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Chapter 2

Author: Pop Pop Popcorn
The next day was Saturday.

The living room was already bustling early in the morning.

Mom was searching through Melanie's dresses, while Dad was polishing his shoes.

"Yas, hurry up and get ready. Quinn booked a private room at Jade Palace today to celebrate how well Mel's exhibition is coming together."

Mom knocked on my bedroom door.

I opened it and saw her holding a silk shawl that was originally mine.

It was a souvenir my professor had brought back for me from a trip to Willow Creek.

I had treasured it for years and had never worn it.

"Mel said it's cold in the air-conditioned room today, so she's borrowing your shawl for a while."

Before I could say anything, Mom draped the shawl over Melanie's arm.

"Okay."

I turned and walked toward the bathroom.

By the time I finished getting ready, Quentin's car was already waiting downstairs.

My family chatted and laughed as they went downstairs.

I walked behind them, watching Henry eagerly open the car door for Melanie.

Just as I reached for the door, Quentin rolled down the window.

"Yasmine, sit in the back."

His hands rested on the steering wheel, his tone making it sound like the most natural thing in the world.

I froze.

Melanie's personal cushion was already in the passenger seat.

"Mel's feeling a little dizzy today. She might get carsick if she sits in the back," Quentin explained.

"Okay."

I pulled my hand back, opened the rear door, and sat beside Henry.

The air conditioning was blasting inside the car.

Melanie pulled the silk shawl tighter around her shoulders and turned to Quentin.

"Quinn, is the air blowing on you?" she asked softly.

"No."

Quentin casually angled the vent away from her.

"As long as you don't get cold."

I leaned back against the seat and watched his gentle profile in the rearview mirror.

Back when I used to get carsick, Quentin would simply hand me a bottle of medicated oil and tell me to bear with it until we got there.

So it wasn't that he didn't know how to take care of someone.

He just didn't want to take care of me.

When we arrived at Jade Palace, a server led us to our private room.

At the round table, Quentin pulled out the chair beside the head seat.

Melanie naturally took the seat.

"Yas sure knows how to pick a caring boyfriend. Mom and Dad won't have to worry about her happiness anymore!"

She teased me playfully.

I didn't respond. Instead, I walked straight to the seat closest to the door, where the dishes would be served, and sat down.

Quentin glanced at me. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.

The menu was brought over, and everyone took turns ordering.

Mom rattled off the dishes without hesitation.

Everything she ordered was light and exactly what Melanie liked to eat.

"Yas, what do you want?"

Dad asked casually.

"I want the Buffalo Wings," I said, looking at the menu.

"Oh, but Mel's stomach can't handle spicy food."

Mom immediately cut me off.

"Besides, it's so hot out. Why order Buffalo Wings? It'll only make you feel worse. Let's just get some vegetable salad."

"Okay."

I closed the menu and handed it back to the server.

Under the table, Quentin lightly nudged my knee.

I pulled my leg back and avoided his touch.

He turned toward me and lowered his voice.

"I'll take you out for barbecue tonight. Just the two of us."

"No need."

I stared at the teacup in front of me.

"What's wrong with you now?"

There was a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Everyone's having a good time today. Don't keep looking so glum."

As I looked at his furrowed brows, memories from not so long ago came rushing back.

Before I brought Quentin home to meet my family, I had spent a long time worrying.

I was afraid he would be like everyone else and instinctively take my older sister's side, since she had always been the center of attention.

I had cried as I told him about my fears.

He had smiled and called me a fool.

He told me he would always stand by my side.

He gave me the courage to face it all.

And then he was the one who popped the balloon filled with all that courage.

The dishes arrived quickly.

Melanie picked up a piece of fish and ate it slowly, then suddenly looked at me.

"Yas, I still have a few illustrations left to finish for that project at Quinn's company.

"Are you free this weekend? Could you help me with the linework?"

Everyone at the table turned their attention to me.

Whenever Melanie took on a commission and got stuck on a section, she would always dump it on me.

Her name went on the finished work, and she kept the payment.

"I'm not free."

I picked up some vegetables with my chopsticks without looking up.

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Yas!"

Mom's expression hardened.

"You're not doing anything this weekend anyway. What's so difficult about helping your sister?"

"It's my weekend."

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat.

"And I have my own work to do. I have to work overtime."

"What's so important about that lousy internship that you have to work overtime?"

Henry scoffed.

"Mel's working on a major project for Quinn's company this time. If something goes wrong, can you afford to take responsibility for it?"

I put down my chopsticks and looked at Quentin.

He was in charge of the project.

Quentin avoided my gaze and took a sip of tea.

"Yasmine, the project really is on a tight deadline.

"You work fast. Just help Mel with some of it, and I'll owe you one."

I looked at him and suddenly found the situation almost absurd.

He was my boyfriend.

Yet now he was saying he'd owe me a favor just for helping someone else.

"I already said I'm not free."

I picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth.

Melanie's eyes immediately turned red.

"Forget it, Quinn.

"If Yas doesn't want to help, then it's fine. I'll stay up all night and finish it myself."

"You can't stay up all night!"

Henry immediately grew agitated and turned to glare at me.

"Yasmine, what exactly are you upset about? Is this really just because we didn't install the air conditioner in your room yesterday?"

"Then put the air conditioner back in my room, and I'll help her with the linework."

For the first time, I finally worked up the courage to say aloud what I had rehearsed in my head hundreds of times.

The room fell into an awkward silence.

"I think you've gotten too full of yourself! You've barely started working, and already you're picking fights with your own family!"

Dad slammed his hand down on the table.

The dishes and silverware rattled from the impact.

"I'm full. You all take your time."

I stood up and left the table early.

I turned away, hiding the moisture in the corners of my eyes.

Just after I stepped out of the private room, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was a message from the HR department.

They reminded me that my onboarding checklist had been sent to my email and that I needed to fill it out and send it back by next Tuesday.

I typed a reply.

"Got it. I'll send it to you as soon as possible."

I glanced back at the closed door of the private room.

No one came after me.

Then Quentin sent me a message.

"You were being a little inconsiderate today. Mr. and Mrs. Xavier are both very upset, and Mel was so hurt that she cried.

"Next time, I'll arrange for you to apologize to them properly. Make sure you do."

I didn't reply.

Instead, I deleted every message from the past three years of our conversations.

There would be no next time.

And he would never get the apology he wanted from me.

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