Chapter 2

Naomi had been pulling this stunt for three years.

Every single time, she'd deliberately post things for me to see. Then she'd act innocent and wait for me to lose my temper, wait for me to argue with her, before turning around and crying to my parents about how I couldn't tolerate her.

Back then, I was stupid enough to fall for it every time, but this time, I didn't reply at all.

A second later, Cameron's call still came through.

"Stella, what the hell is wrong with you? What's with the passive-aggressive comment under Naomi's video?"

"How was I being passive-aggressive?"

He choked for a second before falling back on the same accusation again. "If you hadn't hidden her admission ticket—"

Not bothered to listen anymore, I hung up immediately. He called again, but I powered my phone off.

By the time I got to Ruby's house, her parents, Daniel and Melissa Hayes, were cutting fruit in the kitchen.

Mrs. Hayes smiled warmly as she handed me the sweetest slice. "Fresh out of the fridge. It's super sweet.

"Stella, when's your university acceptance party happening? If you hadn't tutored Ruby for half a year, she never would've made the university cutoff score. Our whole family was planning to give you a huge cash reward."

I forced a small smile. "Mrs. Hayes, I canceled the party. I don't really like big crowds anyway."

Ruby burst out of her room, staring at me in disbelief. "Wait, what? Wasn't the TV station coming too? Did Naomi pull something again?"

Mrs. Hayes lightly smacked her arm before quickly smoothing things over. "Honestly, calling it off is no big deal. Having some peace and quiet is nice too. Now, come have some sweet fruit."

Early the next morning, Ruby shook me awake. "Wake up! My dad's taking us to the river for a barbecue and camping! My mom marinated chicken wings overnight, too!"

I sat up groggily, rubbing my eyes.

Watching her excitedly pack her backpack suddenly reminded me of Cameron. He used to be just like that—bursting into my room on Saturday mornings, hauling me off to amusement parks, and always making sure I got the best portions of food.

Sadly, everything changed three years ago after my aunt passed away and Mom welcomed Naomi into our home.

Back then, Naomi was dark-skinned and painfully thin, standing timidly at our doorway with her head lowered, too scared to even look up.

Later, I realized something, though.

Whenever my parents or Cameron were within earshot, Naomi always rushed to do the housework first while softly saying, "Stella hates chores, so I don't mind doing more."

Whenever I complained about it, Mom would only sigh. "Stella, Naomi doesn't have a mother anymore. You're the older one, so be more understanding."

Cameron was even harsher. He said I just couldn't stand seeing someone more thoughtful than me.

From then on, I became the selfish, petty girl who was jealous of her cousin.

"What are you spacing out for? Get in the car already!" Ruby's voice snapped me back to reality.

I shook the thoughts away, grabbed my backpack, and climbed into the car.

The riverside was beautiful. The cool breeze drifted across the water, clearing away the heaviness in my chest.

Ruby and I set up the tent while Mr. Hayes crouched nearby, starting the grill. Mrs. Hayes laid out marinated chicken wings and lamb skewers one by one.

Smiling, she handed me an ice-cold can of Coke. "Here, Stella. Have something cold first."

I took the soda, my fingers brushing against the chilled aluminum can. For some reason, my chest suddenly felt unbearably warm. This was what family was supposed to feel like.

When Ruby asked me to take pictures for her, I finally remembered my phone was still off.

The moment I powered it on, over a dozen missed calls flooded the screen.

Cameron. Mom. Dad.

The family group chat had a flood of unread messages. I already knew the script. There would be more lectures about my supposed immaturity and more claims that I was simply jealous of Naomi.

None of it mattered to me anymore. With a single swipe, I deleted the entire chat history.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, a chill settled over the riverbank. Ruby pulled a blanket tight around her shoulders and nudged me.

"Stella, I’ve been meaning to ask you something," she said.

"Go ahead," I replied.

"My cousin, Tyler Carter, bombed his exams this year and decided to repeat senior year. My mom told my aunt how you dragged me from the bottom of the rankings into a decent university. She wants to hire you as his tutor."

"Where does your cousin live?"

"Kingsley City."

I turned to stare at her. "That's over a thousand kilometers away."

"You're already going there for university anyway. My aunt's place is super close to Northbridge University. Like a ten-minute walk. You'd only need to tutor him a few hours on weekends. You can name your price."

I was just about to answer when my phone vibrated again.

It was Cameron.

Ruby took one look at the screen, bit down on her skewer, and immediately fled the scene.

The second I picked up, Cameron’s enraged voice thundered through the speaker. "You've certainly found some nerve, haven't you? You actually dared to turn off your phone? Have you located a stylist for Naomi yet?

"Listen closely. If you continue this little act, don't expect this family to provide a single cent for your university tuition! You're on your own!"

I didn't argue or bother to explain.