All Chapters of The Winds of Lake Tahoe Never Reach Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

After living in this rundown apartment for three years, I finally took a good look at it.The wall paint was peeling off patch by patch, revealing the gray-white concrete underneath. The curtains were washed stiff, their corners carrying stubborn mold stains that could never be cleaned away.The old air conditioner overhead buzzed and rattled, blowing nothing but hot air. But the worst part was the smell—a constant mix of disinfectant, painkillers, and the metallic stench of blood I coughed up, which never dissipated.Yet my family was far from poor.After our parents died in a car accident, they left behind a large inheritance. With it, my eldest brother, Chester Conway, started his own company, and my second brother, Milford Conway, became a well-known designer in the industry.Both of them were highly successful and had purchased a luxury penthouse in the city center. The adopted girl, Lena Conway, had her own study and music room, and even her dolls and merchandise had a dedic

On the bus ride back, I scrolled past a new update on Lena's social media feed.The caption read: [The annoying person finally left! Now I can finally enjoy my birthday!]Attached was a photo of Chester, Milford, and Collin gathered around the dining table. The spread was loaded with spicy buffalo wings, cheesy chili nachos, and, among others, Nashville hot chicken.Every dish was something the doctor had strictly forbidden me from touching after my chemotherapy sessions.Luckily, I hadn't stayed. Otherwise, it would have only been another exercise in self-humiliation. Out of that entire table of food, the only thing I would have been allowed to swallow was some corn.Back at my apartment, I cooked myself a simple plate of pasta. For the first time, I didn't set out the three plush dolls to keep me company.I ate my birthday meal completely alone. I ate until I was drenched in sweat, with tears and perspiration blurring my vision....The next day, I went to my part-time shift

Days after I left, the three men took Lena to the mall to pick up her custom jewelry.As their car cruised down an avenue in the southern district, Collin's eyes suddenly caught something in the display window of an old pawn shop. Even though the vehicle had already cleared the storefront, he whipped his head around violently."Pull over!" he urgently called out.Chester slammed on the brakes and furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"Not answering, Collin threw the door open, lunged out of the car, and ran straight into the shop. Chester and Milford exchanged a bewildered glance before following him inside.Behind the glass of the counter, my pendant rested in silence. Because a decade had passed, its golden sheen had grown dull and tarnished, and its edges bore a collection of shallow, faded scratches.But the three men recognized it instantly—the gift they had given me when I was ten. That was the very year my diagnosis was first confirmed, leaving me in such excruciating agony th

I was still traveling west, chasing the horizon.After three days on the road, I finally noticed how empty the passenger seat looked. I'd left those plush dolls behind in that apartment.When I first made the choice to leave, I fully intended to bring them along. But during the chaotic blur of my departure, I forgot.Or perhaps, in the deepest corners of my subconscious, I never wanted to carry them with me. Chester, Milford, and Collin had changed a long time ago.The ones I truly yearned to take with me were the ghosts of who they used to be. I wanted the big brother who would anchor himself to my bed just to wipe the cold sweat from my skin.I wanted the second brother who would secretly cry until his eyes were raw, yet still force a ridiculous face just to make me laugh.And I wanted the childhood sweetheart who would squeeze my hand, swearing that he would celebrate every single one of my birthdays right by my side.I continued to drive westward. The skyscrapers outside the

I finally reached Lake Tahoe.When I arrived, the dawn had not yet broken. I parked my car on the gravel shoulder, steadying myself against the frame of the door for a long time before I could manage to take a few faltering steps toward the water.The distance to the shoreline wasn't long, but my progress was agonizingly slow. With every step forward, the pain inside my chest flared brighter, and the copper tang of blood kept welling up in the back of my throat.Yet, despite it all, a profound sense of quiet joy washed over me. Because against all odds, I had made it at the age of 20.There was no cake, no candles, and no one to wish me a happy birthday. But I had Lake Tahoe—the place we had promised years ago we would visit together.I sank onto the cool shore, pulling the sheets of stationery from my bag. The wind off the water was fierce, making the paper whip and chatter against my fingers.I used my medicine bottle to weigh down one corner, lowered my head, and began to writ