He once said he would protect me
for a lifetime.
I grew up with Jason.
He took care of every little thing, treating me
like I was made of glass.
People would ask about our relationship, and
he’d just smile and say I was his pet project.
After he turned down my confession for the
third time, he brought home the dazzling
Melanie and told me to call her “Auntie.”
“We’re getting married, sweetie. Be a good
girl and don’t upset your auntie.”
“…Okay.”
I moved out of Jason’s house, treated him like
an elder, started dating, and tried to build a
new life.
But he wasn’t having it.
I first met Melanie on the morning of my
twenty–second birthday.
She walked out of Jason’s bedroom wearing
his shirt, with suggestive marks on her neck
and legs.
Jason followed, casually put his arm around
her, and kissed her.
They looked like the perfect couple.
I stared at them, stunned.
Since I moved in with Jason, he’d been
く
devoted to me. No other woman had ever
come close, let alone been brought home.
It seemed he’d finally fallen for someone else.
My heart ached with a mix of emotions. I tried
to sneak back to my room, but it was too
late.
Melanie smiled and held out her hand. “You
must be the little girl Jason raised. Hi, Chloe,
I’m Melanie, Jason’s girlfriend.”
“Hi.”
I forced a smile, shook her hand, and watched
as she playfully complained to Jason, “It’s all
your fault for being so rough last night! Now I
have nothing to wear and I’m embarrassing
myself in front of Chloe!”
Г
Jason chuckled and pinched her waist.
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?
Chloe won’t make fun of you, right, Chloe?”
His familiar tone stung. I didn’t know how to
deal with the fact that he suddenly had a
girlfriend.
I mumbled a response and excused myself to
go wash up.
When I went downstairs for breakfast,
Melanie was sitting in my usual seat, using
my bowl and chopsticks.
That seat was closest to Jason. He’d always
insisted I sit there.
The bowls and chopsticks were a custom set,
one for him and one for me. He never let
anyone wise use (nem.
But Melanie was the future lady of the house.
Compared to her, I was the outsider.
“Chloe, don’t just stand there, come and eat,”
Melanie said warmly.
I thanked her and sat down, picking at my
food.
Jason spent the entire meal doting on
Melanie, completely oblivious to my
discomfort, or maybe he noticed and just
didn’t care.
After breakfast, Jason and Melanie were
going out.
I stood up, wanting to ask if he’d forgotten
my birthday
L
But Jason smiled at me. “Sweetie, your auntie
and I are going on a date. It wouldn’t be
convenient to bring a third wheel.”
“…I didn’t mean to intrude. Have a nice date,
Uncle Jason and Auntie Melanie.”
I stammered, unable to bring myself to say,
“It’s my birthday today.”
The car engine roared, and I was left alone in
the house.
I sat at the dining table, fiddling with my
clothes, feeling as lost as the day Jason first
brought me home.
When I was five, thirteen–year–old Jason took
me to his family’s house.
Г
His reason was absurd: he liked having pets,
but he couldn’t keep any of them alive.
That day, he saw me and had a sudden
thought: he could keep a human as a pet.
The Jason family was one of the wealthiest
families around. My parents were eager to get
in their good graces. As soon as the Jasons
expressed their interest, my parents
practically shoved me out the door.
I thought I wouldn’t adapt.
