Chapter 3

Mom tagged me in the family group chat.

"We told you to come, but you refused. Regretting it now?"

Then, she shared several photos taken at the restaurant. There were all kinds of local dishes and drinks from the southern coast. Not far away, some musicians were putting on a live performance.

The place looked lively and fun.

I knew better, though. None of that had anything to do with me.

I stared at the beautifully presented seafood and drinks in the photos and let out a bitter laugh. I was allergic to both seafood and alcohol, so I couldn't have a single thing on that table.

Without typing a word, I simply sent an "Awesome" sticker in the chat and set my phone down.

After that, they stopped posting in the family group chat and posted everything on social media instead. The posts quickly filled with likes and comments.

One of my classmates' parents left a comment.

"Mrs. Jarrow, you guys went on a family trip? How come I don't see Alice?"

Mom replied almost immediately. "Alice doesn't like noisy places. She's staying home by herself."

"Alice is such a good kid. She's quiet, well-behaved, and does well in school. Unlike my child…" the parent wrote.

I stared at those comments for a long time.

Then, I suddenly remembered a Children's Day years ago, when Mom took us shopping for new clothes.

There was one last dress left on the rack. Mom handed it to Yvonne without hesitation.

"Alice doesn't like adorable clothes like this anyway," she told the salesperson with a casual wave. "We'll take this for her sister."

I remembered another time when there were only two pieces of meat left on the plate. Mom gave one to Stefan and another one to Yvonne.

"Alice is trying to lose weight. You two can have them," she said matter-of-factly.

When we were even younger, it was always Yvonne sitting in Mom's arms. Whenever someone asked about it, Mom would always say, "Alice doesn't like being held."

It seemed that, in this family, I was never allowed to have preferences of my own. If my siblings "liked" something, I had to "dislike" it. That way, everything could be handed over to them without anyone questioning it.

…

My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a call from Joel. There was a strange hint of guilt in his voice when he spoke.

"Alice, do you remember where you bought the bracelet you gave me?"

I froze for a moment. "I didn't buy that bracelet."

I had made it myself.

There had been a time when Joel was constantly sick and in poor health.

So, I went to a cathedral, climbed 99 steps, and lit a candle for him. I brought back a crystal bead that I later worked into a bracelet.

Back then, Joel gently touched my hands. My fingers were covered with bloody cuts. At that moment, he made me a promise. "As soon as the college entrance exams are over, we're going to Everleigh Palace together. I want to make a wish for you, too."

Yet now, he couldn't even remember where the bracelet had come from.

As reality came crashing back, I answered quietly, "It broke, didn't it?"

The line went completely silent.

Then a tearful, trembling voice broke through the silence.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I just wanted to try it on. I somehow broke it… There was one bead that looked different from the others. We can't find it…"

That was the very bead I'd climbed 99 steps to get.

Then came Joel's voice, gentle and full of concern. "Don't cry, Yvonne. It's no big deal. We can just buy another one."

"You can't," I heard myself say, my voice eerily calm. "That bracelet is one-of-a-kind."

The next moment, Mom chimed in, "Alice, what kind of attitude is that? Why are you yelling at your sister over a cheap, worthless bracelet? She nearly fell trying to find that stupid bead for you. Her ankle's all red."

So, to her, it was just a cheap, worthless bracelet.

I stayed completely silent.

Yvonne's sobs grew louder through the speaker. "Please don't be mad at me, Alice. I'll keep looking for it."

"Don't bother," Joel cut her off, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance.

Then, he said to me, "Alice, your mom is right. It's just a bracelet. Why do you have to make a big deal out of it?"