Todos los capítulos de Love Scatters Like Clouds: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

The moment I saw them walk out of the hotel, I instinctively ducked behind a nearby van.I had barely come home in the past four years.It was not because I did not want to, but because my family had been struggling the whole time.After Ethan Parker jumped into the river, my parents sold our old house to pay for the search. They moved into an old apartment complex on the south side of town.Mom said the company was having cash flow problems. Dad said he was not feeling well, but he could not bring himself to go to the doctor.I applied for student loans, tutored kids after class, handed out flyers, and worked the night shift at a convenience store.Every month, I sent them whatever money I had left.Dad always accepted it. He always sent me a text.[Xeno, you’ve really grown up. You finally know how to take care of us.]I always felt guilty.Ethan jumped into the river on my fifteenth birthday.He had been back home for seven years by then.It was also the seventh time h

The next day, I did not go back to campus to finish my checkout paperwork.Instead, I followed Mom’s car to Ethan’s place.Northgate Heights was the most expensive luxury apartment building in the city. It stood on the north side of town.I had passed by it before.Back then, I used to joke with my classmates that I would go inside someday if I ever made enough money.When the security guard stopped me, I gave him Ethan’s name.He checked the resident list and pointed me toward the building.It seemed Ethan had never been afraid of anyone finding him.I was the only one they had kept in the dark.The elevator took me to the twenty-seventh floor.I rang the doorbell.It took a long time before the door finally opened.Ethan stood there in silk pajamas with a cup of coffee in his hand.The moment he saw me, he dropped the cup and turned around to leave.I grabbed his arm and looked inside.The living room was enormous. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a sweeping view of th

During my first week in Riverton, Mom and Dad did not call me.Dad sent me a few texts.[Did you get there safely?][Don’t be stubborn.][Ethan hasn’t been doing well these past few days. Once he feels better, we’ll have a proper talk with you.]I did not reply to a single one.Winter in Riverton was colder than back home.I rented a tiny studio apartment. There was an overpass outside my window. The traffic never stopped at night.Work at the accounting firm was busy.As a new hire, I had to sort receipts, make bank runs, and check financial statements. Some days, I was so busy that I did not even have time for lunch.But I liked being busy.At least every transaction had a source, and every number had a destination. My life was nothing like that.Someone had taken seven years from me, and they still expected me to thank them for keeping those years safe.Two weeks later, Henry Carter called me.He was my college roommate in the past. He was also the only person who kn

That night, Dad texted me.[Ethan is in the hospital.][The doctor says it’s acute anxiety.][Are you happy now?]I stared at the texts for a long time.Then, I sent him a reply.[Is he in a private room?]Dad did not reply.Thirty minutes later, I saw a new post from Ethan.The location was the most expensive private hospital in town.The photo showed a bouquet of imported tulips and an elegant bowl of soup.He had even added a caption.[Nothing feels scary when your family is by your side.]Before I turned off my phone, I took a screenshot of the post and saved it in a folder called “Parker Family.”There were already 372 pieces of evidence in that folder.It contained the lies they had told everyone about Ethan’s death, seven years of Ethan’s spending and travel records, and records of the money Mom and Dad had secretly sent Ethan while they pretended to struggle financially in front of me.The folder also contained the messages they sent Ethan after accepting every

Seven days later, Mom still had not handed over the complete transaction records.The lawyer discovered that the education fund had been transferred out in several installments three years earlier.The last payment went to an art studio under Ethan’s name.Ethan said it was his dream.The money he used to pursue that dream came from the funds my grandparents had left for me.The day before the hearing, Dad called me.His voice shook when he told me Ethan had hurt himself.“Xeno, he says he’ll give all the money back to you.“Please, come and see him, will you?”I did not refuse right away.I went to the hospital.Ethan lay in a hospital bed. His face was pale.Mom sat beside him. She looked like she had aged overnight.Dad burst into tears when he saw me.“Ethan knows he was wrong.“You two need to talk.”Ethan slowly opened his eyes.“Xeno, I’m sorry.“I was just scared that Mom and Dad would only ever love you.”I stood beside his bed and looked at him.“Ethan, yo