hapter 2
Chapter 2
Just as I expected, Icouldn’t open the door when I got home. The smart door lock had erased my fingerprint, and the code had been changed.
Undoubtedly, this was their way of pressuring me, hoping I’d just give up.
Inside, the villa was shaking with loud music. I could see Rachel dancing, surrounded by Elijah and Alex, her laughter echoing through the room.
She flopped onto the couch, pretending to catch her breath, then said with a mock- concerned look, “Isn’t this a bit much? What if Nina gets upset later?”
From the window, I watched Elijah hand her
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From the window, I watched Eljan nana ner a towering four–tiered cake, grinning.
“Come on, it’s a big day!” he laughed, brushing her comment aside. “Make a wish!”
Watching them like that, I couldn’t help but remember my birthday. They‘ d completely forgotten about it, deciding instead to spend the day out somewhere else.
Meanwhile, I’d waited at home, candles burning, dishes going cold, the cake melting -all while waiting like an idiot. When they finally showed up, they handed me a tiny, four–inch cake, barely looking me in the eye..
It’s funny how they‘ ve forgotten that they once begged me to celebrate birthdays with them.
I turned away from the window and sat by the
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11 III V
i tu away it wow anu sat by unc
door, letting the cold night air cut across my
face. I shivered, the fever creeping over me, fogging my thoughts.
In that daze, I instinctively dialed their number. But they didn’t pick up.
I sank to the ground with a bitter laugh as the realization hit hard.
‘From now on, I won’t rely on Elijah and Alex for anything.‘
When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed with an IV drip in my arm. Elijah rushed over, looking concerned.
“Nina, how‘ re you feeling?” he asked, his voice full of worry.
Alex stood nearby, rubbing the back of his neck, a guilty look on his face. “We meant to
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Chapter 2
let you in, Nina. We just… forgot.”
I almost laughed.
If they’d really forgotten, then I didn’t matter to them. But I couldn’t bring myself
to care anymore.
I shook my head, managing a soft smile.
“It’s fine. I understand.”
They looked stunned, and for a moment, my calmness made them uneasy. Maybe they expected me to get angry, to demand that they choose between Rachel and me.
But I just didn’t have the energy.
Elijah sat down beside me, looking serious.
“We’re not leaving you alone today. We‘ 11 stay and take care of you.”
But barely a minute later, his phone buzzed. Rachel‘ s voice came through the speaker,
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Chapter 2
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sugary–sweet.
“Elijah, I’m freaking out! There’s a cockroach in my house. I can’t kill it,” she whimpered.
He hesitated, glancing back and forth between me and the phone.
I forced a smile, my voice calm. “You‘ re going to go, aren’t you?”
A thick silence hung between us, neither wanting to break it.
With a sigh, I tried to look unbothered.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. Go ahead.”
And just like that, they turned and walked
out.
At the door, Elijah paused and looked back, smiling to reassure me. “I’ll be back soon.
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Just wait for me.”
I nodded, putting on a smile like I believed him. “Sure, I’ll wait.‘
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That night, though, they didn’t come back. Instead, Rachel posted on social media.
In the photo, Elijah and Alex have clay on their faces while they work on a sculpture in grubby aprons.
The caption read:
[All this for one plate I wanted, and they brought me here to make it myself! We‘ ve made, like, a hundred, and they’re still not satisfied. It’s exhausting, honestly!]
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I clicked the like button, feeling strangely numb.
‘It’s fine. If you three are that close, I hope
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Chapter 3
