Chapter 3

I carried a dozen or more shopping bags of all shapes and sizes as I followed them into a lavishly decorated dessert shop. "You guys go ahead."

I stopped at the entrance, making no move to go inside.

Henry frowned. "What now?"

"I've got too many bags. I might bump into someone's table or chairs. I'll wait outside." I kept my head down, my voice calm.

Henry glanced at the expensive paper bags in my hands and seemed to see my point. "Suit yourself."

He turned and followed Winnie inside without looking back at me.

I found a bench outside the mall and sat down, neatly placing the bags by my feet.

The sunlight was glaring. I took off my glasses, which had slipped down my nose, and rubbed my dry, stinging eyes. Then, I reinforced the loose temple with a piece of clear tape and put my glasses back on.

I pulled out my phone and refreshed my feed.

The first post was from Henry.

The photo showed an elegant spread of coffee and pastries laid out across the table. Winnie wore the sunglasses she had just bought, along with the diamond necklace that cost 10,000 dollars. She was beaming.

Henry, my parents, and Wade were gathered around her, raising their cups for the camera.

The caption read, "Our little princess is all set for university. Wishing you a bright future."

Then came the likes and comments from mutual friends.

"You really know how to spoil Sadie's little sister."

"The whole family is gorgeous. They look so happy together!"

I scrolled past without a flicker of emotion.

I wasn't angry. The picture on my screen simply felt like some cheesy movie that had nothing to do with me.

By the time they finished coffee and came back out, it was almost dark.

When I got home, my arms were weighed down with shopping bags, and the living room was pitch-black.

I set the bags down and dragged my exhausted body toward my tiny partitioned room, pushing the door open as quietly as I could.

The moment I flipped on the light, I froze. My room was a complete mess. The cardboard boxes I kept under my bed had been dragged out, their contents scattered all over the floor.

But what made my heart stop was the space model sitting in the corner of my desk.

That model represented everything I dreamed of. I had spent two years scrimping and saving to buy every part I needed.

Now, it lay in pieces, its most important components crushed beyond repair.

Winnie's bedroom door was slightly ajar, with a sliver of light spilling through.

I walked over and pushed it open.

She sat on the carpet, holding the solar panels from my model up against her doll, as if trying to figure out how to attach them.

When she heard me, she looked up without a trace of guilt. "Hey, Sadie. You're back."

She casually tossed the piece onto the floor. "I went to your room to look for scissors earlier and accidentally knocked it over. Besides, it's not like you're getting into university anyway. You don't need this junk, so I figured I'd have some fun with it."

She smiled with childish innocence, but the provocation in her eyes told a different story.

In the past, I would've lunged at her and fought her tooth and nail.

But now, all I felt was sadness.

"Who gave you permission to go into my room?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"What's all this noise about? It's the middle of the night!"

Mom's bedroom door flew open. She stepped out with a jacket draped over her shoulders, her expression irritated. "Winnie's exhausted after spending all day shopping. Why are you making a fuss the moment you get home?"

She glanced at the broken pieces of the model on the floor and scoffed. "It's just a cheap plastic toy. If Winnie likes it, let her play with it.

"You can't even get into university, yet you waste all your time on these ridiculous dreams. What good are they going to do for you?"

Mom walked over and looked down at me. "Since you're back, pack up your things tomorrow and move to the couch in the living room.

"Winnie's going to university soon, and she needs somewhere to put all her new clothes and bags. We're turning your room into her walk-in closet."

I looked at Mom. She was taking away the last bit of space I had in this house as if she had every right to, without a hint of guilt.

"Okay." I looked at her and nodded.

Mom froze for a moment. "I'm glad you know your place."

She muttered under her breath before taking Winnie back to her room.

I crouched down and carefully picked up the broken pieces of my model, one by one. I tucked them into the deepest compartment of my backpack.

Tomorrow was the final day for incoming freshmen to register at Orivelle Institute of Technology.

It was also the day I would leave this family behind for good.