Chapter 3

I didn't sleep a wink all night.

After the violent vomiting, my stomach even began to ache with a dull, throbbing pain.

In the past, I would have rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night.

After all, I was a girl who was unloved by my father, unloved by my mother, unloved by my brother.

I truly longed for a child whose eyes held only me.

But this time, almost self-destructively, I didn't move.

Just as Chelsea said, his father didn't love him anyway. Maybe his choosing to leave was the best option.

Brandon didn't return to the bedroom that night.

I heard the front door close at midnight, and again at six in the morning.

Where did Brandon go?

It was obvious.

After all, at 2 AM last night, I had received photos from Sierra.

She and Brandon were snuggled on the bed in what used to be my childhood room. On the bedside table sat my old teddy bear, Barnaby, whom I used to hug to sleep every night.

And in front of Barnaby was a photo of Sierra wearing a princess dress.

Because, ever since I was lost for five years and returned home after so much hardship,

My room had become Sierra's.

My brother had become Sierra's.

My parents had also become Sierra's.

What hurt me the most was that one night, I woke up crying from a nightmare about that cruel, jailed foster father.

I crawled out of bed, searching for Mom and Dad,

Only to find them, along with my brother, cradling a crying Sierra, whose stomach ached in the middle of the night, their faces filled with worry.

"The guest bedroom is drafty, Sierra must have caught a cold and that's why her stomach hurts."

No sooner had Mom spoken than my brother chimed in, "If Cassie hadn't come back, Sierra wouldn't have been kicked out. You see how difficult she is to get along with now, but you two, for the sake of appearances, still refuse to admit it."

"And you gave Sierra's room to Cassie! Do you even think she deserves it?"

As soon as my brother finished speaking, Dad slapped him on the head. "Shut up, don't let Cassie hear you, or she'll throw another tantrum."

Afterward, muffled sounds of them comforting Sierra not to cry echoed from the living room.

That night, I returned to my room and developed a high fever.

But no one among the three outside knew.

It wasn't until I had been in bed for four days, and my cold had naturally subsided, that I proactively suggested moving out of that room which was once mine, and offered to go live with my grandmother.

Only then did they seem to realize they hadn't seen me leave my room for four days.

Thinking of the bitter past, a suffocating pain clenched my heart again.

I struggled to get out of bed, brushed my teeth, and stepped out of the room, only to see Brandon, wearing an apron, preparing a meal for pregnant women.

The sight stung my eyes, making them red-rimmed.

Seeing me, Brandon took off his apron and walked towards me.

"I saw you had morning sickness last night, so I was afraid of disturbing your rest and slept in the study."

With that, Brandon guided me to sit at the dining table.

"I saw online that pregnant women only avoid morning sickness if they eat well."

He then turned to the kitchen to pour me milk.

But looking at the breakfast spread on the table, all made with eggs, my heart clenched again.

I am allergic to eggs.

My eyes welled up once more. The next moment, my SnapChat notification chimed.

It was Sierra.

"Enjoy the egg feast I had Brandon prepare for you?"

"Consider this your reward for sleeping alone last night."

"I hope you and the bastard in your belly end up in the hospital, dead and unburied."

"Oh, and Brandon will probably tell you about a business trip later, but actually, he promised to accompany me to visit my parents' graves."

"You know, I just got back from abroad, so of course, I have to go back and see my birth parents."

"By the way, your mom, dad, and brother are coming along too."

My fingers holding the phone tightened their grip.

After pouring the milk, Brandon walked back to me.

He placed the milk on the table, then kissed my cheek, and said,

"Honey, I have to go on a business trip today. Something urgent came up with the project in S City."

With that, he reached out and untied his apron.

"You and this little troublemaker stay put at home. I'll be back in a couple of days."

He didn't care about my pale face.

He didn't care if I'd eaten a single bite of his carefully prepared egg delicacy.

He rushed back to the room, grabbed his pre-packed suitcase, and walked out the door.

He didn't even say goodbye to me.

He didn't even ask why my eyes were so red before slamming the door shut.

Listening to the lingering thud of the door echoing in the room, tears streamed down my face.

And the fork and knife Brandon had given me, without me realizing, had pierced into the flesh of my palm.

Scarlet drops ran down the blade, falling one by one into the milky white glass, swirling into a pink cloud.