Chapter 4

The day I left, the house was lively.

In the center of the living room, Chloe sat cross-legged on the carpet, laptop propped on the coffee table, editing a video.

My father stood behind her with his arms crossed. My mother held a plate of strawberries.

They all burst out laughing at the video's content.

Chloe had sharp eyes. She turned and saw me. Her face lit up instantly.

She jumped up and ran over, looping her arm through mine, hanging off me.

"Sis! Perfect timing!"

"I edited all our family's happy moments from over the years into a video. We'll play it for all the guests on your wedding day!"

"Come here, be the first viewer!"

She dragged me toward the screen, winking at me.

On the screen played scene after scene of Chloe's pranks on me over the years.

Thirteen-year-old me, happily opening a gift box—only to scream when a live spider crawled out...

Sixteen-year-old me, the day before a competition, all my prepared files deleted by Chloe...

Last week's me, full of anticipation for the family's surprise—only to have a bucket of glue dumped over my head...

Chloe kept pressing: "Sis, how's the editing? Funny enough?"

I stared at that humiliated version of myself for a long, long time.

Then, bit by bit, I pulled my arm out of hers.

"It's not funny at all."

The living room went silent.

The smile froze on Chloe's face. Her eyes reddened at a visible speed.

"Sis..."

My mother was the first to recover. She hurried over and pulled Chloe into her arms, frowning at me.

"Chloe stayed up all night editing this for you. How can you say that?"

My father set down his glass. His face darkened.

"She did it for your wedding, to liven things up for the guests. Why are you making that face?"

My fingers slowly tightened.

"If you really cared about my wedding."

I heard my own voice. It sounded calm and strange.

"Then why did no one, from beginning to end, ask me if I wanted any of this?"

Dead silence.

Chloe sniffled. Her voice went soft.

"If Sis doesn't like it... I'll delete it. I'll delete it right now..."

She reached for the delete key.

"Don't delete it."

Ethan pressed her hand down.

He stood up, brow furrowed, looking at me with clear displeasure.

"Vivian, it's a small thing. Do you really have to make an issue out of it?"

My mother also said, dissatisfied:

"Yeah, Chloe is your sister. We're all family!"

I actually laughed.

"Family? You've said that my whole life."

"But every time she pulled a prank, I was the one who got hurt. I was the one humiliated."

"I never did anything wrong, and yet I was always the one apologizing."

"Even what video plays at my wedding—no one ever asked my opinion."

"Did you ever really treat me as family?"

SLAM!

My father slapped the coffee table. The champagne glasses jumped.

"Enough!"

"You're still talking back?"

He pointed at me, his finger shaking with anger.

"If you don't think you're part of this family, then get out! We don't have a daughter like you!"

You could hear a pin drop.

Chloe's tears fell on cue. My mother pulled her into her arms and patted her gently.

Ethan turned his head away, too annoyed to look at me again.

"Vivian, I think you really do need some time to cool off."

I nodded.

Fine.

Not another word.

I went upstairs and dragged my suitcase down.

No one turned around.

Behind me, voices of comfort rose one after another.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. Your sister's always had that temper."

"Let her go cool off. She'll be back before dinner."

"Where's she going to go? Who else out there is going to put up with her?"

My father snorted.

"When she was ten, she threatened to run away and hid in the backyard treehouse all day. Before it got dark, she came slinking down for dinner."

My mother held Chloe and said with certainty:

"She can't bear to leave this family. Besides, she has a wedding to attend!"

"Exactly!" Chloe laughed through her tears and pressed play again. "Come on, let's watch it a third time!"

The taxi slowly pulled out of the estate.

On the way to the airport, Chloe posted a preview of the video on Instagram.

My father, my mother, and Ethan all liked and commented.

I blocked all of them. Then I left the family group chat.

They were certain I couldn't bear to leave this family. That I'd come back sooner or later, begging for their forgiveness.

But the moment the plane took off—

I was never coming back.