Chapter 3

When we got home, my mother stopped me just as I was about to go to my room.

"Pack up your things. Roman's moving in tomorrow. He starts at St. Aurelius Group next week, and his place is too far from the office. He'll be staying with us from now on."

I followed her gaze.

Brand-new bedding had been laid out in the hallway, along with a newly delivered gaming desk. Everything was in Roman's favorite black-and-gray color scheme.

"Where's he staying?"

"Your room, of course. We don't have any spare bedrooms."

I froze. "What about me?"

My mother paused for a moment before pointing toward the storage room by the front door.

"Clean out the storage room. There's enough space for a folding bed. Roman's a guest, so you'll just have to make do."

It was crammed with old furniture. Half the window was blocked by a cabinet, and stubborn patches of mold stained the corner walls.

When I was little, whenever Roman stayed over, I would give him my bed and sleep in that room instead.

Back then, my mother would pat my head and say, "Hayden, you're such a thoughtful boy."

I'd always believed that if I were thoughtful just one more time, maybe I'd earn a little more of my mother's love.

It wasn't until much later that I realized the reward for always being understanding was that I'd be expected to give in forever.

"I'm not staying there."

It was the first time I'd ever refused.

My mother's face darkened. "Roman's going to be busy with work. Of course, he needs proper rest. You don't even have a job yet. What difference does it make where you sleep?"

I lowered my voice. "That's my room."

My mother looked at me as though I'd just told a joke.

"What do you mean by 'your room'? Nonsense. Everything in this house was given to you by your father and me. What's wrong with asking you to give up one room?"

I looked at her. Then I asked quietly, "What if I found a better job than Roman did?"

She frowned. "Hayden, it's one thing to be unsuccessful. It's another to lie just because you're trying to outdo someone."

I'd wanted to tell her I'd already been accepted by the Northwest Institute for Deep Space Materials.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them. There was no point. They didn't want to know the truth. They only wanted proof that I'd never measure up to Roman.

Finally, my father lost his patience. "If you don't want the storage room, then get out. No one's stopping you."

I looked at them and nodded.

"Fine."

They assumed I was throwing a tantrum.

My mother didn't even try to stop me. She only reminded me to clear out my room before I left so Roman could move in the next day.

I found a nearby youth hostel—a top bunk in a six-bed dorm for $30 a night.

Every time the person in the bunk next to mine turned over, the entire metal frame shook.

Yet the moment I lay down, I felt more at peace than I ever had at home. At least this bed belonged to me. I'd paid for it.

The next day, I went back to pack the rest of my things.

When I opened my jewelry box, my grandmother's turquoise pendant was gone. She'd been the only person in that family who had ever truly loved me.

When I was little and burning with a high fever, my mother had been accompanying Roman to his advanced math class.

It was my grandmother who carried me all the way to the hospital on her back.

She used to say, "Our Hayden isn't afraid of pain. He just doesn't have anyone to comfort him, so he doesn't dare cry."

After she passed away, that pendant became the only keepsake she left me.

Holding the empty jewelry box, I walked into the living room.

"Mom, where's my turquoise pendant?"

My mother paused in the middle of changing the bedsheets. "It's just an old pendant. How should I know where you left it?"

The moment she finished speaking, a new photo popped up in the family group chat.

My father had arranged a dinner with some friends and was introducing Roman to the executives at St. Aurelius Group.

In the photo, Roman was wearing the brand-new suit they'd bought yesterday. Around his neck hung my turquoise pendant.

I held the photo up in front of my mother.

Seeing that she couldn't deny it anymore, she didn't even bother trying.

"Roman was meeting some executives today. The suit looked a little plain, so I let him wear it. You never wear it anyway. What's the point of letting it collect dust?"

"Grandma left that to me."

My mother's expression turned cold. "I'm your mother. Do I need your permission to take one of your things?

"Besides, your grandmother cared about Roman, too. If she knew you were making this much fuss over that pendant, she'd think you were being petty."

"She wouldn't."

Tears fell without warning. Even my voice began to shake.

"Grandma was the only person in this family who never forced me to give my things to Roman."

I turned toward the door, intending to go straight to the restaurant.

My mother immediately stepped in front of me. "The executives are still there. If you go now, are you trying to ruin Roman's career?"

Just then, the front door opened. Roman was back. His hand instinctively went to the pendant hanging from his neck, panic flashing across his face.

"Hayden, are you looking for this?" He removed the pendant and held it out in his palm. "I didn't know your grandmother left it to you. Mrs. Fisher told me it was a gift to celebrate my new job."

I walked toward him and held out my hand. "Give it back."

There were still two steps between us, but he suddenly loosened his fingers. The turquoise pendant hit the tile floor with a sharp crack, splitting cleanly in two.

Roman took a step back.

Tears spilled from his eyes before I could say another word.

"I'm sorry. You suddenly rushed at me. You startled me..."