Chapter 3

I did not stop. I only quickened my pace, but Jim caught up and grabbed me. "Cecilia, what exactly are you trying to pull?"

Jim was usually calm and steady, but this time, there was a rare flash of anger in his eyes.

I had no idea what he meant. I was about to ask when he continued, "I thought you actually realized you were wrong. I didn't expect you to say one thing to my face and do another behind my back.

"You know perfectly well that Harriet and I are completely innocent. In the end, you'll be the one I marry. So, what did you mean by bringing up the fact that she and I got married, then returning the wedding fund I gave you?

"Do you really have to let your jealousy ruin the relationship between my sister and me? Do you want everyone to think something inappropriate is going on between us and ruin Harriet's reputation?"

His accusations hit my heart like a hammer, and my eyes immediately began to sting.

I had thought he had chased after me to explain why he had not pushed Harriet away. Instead, he did not care about that at all. He was only worried about whether Harriet's reputation would be ruined.

I lifted the corners of my mouth in a bitter smile, mocking myself for still holding on to such foolish hopes. I should have been used to it by now, should I not?

Whenever Harriet was involved, Jim always cared about her first. It did not matter who else was standing beside her. He simply stopped seeing anyone else.

Just like that time when he rushed to rescue Harriet behind the university campus.

Harriet had somehow gotten into trouble with a group of local troublemakers and ended up trapped in an alley. When Jim and I arrived, her face was already swollen from being slapped.

Jim went completely crazy with rage. He charged into the crowd alone and pulled Harriet behind him, shielding her with his body.

The group was made up of students. They were too afraid to attack once they realized Jim knew how to fight. However, they did not want to back down either, so they turned on me instead.

I was shaking from head to toe and cried out to Jim for help. He acted as if he did not hear me. He was too busy checking Harriet from head to toe, making sure she was not seriously hurt.

It was as if he had completely forgotten I existed. Worried that Harriet might be injured, he hurried her straight to the hospital.

If I had not called the police before we arrived, I had no idea what would have happened to me.

That night, Jim secretly cried for hours out of guilt and swore that he would never leave me alone again.

However, when Zephyr was hit by a flood, he still drove an hour to pick up Harriet, even though I was only a mile away from him. Harriet was in no danger at all. Later, when Zephyr was on lockdown because of an influenza outbreak and Harriet was stranded on campus, he gave her every medicine and face mask we had at home.

I was left with nothing to treat even an ordinary high fever. I experienced lasting damage to my lungs from it.

There had been too many moments like that. I had lost count, and I did not want to count anymore. I certainly did not want to keep waiting for the day Jim might finally remember that I existed.

I yanked my hand free from his grip. I had so many grievances, so many questions I wanted to throw at him, but suddenly, I felt too exhausted to say any of them.

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighed, and finally said, "Fine, Jim. Whatever you say."

Jim felt as if he had punched a pillow. His throat tightened, leaving him at a loss for words, and when his gaze finally dropped to my face, he seemed to snap out of it the moment he saw how red and swollen my eyes were. A flash of regret crossed his face.

"Cecilia, I didn't mean to blame you…" He hesitated for a long moment before carefully choosing his next words.

"And about what happened with Harriet just now... Don't take it to heart. She's still just a kid. She doesn't realize she's too old to act like that anymore. When we get home, I'll talk to her. Just don't hold it against her. You'll only make yourself miserable."

Listening to Jim make excuses for Harriet with the same practiced ease as always, I did not feel angry or hurt like I used to. I only wanted to laugh. He had said those exact words countless times over the past eight years.

When Harriet turned 18, she wanted to take couple photos with him. I objected, but Jim did not care at all. He simply told me not to hold it against a kid.

Later, when the three of us lived together, Harriet secretly wore my pajamas and slept in our bedroom with one of Jim's shirts clutched in her arms. I was disgusted and told Harriet to move out.

Jim said I was making a big deal out of nothing. Harriet only missed her big brother. Why was I making things difficult for a child?

Now, the two of them had openly gotten married and kissed each other, yet he was still telling me, the woman who was supposed to marry him, not to take it to heart.

I could not help laughing.

Maybe even when they had grandchildren running around, Jim would still be saying the same thing. "Harriet is still young. Don't hold it against her."

That was how Jim saw her. A 22-year-old college graduate was still just a child in his eyes.

Fine.

This time, I really was not going to hold it against her.

I swallowed hard. My throat felt painfully dry, and when I spoke, my voice came out rough. "Jim, forget about the wedding."