Chapter 3

When I got back home, Mom stopped me just as I was about to head into my room.

"Pack your things. Lottie's moving in tomorrow. She's starting her new position at Stellar Group next week, and her place is way too far from the office, so she's going to be living with us from now on."

I followed her gaze toward the hallway.

A fresh set of bedding was sitting out alongside a brand-new vanity table that had just been delivered, everything decked out in Charlotte's favorite shade of pink.

"Where's she staying?" I asked.

"Your room, of course. It's not like we have any other spare bedrooms."

I froze. "Then what about me?"

Mom paused for a second before pointing toward the utility closet by the entrance.

"Clean out the closet. We can fit a folding cot in there. Lottie's a guest, so you'll just have to make do for a bit."

The closet was packed to the ceiling with old furniture. A massive cabinet blocked half the window, and the corners of the walls were covered in stubborn mildew stains.

When we were kids and Charlotte stayed over, I had given up my bed and slept in that exact spot.

Back then, Mom had stroked my hair and praised me. "You're so mature, Natalie."

I had genuinely believed that being the mature one would earn me a little bit of her love.

It was only later that I realized the true reward was that they would expect me to keep backing down for the rest of my life.

"I'm not doing it," I said.

It was the very first time I had ever told her no.

Mom's expression instantly darkened. "Lottie's going to have a demanding job, so she needs to get proper rest. You don't even have a career lined up yet, so what difference does it make where you sleep?"

"This is my room," I said quietly.

Mom scoffed as if she had just heard a joke. "What are you talking about? Everything in this house belongs to us, and we gave it to you. What's the big deal about giving up a bedroom?"

I stared at her, the question slipping out before I could stop it. "What if the job I was offered is actually better than Charlotte's?"

Mom frowned. "Natalie, it's one thing to lack capability, but you shouldn't lie just to make yourself look good."

I intended to tell her that I had been employed by Selton Space Center, but the words died in my throat.

"If you don't want to sleep in the closet, then pack your bags and get out. Nobody's stopping you," Dad finally chimed in, his tone dripping with impatience.

I looked at them and nodded. "Fine."

They assumed I was just throwing a tantrum, so Mom didn't even attempt to make me stay. Instead, she merely reminded me to clear out the room before I left so I wouldn't delay Charlotte's move the next morning.

I ended up at a nearby hostel, where I reserved a six-person room, top bunk, for 30 dollars a night.

Whenever the person in the next bed rolled over, the entire metal frame creaked and shook. Yet the moment I lay down, I actually felt a deeper sense of peace than I ever had at home.

At the very least, this bunk was something I had paid for myself, and it truly belonged to me.

…

The next day, I went back home to pack the rest of my belongings.

When I opened my jewelry box, I discovered that the emerald pendant Grandma had left me was gone.

Grandma was the only person in that family who had ever shown me any affection.

When I was running a high fever as a child, Mom was accompanying Charlotte to dance class, leaving Grandma to carry me to the hospital on her back.

She used to tell me that it wasn't that I didn't feel pain. I just didn't dare to cry because there was nobody around to comfort me.

After she passed away, that emerald pendant became the only thing I had left of her.

I clutched the empty box and walked into the living room. "Mom, where's my emerald pendant?"

Mom's hands paused for a second as she stripped the bedsheets. "It's just a piece of emerald. Why would I know where you placed it?"

The words had barely left her mouth when my phone buzzed with a notification.

A picture had been sent to the family group chat.

Dad had used his connections to set up a meeting, and he was introducing Charlotte to the executives from Stellar Group.

In the picture, Charlotte was wearing the brand-new dress we had bought yesterday, and hanging around her neck was my emerald pendant.

I held the screen right in front of Mom's face.

Seeing that she could no longer deny it, she doubled down instead.

"Lottie had an important meeting with the executives, and it didn't look right for her neck to be completely bare, so I gave it to her. You just leave it sitting around anyway. It was only gathering dust."

"Grandma left that to me," I said.

Mom's expression turned cold.

"I'm your mother. Do I really need to get your permission just to borrow something of yours? Besides, your grandmother loved Lottie, too. If she knew you were throwing a fit over a piece of jewelry, she'd think you were being incredibly petty."

"Grandma wouldn't think that."

Tears streamed down my cheeks without warning, and my voice trembled. "She was the only person in this entire family who never forced me to give anything up for Charlotte."

I turned around to head to the restaurant, but Mom immediately blocked the doorway.

"The meeting is still ongoing! If you go over right now, you're going to ruin Lottie's career!"

During our struggle, the front door suddenly swung open from the outside. Charlotte had returned.

She reached up to touch the emerald pendant resting against her chest. "Natalie, were you looking for this?"

Unclasping the chain, she held it out in her open palm. "I had no idea your grandmother left this to you. Mrs. Sinclair told me it was a gift for starting my new job."

I walked over, extending my hand as I demanded, "Give it back."

I had clearly put some distance between us, but her hand suddenly went limp. The emerald pendant fell to the floor before snapping in half.

Charlotte took a step back, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry! You rushed at me so fast. I was taken aback…"