Chapter 4

The clerk told me I could register independently through my employer.

I'd been working in the city for six years, and all my Social Security and employment records were in order.

It turned out I still had somewhere I belonged even if I didn't join the Holmes family registry.

I called Brenda Monroe, the company's HR, and explained the situation. She immediately sent me the employer verification letter I needed.

"You should've told us sooner. This is easy enough on our end," she replied.

I stared at the electronic document on my phone.

What the Holmes family had put off for three years took only 15 minutes to settle.

By 2:00 pm that same afternoon, I'd received confirmation that my application had been accepted for processing. The family group chat, however, remained completely silent.

The last message was still the one Mom had sent that morning.

"We're welcoming Sylvia home today. No one's allowed to miss dinner tonight," she texted.

All five of them had replied with the exact same message. "Noted."

I stared at their identical replies for a few seconds before muting every single one of them.

The living room was empty when I returned to the Holmes residence. The housekeeper, Blake Sanford, was directing the workers to move Adeline's belongings back into the room.

An awkward look flashed across his face the moment he saw me.

"Ms. Sylvia, Mrs. Holmes wanted to hold off on the room changes for now. After all, Ms. Adeline's still rather distressed," he said.

"Alright," I replied.

Taken aback, he asked, "Aren't you going to ask why?"

"I've got it." I went upstairs to pack my things, though there wasn't much to pack in the first place.

I'd arrived here with a single suitcase three years ago. Now, I was leaving with the same suitcase in hand.

The dresses in my closet still had their tags on. Mom had brought them in Adeline's size by mistake before passing them on to me.

The men's watch on my desk had originally been a gift from Lucian to Marcus. He'd accidentally bought two, so the extra one ended up with me.

Nathan had once given me a box of sleeping pills, not knowing I was allergic to one of the ingredients in them.

As for Marcus, he'd never given me anything. In fact, the first thing he'd said when we met was, "Adeline's timid, so don't think you can bully her just because you're our biological sister."

I left everything that wasn't mine behind. All I took were my documents, my laptop, and the old photo album Grandma had left me.

Blake followed me to the door. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm moving out."

"Do Mr. and Mrs. Holmes know about this?"

"No, they don't," I replied.

"In that case, I'll have to give them a call."

"Go ahead. And while you're at it, tell them the guest room is empty now." I placed the room key in his hand as I spoke.

Blake's expression instantly changed. "This isn't a guest room. It's your bedroom."

"My name isn't on the door. Not a single piece of clothing in the closet fits me. I've lived here for three years, and everyone still calls it the guest room. Tell me, what about it looks like my bedroom?" I asked him seriously.

Blake had no answer to that.

Adeline returned with the whole family fussing over her just as I dragged my suitcase downstairs.

Her cheeks were rosy, and she even had a cup of coffee in hand.

She stopped in her tracks the moment she saw my suitcase. "Where are you going, Sylvia?" she asked.

"I'm moving out."

Mom hurried over and grabbed hold of my suitcase. "Is this because we didn't stay with you while you handled the registry today?"

"It's not just about today," I replied.

"Then tell me. What else is there?" she pressed.

I held her gaze. "Adeline got to keep my room because she was used to it, just like how she was given the pendant because she'd been sick. Everyone left my homecoming banquet to go after her because she felt unwell.

"When it was time to update my family registry, all of you decided to return home with Adeline because she has anxiety. There's always some reason why she has to come first."

Mom's eyes reddened at my words. "Why didn't you tell me sooner if it bothered you this much?"

"I did. But all of you said I was just making a big deal out of nothing," I replied.

Her hand stiffened on the suitcase handle.

Lucian stepped in front of the door to block my way out. "Put the suitcase down. Whatever the problem is, let's sit down and talk it through," he urged.

"What's there for us to talk about?"

"You can have the room if you want it. As for the emerald pendant, we'll have Adeline give it back to you too," he continued.

The color drained from Adeline's face at his words.

"Why didn't you give them back to me when I asked yesterday?" I asked Lucian.

"We were all upset at the time," he explained.

"Then why are you giving them back to me now? Is it because I'm leaving?"

He fell silent.

I gave a small nod. "It's not that you suddenly decided I should have them back. You just realized that I'd leave if you didn't return them."

Dad strode over with a stern expression. "Sylvia, you're 25 years old. Don't think you can threaten us by running away from home."

"It's not a threat."

"Then what are you doing with that suitcase?"

"I'm just informing all of you that I'm moving out," I answered calmly.

Marcus let out an incredulous laugh. "And where exactly are you going to live? Do you even know how much rent costs these days?"

"Yes, I do."

"If you live alone, who's going to take care of you when you're sick?" he continued.

"I've always managed on my own before," I said simply.

His laugh died in his throat.

Just then, Adeline walked over and reached for my hand. "Please don't let me come between you and the family. Whatever you want, I'll give it back to you," she pleaded.

I lowered my gaze to her hand. "Since you're taking all the blame, I suppose you know you're part of the reason I'm leaving."

Adeline immediately let go of my hand. "That's not what I meant," she said quickly.

"Then what exactly are you trying to imply?"

A few words were all it took for her eyes to redden again. Mom instinctively pulled Adeline behind her. The moment she did, even Mom seemed taken aback by her own reaction.

I glanced at the way she had positioned herself protectively in front of Adeline.

This time, I didn't press any further.

Dad was about to say something when my phone rang. It was my company, calling to remind me to come back and sign the employer registry confirmation form.

I wheeled my suitcase past them and headed for the door as Dad's furious voice rang out behind me. "Don't expect us to come get you if you walk out that door today!" he warned.

"Fine," I replied.

Just like that, everyone behind me suddenly fell silent.