My sister invited me to her wedding, but when I arrived, I saw a familiar face. The same man who, this morning, kissed me goodbye and left for work. Now, I’m watching him recite his vows and exchange rings with her. My sister, elegantly clinging to his arm, reminded me: "I asked Liam to take care of you before, but now, Elara, it’s time you found a boyfriend of your own." I glanced at Liam. He smiled softly at my sister, offering not a single word of explanation. Whatever. I don't want him anymore. Even if he comes crawling back to our apartment door later, calling me "baby," I don't want him anymore. 1 When Liam left this morning, he kissed my cheek. He reminded me, just like always: "Leftovers are in the fridge. Heat them up when you wake up. Remember to eat." So when I saw Liam’s face at the wedding, my first reaction wasn’t anger. It was confusion. As the officiant read the vows, Liam stared intently at my sister, leaving me only his profile. There was a tiny mole at the corner of his eye. Countless times, when he flaked on me for work and made me angry, he would whine and cuddle up to me. "Let me kiss the mole by your eye. Don't be mad, I know you like it." I couldn't be mistaken. But why was it Liam? After being brought back to the Vanderbilt family, I rarely appeared in public. I never claimed to be a Vanderbilt. I never coveted anything that wasn't mine. I couldn't choose my birth, but I tried my hardest to avoid the family drama. But why is my boyfriend involved with my sister? Suddenly, my older brother, Ethan, gripped my wrist. The officiant was asking Liam: "Do you take Sophia Vanderbilt to be your lawfully wedded wife..." Ethan’s voice dropped into my ear simultaneously. "Forgot to tell you. Liam and Sophia are childhood sweethearts. We’ve spoiled Sophia, so she does whatever she wants." "I apologize on her behalf." The "little sister" he referred to wasn't me. It was Liam’s bride, Sophia. The elegant Miss Vanderbilt. Ethan always did whatever he pleased. Being this polite wasn't out of respect; it was out of disdain. I deliberately ignored Ethan's words, staring fixedly at Liam. He didn't even glance at me. He only looked at my sister, his gaze tender and devoted, answering firmly: "I do." I couldn't ignore his words. My heart twinged with pain, and tears rolled down involuntarily. Ethan released my wrist. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wiping his hand with a handkerchief. His disdainful voice floated over lightly. "Elara? You really are delusional." 2 "Sophia, come here. Let your brother see how beautiful you look." Sophia lifted her skirt and trotted over, Liam carefully guarding her from behind. "Ethan, is it pretty? Liam spent months picking it out." Sophia had tiny diamonds at the corners of her eyes. When she moved, they sparkled in sync with the crystals on her dress. She was beautiful. Ethan returned to his usual nonchalant self. "Of course my sister is beautiful. You’d look good even without that brat Liam picking it out." His tone was familiar. He smiled gently at Sophia and Liam. Liam wore a faint smile, a look I had never seen on him. "Ethan, we still have to toast the guests. Sophia and I will go find Mother first. We’ll catch up later." Throughout the exchange, I didn't get a chance to say a single word. No one even spared me a glance. The contempt was obvious. Just like the day I first arrived at the Vanderbilt estate. My mother knelt on the ground, begging: "She's your daughter, you can't just ignore her..." The family sat on the sofa, busy with their own things, even discussing an interesting news story, as if they didn't see us standing at the door. Simple indifference crushed us completely. Just like now. I suddenly lost the will to argue. I didn't care how Liam became my sister's husband. I just wanted to get away from the Vanderbilts, go back to my crappy apartment, and cry my eyes out. Tomorrow morning, I'll still be Elara, the girl with zero connection to the Vanderbilt fortune. 3 "Ethan, I'm leaving then." I tried to keep my expression composed. "Don't go. Why leave? Liam took care of you for so long, you should say hi." "Sophia is willful. She insisted Liam take care of you. You didn't misunderstand anything, did you?" Misunderstand what? That Liam clung to me saying "I love you"? That he whined he only liked me? Wasn't this all a game you were in on? Only I was the fool being played. After revealing the truth, you still have the nerve to check on the fool's mental state? You people are bored out of your minds. I adjusted my emotions and lifted my chin. "I didn't misunderstand." "Ethan, if you had told me earlier that Liam was someone Sophia hired to take care of me, I would have treated him better." "At least I wouldn't have made him squeeze into a rental apartment with me." Ethan probably didn't expect me to switch gears so fast. He froze for a moment. Behind me, Sophia's voice rang out: "Elara, come here. Let your brother-in-law and I toast you." She walked towards me with a wine glass. Beside her, Mrs. Vanderbilt glanced at me with disdain and turned away. Sophia stood in front of me. Liam reminded her, "Drink less, or your stomach will hurt later." Watching this display of deep affection, I thought: Wow, you people are great actors. The man who was begging for kisses this morning could switch roles in less than three hours and care for another woman. Disgusting. I raised my glass. "Wishing my sister and brother-in-law a hundred years of happiness and many children." Sophia smiled and clinked glasses with me. I couldn't stay a second longer. I turned to leave. She reminded me from behind. "Elara, those plushies and watches you gave Liam were really cheap, so I threw them away. Don't blame me." I stopped. I remembered when I was with Liam, he loved rituals. He would whine for gifts on every holiday, big or small. I didn't have much money. I used my part-time wages to buy him small gifts. Scarves, flowers, watches. I picked each one carefully, hoping to see him happy. But the gifts I gave him always disappeared the next day. He lied to me, saying he treasured them and put them away for safekeeping. Turns out, this was the reason. That woman didn't teach me much, but I remember when she was at her peak, she told me: "The more down and out you are, the more dignified you must appear." Even though she couldn't keep it up herself, I remembered those words. Being stabbed in the wound like this, I dug my nails into my palm and feigned calmness. "Just cheap trinkets. Toss them if you want." I walked forward on trembling legs, not looking back at their expressions. 4 Back home, I started packing Liam's things. From the bedsheets he picked out to his toothbrush and rings. I gathered a lot of stuff, packing them into three bags to throw out. The apartment complex had a nice environment, lots of gardens and trees. Outside the window, the silk trees were in full bloom. When we looked at apartments in the spring, Liam fell in love with this place because of the tall silk tree out front. But the rent was high. I had to take double the freelance work to afford it, on top of my lab work. In the end, he hugged me and pouted, blinking pitifully. I gave in and agreed. There was no elevator. I dragged the bags down the stairs. The silk tree out front was blooming vigorously, looking like a pink cotton candy cloud from afar. It was hot. My back was soaked with sweat. The heavy bags left red marks on my palms. I was agitated. With a yank, one bag ripped. Clothes tumbled down the stairs. I stared at the clothes rolling down to the next floor. I blinked, emotions swirling, but just dragged my stiff body back upstairs to get a thicker bag. While I was squatting on the stairs picking up clothes, the neighbor grandma came home. Seeing me, she greeted warmly, "Elara, cleaning up? I see Liam's clothes are still good. Don't spoil him too much." Even the neighbor I met only a few times knew I spoiled Liam. I paid the rent. I paid for meals. I bought his clothes. If he whined a little, I abandoned my principles. Maybe because I lacked love growing up, when I caught someone, I spoiled them desperately, regardless of their intentions. My throat tightened. I wiped my face with my arm, composing myself before answering. "Grandma, I know. I won't anymore." After throwing everything in the dumpster, I threw myself onto the bed and forced my eyes shut. When I opened them again, the room was pitch black. I found my phone and called my senior from the lab. "Sarah, can I still move into the campus dorms?" After that, I texted the landlord: "I'm moving out." I buried my head in the pillow, muttering uncontrollably. "It's okay. Just treat Liam like a dream." "I am still me. An ordinary girl who got into the lab on her own merit." "My mom was wrong. I need to stay away from the Vanderbilts. I have nothing to do with them. Nothing." ...
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