business merger."

"Since you married me but treat me like garbage, making me live in her shadow every day, you're actually worse than Julian."

"Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to watch you perform your tragic, loyal lover act in front of me?"

Tristan stared at me, frozen, as if he were seeing me for the very first time.

I provoked him further. "Do you want to know why Julian slapped me?"

I leaned closer, my eyes flashing with absolute coldness. "I told him that Chloe deserved to die. I said she got what she deserved, that her death was..."

"Clara!"

Tristan growled, his hand wrapping around my throat, squeezing tightly until my face turned red from lack of oxygen.

See? Chloe was their sacred goddess. No one could mention her, no one could criticize her, or they would turn into monsters.

He suppressed his rage, his eyes wild.

"What is wrong with you today? You already have everything that belonged to Chloe. Why can't you just be satisfied? What more do you want before you stop acting up?"

*Acting up.* A slight display of self-respect was considered "acting up" to him.

Maybe because he saw how much I was struggling to breathe, he finally let go of my neck.

I gasped for air, coughing violently, then looked at him with a mocking grin. "What do I want? What if I told you I want you to say you love me?"

There was still time.

If even one of them said they loved me, I could live.

Tristan pressed his lips into a hard line, his eyes turning cold and dismissive.

His silence spoke volumes.

I burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face.

His silence meant: *You stole Chloe's husband. How dare you have the audacity to beg for my heart?*

"Tristan, I really want to see the look on your face when you find out..."

I cut myself off, staring at him with deep amusement. No, it would be much more fun if he discovered the truth himself.

"Find out what?" he demanded.

*Find out that Chloe isn't dead. Find out why she staged her suicide.*

But I didn't say a word.