Chapter 2

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed.

A new message popped up on my phone:

"I have some urgent business overseas to handle first."

"I'll give you three days to think through what marrying me means."

The next second, the door swung open.

Seeing me safe, Julian let out a long breath of relief.

"If you were fine, why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"Do you have any idea how worried your parents and I were?"

"I just asked you to wait a little longer! Did you really have to pull a disappearing act?"

I had already decided to leave, but tears still welled up at his accusations.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I asked,

"Were you really going to come back for me?"

Julian pulled me into a warm embrace, his voice softening.

"Silly girl. You're the one I love. How could I ever leave you behind?"

"Stop overthinking. I brought your favorite soup."

My heart softened for a fraction of a second.

Maybe he still loved me.

Then I opened the container, and my breath hitched.

"I'm allergic to seafood."

Seafood chowder was Sierra's favorite.

Julian's hand paused. "Well, Cece is on an IV down the hall. I'll just take it to her."

"Be good. I'll get what you like next time."

He sounded casual, but I caught the rush in his tone.

I almost laughed out loud.

The person he actually cared about wasn't me.

It must have been exhausting for him to stop by just to keep up appearances.

As he reached the door, I asked quietly,

"Julian, do you even remember what my favorite food is?"

*Click.*

The door shut gently.

And in that moment, something inside my heart locked away forever.

I pulled the blanket over my head as tears spilled unchecked.

Sierra had been kidnapped when our parents took me out for my birthday cake as a kid.

After that, Mom developed severe depression. Whenever she lost control, she hit me with coat hangers, screaming:

"You jinx! If it weren't for you, your sister wouldn't have been stolen!"

When she calmed down, she would hold me and weep. "Serena, you owe your sister."

Ever since I turned ten, I never had another birthday.

Sometimes Mom confused me with Sierra.

She would cook seafood chowder for me.

Desperate for her affection, I would endure the burning itch in my throat, swallowing spoon after spoon.

Once, my throat swelled shut and I nearly suffocated.

Dad rushed home and took me to the ER.

"Serena, your mom just misses your sister too much. Don't blame her."

I nodded.

I didn't blame her. I even loved it when she mistook me for Sierra.

Only then would she stroke my hair gently and braid it like other girls' mothers did.

Later, Sierra was found and brought home.

Whenever our parents traveled, she got first pick of the gifts.

My bedroom was turned into a walk-in closet for her extra things.

The last piece of sweet-and-sour ribs at dinner always went to her plate...

I never felt jealous.

I only wanted to make things up to her.

Besides, Sierra was sweet-talking and affectionate; it was natural that our parents adored her more.

When Julian visited my home for the first time,

he held me tightly afterward, his eyes red.

"Serena, you've had it so hard."

"From now on, I will remember your birthday, your tastes, and the gifts you love."

I had never thought of my life as hard.

Yet Julian said he hurt for me.

Tears had spilled from my eyes back then.

He wiped them away and promised,

"Serena, you have me now. I'll treat you right."

Julian broke his promise.

Something poked against my back.

It was the silver protection charm.

How funny. When the floodwaters almost swept me away, I refused to let it go.

Now, I looked at it for three seconds.

And tossed it into the trash can.