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بيت / They Never Voted Yes for Me / Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

مؤلف: Pink Candy
Leon turned in my application to the academy's administrator.

That night, I got a response.

[Congratulations, you've passed selection. Please report to the Northern Division in three days.]

I stared at the screen, reading it over and over to make sure it was real.

The Northern Division was nearly three thousand miles away.

Once selected, I'd spend five years there in isolation training. There was no leaving on a whim during that time.

I barely hesitated before replying.

[Understood. I'll be there on time.]

After I hit send, I smiled for the first time in ten years.

But before I could enjoy the moment, my phone started buzzing like crazy.

It was Xavier calling.

The second I picked up, he launched straight into it.

"Lily, what the hell are you doing? It's Vivian's birthday. Why aren't you home yet?"

I checked the time. It was already seven at night.

"I'm still at school."

"Are you out of your mind? The whole family's waiting on you, and you're the only one putting on airs!"

Xavier's voice kept rising.

"Get home now! If you miss your sister's birthday party, you'll regret it!"

Then he hung up on me.

I held the phone for a few seconds, silent.

Every year on Vivian's birthday, I used to prepare a gift ahead of time. I would save up my allowance for months just to get her something decent.

She never once looked twice at anything I gave her.

So this year, I didn't bother getting her anything at all.

When I got home, the sound of lively conversation hit me the second I walked through the door.

Dad had pulled out a bottle of fine wine he'd been saving for years, and Mom had the chef prepare a table full of food.

Vivian sat in the middle of the living room in that four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine-dollar white gown, with a brand-new diamond necklace around her neck.

Xavier hovered around her, excitedly showing off his gift. It was a brand new mechanical watch.

I stood in the doorway and glanced down at my faded, worn-out academy uniform.

No one noticed I'd come in.

It wasn't until Mom walked out carrying the cake that she even glanced my way, frowning.

"Why are you so late? It's your sister's birthday. Can't you make an effort just this once?"

I opened my mouth, then swallowed the explanation.

It didn't matter what I said. They'd never believe it anyway.

The cake was set in the center of the table.

It was Vivian's favorite—strawberry cream, three layers tall, topped with fresh berries.

Mom lit the candles with a smile.

"Alright, make a wish first."

Vivian closed her eyes and pressed her palms together.

After she blew out the candles, Xavier immediately grabbed the knife.

"Vivian, I'll cut you the biggest piece!"

He cut the largest slice and set it on her plate.

Then he cut a piece each for our parents.

When it was his turn, he didn't hesitate to take whatever was left for himself.

I stood by the table, staring at the empty cake plate, and asked quietly, "Is there a piece for me?"

The room went suddenly silent.

Dad frowned and reached for an empty plate out of habit, then pulled his hand back the second Vivian spoke.

Vivian looked up like she'd just heard something funny.

"Lily, you've really got some nerve asking that."

She picked up her fork and scooped up a slow spoonful of frosting.

"This is my birthday cake. Why would I share it with you?"

I gripped the hem of my shirt.

"Wait." Vivian seemed to remember something and smiled, mean-spirited. "Why don't we vote on it? Whether Lily gets to have cake today?"

Dad didn't object.

Mom nodded along.

Xavier practically shot his hand up.

"I vote no! Why should she get to eat her sister's birthday cake?"

Vivian's smile widened.

"I vote no too."

Mom said, "It's your sister's birthday. Don't fight her over it."

Dad spoke last.

"Unanimous no. Lily, go find some bread in the kitchen. Don't ruin the mood."

I looked at all of them and suddenly found it almost funny.

So even a slice of cake needed a family vote.

I didn't argue. I just nodded quietly.

"Okay."

I turned and walked to the kitchen, and the laughter and conversation picked right back up behind me.

I took half a loaf of rye bread from the cupboard and slowly chewed through it.

My phone screen lit up.

The academy had sent over the official reporting details.

In three days, I'd be gone from here.

They'd never get to use a vote to decide whether I got to eat again.

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  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 9

    Before I reached the car, they asked if I could stay for a few days. I agreed to three days, making it clear that I would return to the Northern Division afterward.For those three days, Mom cooked dinner herself every night, the table piled with all the food I'd loved as a kid.She even had the chef prepare a dozen different meats and fruits, terrified I wouldn't get enough to eat."Lily, eat more."She kept piling food onto my plate, her eyes rimmed red."It was my fault before. From now on, I'll make whatever you want for you."I looked at the food piled high on my plate and quietly said thank you.Then I kept eating.I didn't tell her that I honestly couldn't remember anymore what I used to like as a kid.Five years ago, I'd survived on a dollar's worth of rye bread and a bowl of cheap broth a day.Back then, what I wanted most wasn't a lavish dinner. It was simply being able to eat a full meal without asking permission or putting it to a vote.Now, I was used to buying

  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 8

    During my first month at the Northern Division, I lost three pounds because I still wasn't used to the new life.Leona looked over my checkup results and frowned, then told me to start eating two extra servings of meat at every meal.I did.No one here asked me why I was eating so much. No one made me put a slice of meat up for a family vote.Three months later, my weight was back to normal, and color had returned to my face.Six months in, I earned an excellent rating in combat evaluation for the first time.A year in, I climbed from dead last in physical conditioning to the top ten.Leona once asked me why I pushed myself so hard.I thought about it and said, "Because I don't want to go back to the life I used to have."She didn't ask anything further. She just patted my shoulder.Those five years at the Northern Division were brutal.Up at five every morning, weighted runs, hand-to-hand combat, tactical drills. Getting hurt was routine. Failing was routine.But I never o

  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 7

    When Dad looked into the Northern Division's stipend rate, he froze.Three hundred dollars a month.He remembered perfectly well that Vivian had bought a $4,999 dress just days earlier, and that Xavier had complained the training meals didn't suit him, so the family chef started preparing meat and fruit just for him separately.And I had gotten sixty dollars a month.I'd asked for two dollars to buy glucose tablets, and they'd refused even that.Yet the moment I'd learned the Northern Division only paid three hundred dollars a month, I hadn't hesitated for a second before signing up for five years of isolated training.Mom sat in the car, tears falling one after another."Do you think she'd rather suffer out there alone than stay here with us?"No one answered, because the answer was obvious.After speaking to the dorm supervisor, Dad immediately contacted my homeroom advisor.The advisor listened to his request and answered flatly. "Lily's already completed her withdrawal pa

  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 6

    After almost a full day of travel, I finally arrived at the Northern Division.This place saw snow year-round, the cold biting and relentless. Thick walls separated the training base from the outside world, with two rows of fully armed wolf warriors standing guard at the entrance.Leon had already submitted my paperwork ahead of time.Leona Reed, the officer in charge of intake, flipped through my file, then looked up at me."Lily. Nineteen years old. Ranked third in combat evaluation?"I nodded.She closed the file, her tone brisk."Not bad. Let's see if you can hold that ranking five years from now."Then she handed me an ID card."As of today, you're an official recruit of the Northern Division. The base provides housing, three meals a day, training gear, and a three hundred dollar monthly stipend. Outside of special circumstances, you're not permitted to leave the base during training."I took the card, my fingers tightening slightly around it.Housing. Meals. Three hund

  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 5

    Dad clutched his chest, his face growing worse by the second.He reached for my familiar scent through the bond and found that the connection, once so clear, had vanished completely.Mom was just as panicked."How is this possible? I could still feel Lily just a second ago..."Her voice shook, her eyes rapidly turning red-rimmed.They hurried out of the airport and back into the car. Dad barked at the driver, “Get us home, now!”The driver didn't dare hesitate and spun the car around immediately.The air in the car froze.Vivian sat in the back, her perfect makeup looking strangely brittle with worry.She suddenly remembered the scene before they'd left.I stood in the living room doorway, watching them scramble to pack. There was no crying or questions, not even my usual quiet request to come along.I just stood there watching, then turned and walked away.At the time, Vivian had assumed I was just sulking.After all, it didn't matter how many times they'd turned me dow

  • They Never Voted Yes for Me   Chapter 4

    There were five hours before my scheduled departure for the Northern Division.A black car waited outside the dorms.The driver saw me come out and stepped forward right away."Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm the driver sent by the Northern Division to pick you up."He glanced at my luggage, then added gently, "No rush. Take care of whatever you need to first. We'll leave at the scheduled time."I nodded and was about to thank him when he suddenly asked, "By the way, this training runs for five years. Do you want to go say a proper goodbye to your family? It's a long time. You might not see them again for a while."Five years.I looked down at my suitcase, hesitating for a moment.In the end, I decided to go home one more time.Maybe before I left, I owed myself one last reason to really let go.I used the last of my spending money to catch a cab home. When I walked in, the living room was packed with suitcases.Mom was directing the staff to pack sunscreen. Vivian was trying on

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