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Home / Emotional Realism Short Story / He Traded His Future to Spite Me / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of He Traded His Future to Spite Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

Celia's POVEven now, I couldn't tell whether I was dreaming.What did my brother, Chayce Clarkson, mean when he said he'd turned in blank exam papers? What did he mean when he said he hadn't broken up with his girlfriend, Jill Lange, and that he was going to spend the next four years just hanging around with her?He looked at me coldly, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his mouth."You've controlled me my whole life, Celia. I wasn't allowed to date or have fun. All you ever did was force me to study and do practice exams, treating me like a puppet."So I turned in blank exam papers. I wanted to destroy the future you planned for me. I wanted to let you know that your need to control me doesn't mean a damn thing to me!"His words hit me like a slap across the face. My ears buzzed loudly, and my whole body shook uncontrollably.My need to control him? He actually thought everything I'd done for him was just me trying to control him?Seven years ago, our parents were kille

Chapter 2

Celia's POV"And you'd better give Jill the money she deserves," Chayce continued. "Or I'll make sure you regret it!"With that, he wrapped an arm around the sobbing Jill and walked away without even a glance back.I collapsed onto the ground, staring at their retreating figures. Around me, students leaving the exam site and their parents cast strange looks at me. Their hushed whispers pierced my ears like needles.The sunlight was blindingly bright, yet my entire body felt icy cold.This was the little brother I'd given everything to raise. This was the little brother I'd been willing to sacrifice everything for.I sat there on the ground, laughing and crying at the same time. Tears mixed with the blood on my scraped palm until I could no longer tell which pain was worse.…I walked home in a daze. Along the way, Chayce's words kept replaying in my mind.He said he'd handed in blank exams. He said he was going to spend the next four years just hanging around with Jill. He sai

Chapter 3

Celia's POV252,000 dollars in rent?I looked at the young teenage couple standing in front of me. One was the baby brother I'd raised with my own two hands. The other was the young woman who repeatedly claimed she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.They stood at the doorway of my home, unapologetically wanting to kick me out. And on top of that, they even wanted me to pay them back rent?A peal of laughter escaped me. But as I laughed, my eyes started burning."Do you even know that this apartment stopped belonging to us a long time ago?"Mom and Dad were found to be primarily at fault for the car accident, and we had to pay a massive compensation to the other party.This apartment was sold just two months after they passed away for 800,000 dollars, and every single penny went toward paying off that debt.Back then, Chayce was still in school. I was afraid he'd worry and that he'd feel like he no longer had a home. And more than anything, I was afraid he'd feel inf

Chapter 4

Celia's POVBut I didn't let Jill go. I clung to her with a death grip. The only thought that consumed my mind was to tear apart that lying mouth of hers.I wanted to make sure she'd never spread another lie again."Chayce," Jill shrieked.The next second, a heavy fist slammed into my shoulder—Chayce's.The blow sent me stumbling sideways. My foot missed its footing, and the back of my head cracked against the sharp edge of the stairs.Then, my body, like a puppet with its strings cut, tumbled all the way down the flight of stairs.Chaos rang in my ears—the sound of the neighbors' horrified gasps, Jill's crying, Chayce's angry roars, and the dull, heavy thuds of my own body colliding with the steps over and over again.As the world spun around me, the last thing I saw was Chayce shielding Jill.Then everything went black.…When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. The fluorescent lights overhead stabbed at my eyes, while the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose, le

Chapter 5

Third-Person POVAs soon as Bruce finished speaking, two burly men stepped out from behind him, looking as though they'd been waiting outside the whole time.Without a word, they rolled up their sleeves and marched into the apartment, grabbed the throw pillows from the couch, and started hurling them out the door.Panicking, Jill rushed forward and tried to stop one of them."What do you think you're doing? This is my family's apartment! What gives you the right to barge in here and touch our stuff?"Bruce was a man in his 50s with glasses and a mild-mannered appearance, but right now, the look he gave Jill was filled with nothing but impatience.He shook the lease agreement in his hand. His voice wasn't loud, but every word drove into Chayce's ears like a nail."Your family's apartment? I bought this place seven years ago. You've been living in my property for seven years, and you've somehow managed to hallucinate your way into owning it?"Chayce froze. Jill was stunned too. S

Chapter 6

Third-Person POVJill stared at the belongings strewn across the hallway, feeling so anxious that she was practically on the verge of tears."Chayce, do something! My cosmetics! I spent forever saving up to buy that whole lipstick collection!"Chayce stood there as though every ounce of strength had been drained from him, unable to form even a single word.Losing her patience, Jill pinched him hard."Are you mute? Didn't you say this was your apartment? How did it suddenly become someone else's?"And your sister is really something else too. So what if she was renting the place? Why keep it a secret from you? Now there's this whole misunderstanding, and we don't even have a place to live anymore!"The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and the more justified she felt."I never should've gotten together with you in the first place," she snapped, stamping her feet. "Your family doesn't even own an apartment. What exactly am I supposed to gain from this relationship?"Those

Chapter 7

Third-Person POVChayce believed Celia would always be there. That no matter how harshly he yelled at her or treated her, no matter how cruel his words or actions were, she'd always forgive him.But now, she'd left.It wasn't just to make a point or a threat. She really was gone.The motel bed was stiff, the pillow was flat, and the television in the next room was so loud that it was impossible to sleep.Chayce tossed and turned. His mind was completely consumed by Celia's face, and how when she smiled, her eyes would curve and crinkle.But over the past few years, she hadn't really smiled much. When was the last time he'd seen her smile? He couldn't remember.He couldn't even remember the last time she'd bought herself some new clothes. Every time he'd said, "Celia, you should get some new clothes," she'd always reply, "This one is fine. It's still wearable."But he knew the truth. All the clothes in her closet had been bought while their parents were still alive.Seven y

Chapter 8

Third-Person POVJill lowered her head, not saying anything."Did you also never intend to spend the rest of your life with me?" Chayce continued.Silence settled over the room.Outside, a car drove past the motel, its horn blaring, grating on the nerves.Jill gripped the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white. After a long while, she finally looked up. There were no tears in her eyes, only a cold detachment that Chayce had never seen before."Chayce, let's break up."She said it so calmly, as if she'd rehearsed those words countless times.Chayce froze. He opened his mouth, but it felt like someone had stuffed cotton down his throat, and not a single word came out.Jill stood up and began packing her things. She moved quickly, almost as if she was in a big rush."W-What did you say?"Chayce finally found his voice again, though it was raspy beyond words."I said, let's break up," Jill repeated, not even looking up. "And don't blame me. I don't have a choice either. Y

Chapter 9

Celia's POVMeanwhile, in a city to the south, nearly 750 miles away, I was unpacking in my newly rented apartment when my phone buzzed.It was a message from Bruce."Celia, I've taken the apartment back. The boy and his girlfriend have moved out, but he didn't look too good when they left. Do you want to give him a call?"I stared at the message while my finger hovered over the screen for a long time. But ultimately, I didn't reply.I set the phone down and went back to unpacking.The apartment wasn't large. It only had a bedroom and one living room, but it was kept very clean. A potted plant sat on the windowsill, left behind by the landlord. Its leaves were a vibrant green and looked full of life.The apartment was very close to the office, requiring only a 15-minute walk.This outstation assignment indeed came with much higher pay. I did the math. If I spent frugally, I could pay off all my old debts within six months. Those were debts that had piled up over the years while

Chapter 10

Celia's POVI was 17 years old in the picture, while Chayce was ten years old. Mom and Dad were smiling brightly.We'd taken it on Christmas Day that year. The whole family was dressed in ugly sweaters, and we'd gone to a professional studio to take the photo.That was the last family photo we ever took together. Not three months later, my parents ended up in a car accident.Looking at the photo, my eyes slowly reddened. I pressed the phone against my chest and closed my eyes."I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I failed to raise Chayce right, and I failed to protect this home. But I'll keep living. I'll live well for both of you."…The days slipped by.My life in this new city gradually settled into a comfortable rhythm. Work, home, eat, and sleep. On the weekends, I'd occasionally go shopping with Vanessa or take a quiet walk alone in the park.I started learning to cook the food I liked to eat. I put in lots of chili peppers, lots of garlic, and all the seasonings I'd denied myself f

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