Chapter 3

Of course. The only reason he even replied to me was because Chloe needed money.

"I won’t be sending any more money for your living expenses. Ever."

After I sent that, the chat went dead silent.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered, and the faint, whiny voice of a girl in the background grated on my nerves.

I was about to hang up when Ethan's voice came through the receiver.

"You've been working really hard lately, haven't you?"

"Thank you for everything."

"Actually, I bought you a gift. It should be arriving today."

My hardened heart softened just a tiny bit.

After hanging up, I went down to the lobby with a flicker of hope to retrieve the package.

It was a cheap, poorly crocheted bag.

The kind you could buy on eBay for five dollars.

Holding the cheap yarn in my hands, I couldn’t even bring myself to be angry anymore.

Right at this moment, he was probably using my hard-earned cash at a high-end boutique, picking out a luxury designer purse for Chloe.

In the past, I would have immediately snap-chatted him a picture, telling him how much I loved it.

But I was done acting.

I dialed my manager’s number.

"Hey, Mr. Davies. I’m accepting the transfer to the London branch. I’m ready to relocate permanently."

Within an hour, I signed the digital contract on the company portal and booked a one-way flight.

Once everything was set, I couldn't help but look back at the live stream to see how my "future" played out.

The screen showed them in different outfits now. The venue had shifted to a stunning historic castle, with a massive multi-tiered cake standing in the center.

"On July 5th, 2026, you finally became mine," Ethan said into the microphone, looking passionately at Chloe. "From that very moment, I swore to myself that I would work myself to the bone to make sure you'd never suffer again."

I let out a bitter laugh.

July 5th. That was my birthday.

"So, I did everything I could to make money. And thank God, I can finally give you the home of your dreams."

My mind flashed back to the summer after high school graduation.

I had gotten tipsy on cheap beer, crying about how exhausted I was and how much I just wanted a place to belong.

Ethan had held me tight, whispering, "I’m going to build a home for us, Nora. I promise."

I had only ever seen him as a supportive friend from foster care, but from that night on, I fell hopelessly in love with him.

"Ding."

A text popped up on my phone.

"Nora, you really need to transfer Chloe’s allowance soon."

"I know it’s tough on you, but she’s your only sister."

"She’s literally starving here, surviving on cheap burgers because we have no cash."

The texts kept rolling in, one after another.

My chest felt suffocated.

They were complaining to me about being broke?

When they first moved, Ethan complained that the dorms were too noisy and cramped, demanding to rent a luxury apartment off-campus. I spent my nights doing Uber Eats deliveries in torrential downpours just to pay his security deposit. Even when a car clipped my bike and left me with a hairline fracture, I didn’t complain once.

When Chloe whined that walking to class made her legs hurt and begged for a Vespa, I washed dishes until my hands cracked and bled, never saying a word.

I had only one thought back then: "My sister and my boyfriend love me. They are my family. I have to take care of them."

"Why aren’t you replying? Are you sick?"

"Should I order some medicine to your place through DoorDash?"

Ethan’s messages flooded my screen.

I didn’t reply to a single one.

On the live stream, the romantic speech reached its climax.

"Fortunately, after Nora went completely delusional, claiming we betrayed her, she had a massive psychological breakdown and had to be committed to a mental facility."

"Even God was on our side."

Hearing those words, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest. I could barely breathe.

Ethan's messages were still flashing on my phone.

I opened the chat.

"Ethan, you don’t have to marry me anymore."

"And I don’t want to marry you, either."