Chapter 4

Mia happily took it and took a few sips.

“Wow, this is amazing! You have to try it.”

She turned the straw she’d used toward Anderson.

No resistance or awkwardness crossed Anderson’s face.

He bent down and took a small sip.

“Not bad,” he commented.

Seeing that painful scene.

My fingers clenched tightly.

I had imagined how close they were.

I thought I wouldn’t be moved, even if I saw it with my own eyes.

But when I actually saw it, my heart still stung like a needle prick.

“Laura, Anderson and I have been like this since we were kids—we share everything. Don’t let it bother you,” Mia said cheerfully.

But I clearly caught the flash of challenge in her eyes.

“It’s fine. He told me before that he sees you as a sister. I’m not bothered,” I said calmly, looking at her.

The smile on Mia’s face instantly froze, turning stiff.

“Yeah, if we had anything going on, he wouldn’t be with you.”

The first time Anderson told me he saw Mia as a sister was when she had just moved to the city two months ago.

She’d said it was thundering outside and she was scared to be alone. She asked Anderson to come over.

I didn’t agree. I blocked him when he was about to leave.

“She’s a woman and you’re a man. Who knows what could happen? You’re not going to her!”

I was also scared of thunder. Every time there was a storm, I loved to curl up in his arms.

It made me feel safe.

But that day, the wind was howling and thunder wouldn’t stop.

With just one call from Mia, he pushed me out of his arms without hesitation.

And after I said that, his eyes went ice cold.

His voice was distant, like he was talking to a stranger.

“I only see Mia as a little sister. Only someone with a dirty mind would think that way.”

“Laura, stop causing trouble. Mia needs me.”

The second time, I had a bad case of gastroenteritis.

He promised to take me to the hospital.

But on the way, Mia tripped coming down the stairs and twisted her ankle.

Without a second thought, he asked the driver to turn around and go to her place.

He couldn’t see me sweating cold from pain.

He couldn’t hear me crying from agony.

All I said was, “Is Mia your real girlfriend? Why do you care about her so much?”

Anderson got angry. His eyes were full of fury.

“What are you talking about! Mia’s my sister. She’s alone here, and she got hurt—how could I not take care of her? Don’t be ridiculous!”

Anderson didn’t argue with her.

He just quietly picked the chili out of her dipping bowl.

That meal tasted like nothing to me.

But Mia ate happily under his care.

The agent was fast.

The next day, he found me a perfect apartment.

The place was great—fully furnished, move-in ready.

So on the day the lease expired for the old apartment.

I called a moving company, following the agent’s recommendation.

The landlady saw that I was only moving my own stuff.

She sent Anderson a reminder message: “Your lease is up. Please move out on time. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Watching her send that message.

I calculated how long I’d lived here.

Based on the split cost, I transferred my share of the rent to Anderson.

After handling everything I needed to take.

I got into the moving truck.

But as we passed the intersection across from the old neighborhood.

Anderson called.

I didn’t answer.

Then he sent a voice message.

His voice was urgent, tense.

“Laura, why aren’t you picking up? Didn’t we agree to renew the lease for another year and then buy this place from the landlady? Why is she telling me to move out now?”