The Price of Unrequited Love

Eighteen days after giving up on Brendan Maynard, Jayde Rosario cut off her waist-length hair and called her father, announcing her decision to move to California and attend UC Berkeley. Her father, surprised, asked about the sudden change, reminding her how she'd always insisted on staying with Brendan. Jayde forced a laugh, revealing the painful truth: Brendan was getting married, and she, his stepsister, could no longer cling to him. That night, she tried to tell Brendan about her college acceptance, but his fiancée, Chloie Ellis, interrupted with a bubbly call, and Brendan's tender words to Chloie twisted a knife in Jayde's heart. She remembered how his tenderness used to be hers alone, how he had protected her, and how she had poured out her heart to him in a diary and a love letter, only for him to explode, tearing the letter and yelling, "I'm your brother!" He had stormed out, leaving her to painstakingly tape the shredded pieces back together. Her love, however, didn't die, not even when he brought Chloie home and told her to call her "sister-in-law." Now, she understood. She had to put that fire out herself. She had to dig Brendan out of her heart. Chapter 1 Eighteen days after she decided to give up on Brendan Maynard, Jayde Rosario cut off her waist-length hair. She stood in front of the mirror and smoked her first cigarette, the sm**e curling around her fingers. The taste was bitter. That night, she called her father across the country. "Dad, I got into UC Berkeley." Her voice was quiet. "I want to move to California. I want to be with you again." Her father, Farrell Conner, sounded surprised on the other end of the line. "After your mom and I divorced, I settled down here. I always asked you to come over as an exchange student, but you insisted on staying with your step-brother, Brendan. Why the sudden change?" Jayde lowered her eyes, which were red and swollen. She forced a small, light laugh. "Some paths you have to walk to the end to know they're dead ends." She paused, her voice shaking slightly. "Brendan is getting married. It's not right for me, his sister with no bl**d relation, to cling to him anymore." Her father sighed, his voice full of sympathy. "It's good you've figured it out. Your mom and Mr. Maynard have been traveling the world, leaving you with Brendan all these years. You're grown up now. It's time to come live with me. You can study and learn to manage the company." "Okay," Jayde said, then hung up. She saw her swollen eyes in the reflection of the dark phone screen. She went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She had two weeks until she left for Berkeley. She had to pull herself together. She walked down the hallway and noticed the light was on in the study. She hesitated for a moment, then pulled up her e-acceptance letter on her phone and knocked on the door. "Knock, knock, knock." Inside, Brendan Maynard sat at his desk. He wore dark blue silk loungewear, and his high nose supported a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He looked elegant, aloof, and disciplined as he typed on his computer. "Brendan," Jayde said softly. This was the man who was her step-brother. He was also the secret, hidden crush of her entire teenage life. Brendan looked up from his screen, his brow furrowed in a slight frown. "Something wrong?" Jayde pursed her lips, hesitating. "The college admission results are out..." Before she could finish, a cute, bubbly ringtone cut through the quiet room. "Darling, answer the phone~" Brendan's frown vanished instantly. He picked up his phone, and a gentle smile spread across his face as he listened to the person on the other end. "Chloie, you can work directly with the wedding planner. Just tell them to arrange whatever designs you want. Remember, money is no object." A sharp bitterness filled Jayde's ch**t. Brendan's tenderness used to belong only to her. When she was eight, her remarried mother brought her to the Maynard household. She stood awkwardly in the grand mansion, lost and alone. Young Brendan, dressed in his British-style school uniform, had walked over and taken her hand. "Little girl, I'm your brother now," he'd said. When she was ten, she was afraid of the dark. Brendan secretly used his allowance to buy her a Totoro nightlight. "Don't be scared," he'd told her. "I'll protect you, just like Totoro protects Mei." During her teenage years, Brendan was the sun in her world. She didn't know how to tell him about the love she kept hidden, so she wrote it all down in a diary, over and over again. Then, on her seventeenth birthday, just before Brendan graduated from college, she gave him everything. She gave him the diary filled with her feelings and a love letter where she poured out her heart. That day, Brendan exploded. He flipped the gift box over, sending its contents scattering across the floor. "Jayde Rosario, are you sick? I'm your brother!" he had yelled. But she had been stubborn. "We're not related by bl**d. You're not my real brother. You've pampered me and protected me and cared for me all these years. Isn't it natural for me to fall in love with you?" Her stubbornness was met with cruelty. He mercilessly tore the love letter into pieces. "I knew you'd do something foolish. I shouldn't have bothered with you all these years! You can't even tell the difference between family affection and romantic love!" He stormed out of the house that day without a second glance. Jayde cried as she picked up the shredded pieces from the floor. She took them to her room and painstakingly taped them back together. But the letter was scarred, a patchwork of its former self. Her failed confession didn't k**l her love for him. She studied harder, determined to get into the same university he attended, to stay in the same city. But on the day she finished high school, Brendan brought a woman named Chloie Ellis home. "Jayde, call her 'sister-in-law'," he'd said. That night, Jayde cried until she couldn't breathe. She finally understood that the ninety-nine steps she had taken through thorns to reach him meant nothing. She and Brendan would only ever be siblings. There was no other possibility. The intense love that had burned in her heart for years now felt like a fire that was burning her alive. Now, she understood. She had to put that fire out herself. She had to dig Brendan out of her heart. Chapter 2 Watching Brendan still on the phone with Chloie Ellis, his voice soft and loving, Jayde Rosario swallowed the words she had come to say. She turned and quietly left the study. To him, she was just a stepsister living in his house. He wouldn't care where she went to college. If that was the case, she didn't need to tell him. In fifteen days, she would leave the Maynard home. She would leave Brendan. Back in her room, Jayde looked at the warm glow of the Totoro nightlight on her bedside table. A flicker of sadness crossed her face. The chubby Totoro holding a green leaf umbrella over a little girl looked just like how Brendan used to shield her. But the past was the past. She sighed softly and switched off the nightlight. The room went dark. "Since I've decided to go, it's time to pack," she murmured to herself. She pulled an old duffel bag from the top of her closet and opened the large, wall-to-wall display cabinet. Inside the glass-fronted shelves were all the memories. The good luck charms Brendan had brought her from the temple. The Coral Sea perfume he had specially blended for her on a trip to France. One by one, she took them all out and placed them in the duffel bag. The bag slowly filled up, but her heart felt like it was emptying, a hollow space where a cold wind was blowing. She pushed down the sadness and opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet. A yellowed diary lay inside. The pages were filled with childish pencil scribbles from her turbulent childhood. The new teacher is nice, but the kids say I'm a jinx. They say I have one dad and one mom, and nobody wants me. She remembered how Brendan had found her diary back then. He had read that page and gently st**ked her head. "Silly girl, you're not a jinx," he'd said. "You're a star in my eyes. You sparkle brighter than anyone." After that day, no one at school ever called her names again. She later found out that Brendan had gone to the school and quietly warned those children. He had protected her childhood in his own quiet way. As she flipped through the diary, the pencil handwriting became neater. Every single page was about Brendan. She turned page after page, her eyes blurring with tears. The last page held a note from him from when she was choosing her subjects in high school. Kid, whether you choose arts or sciences, remember to go to college here in the city. After you graduate, you can work at Maynard Group. I protected you when you were little. I'll keep looking out for you when you grow up. A tear fell silently onto the diary, blurring the ink. Jayde pulled herself together, pushing down the complicated knot of feelings in her ch**t. Then, she started tearing the pages out of the diary. She tore up the letters, too. With each rip of the paper, a memory of her and Brendan seemed to fade. She threw all the shredded pieces into the duffel bag and zipped it shut. A while later, she heard a commotion downstairs. She walked out of her room and saw Chloie Ellis in the living room, hugging Brendan. A suitcase stood beside her. Jayde's heart stuttered, and she froze on the landing. Seeing her, Chloie smiled and waved. "Jayde! I'm moving in for a few days. I brought you a gift!" Chloie opened an ornate box she was holding. "See if you like it." Inside was a pink wristwatch with a metal strap. It was cute, with a bit of a British style. Jayde frowned. She didn't reach for it. She had been allergic to metal since she was a child. When she was nine, a nanny had given her a metal spoon to eat with. She'd only gotten a small rash, but Brendan had fired the nanny on the spot. He had every metal item that might touch her skin replaced. He didn't allow any of her allergens near her. As she was lost in thought, Brendan's voice cut through the air. "Hurry up and take it. Don't disappoint your sister-in-law." His words hit her hard. She stared at his matter-of-fact expression, a wave of sadness washing over her. He hadn't just taken back all his favoritism. He had forgotten her completely. Jayde took a deep breath. She took the box and put the watch on her wrist. "Thank you, sister-in-law. And... thank you, Brendan." Thank you for making my decision to leave even easier. Chapter 3 That night, Chloie Ellis sl**t in Brendan Maynard's room. Jayde knew they were a couple. She knew it was normal for them to stay together. But the quiet, ambiguous sounds that floated through the house in the dead of night kept her awake. She lit another cigarette, watching the sm**e curl around her slender fingers before taking a deep drag. It tasted bitter and acrid, just like her feelings. The next morning, Jayde came downstairs with swollen eyes. "Jayde!" Chloie called out, pulling her to sit on the sofa. A faint red mark was visible on Chloie's neck. "Your brother's birthday is coming up. I want to throw him a party. Do you know what style he likes?" Chloie's question pulled Jayde back to the present. She couldn't help but remember a conversation she and Brendan had once had while walking on the beach. She had told him she loved the sparkling ocean, the sound of the waves, and holding his hand as they walked on the sand while the sun rose. That day, Brendan had held her hand and walked with her for a long, long time. "Kid, you like the beach," he'd said. "So from now on, our birthday parties will be by the sea. What you like is what I like." Back then, his world revolved around her. Now, he avoided her. He had forgotten everything she liked. A bitter feeling spread through her ch**t. It took her a moment to find her voice. "I..." She was about to speak when Brendan walked over and interrupted her. "My affairs, you should ask me." Chloie clung to his arm, whining. "I just thought, since you're a girl, you'd know him better. It seems like even his sister doesn't really know him." Jayde forced a smile. "Yes. I really don't." "You two talk. I have to go," she said, suppressing the bitterness. She turned to leave, but Brendan's eyes darkened. "It's early in the morning. What could you possibly have to do?" His cold voice made her heart stop for a second. Did he still care what she did? Jayde answered truthfully. "I have an appointment to get my visa today." As soon as she said it, Chloie looked surprised. "Going on a trip? With friends? Or a boyfriend?" Brendan frowned at Jayde, his tone full of accusation. "Jayde Rosario, you just finished high school. Don't get involved with the wrong kind of people before you even start college." The cold reprimand felt like a physical blow. It left her with no strength to explain. In the silence, Chloie smoothed things over. "It's normal for a young girl to date. Brendan, don't be so harsh." Then she turned to Jayde, her voice soft and comforting. "If you like someone, you should love boldly. You only get to be eighteen once. Don't listen to your brother." Chloie then took Brendan's hand and they left together. Watching them walk away, Jayde slowly clenched her fists. She only had one eighteen, and she had already given it to Brendan. Fourteen days left. Then she would leave. She wouldn't let her youth get buried in this swamp where no one noticed her. Jayde left the house. It was foggy outside, a light drizzle falling. Even though it was summer, the rain made her shiver. In the past, on every rainy day, Brendan would drive her himself. "My little girl can't get wet," he would say. "My arms are your shelter." But now, she had to get used to walking alone. She lowered her gaze and walked out into the rain with her umbrella. After getting her visa, she was about to call a cab when she saw a notification on her phone. A special notification, from Brendan's social media. Her finger moved on its own, clicking on it. Brendan, who usually posted something once every six months, had a new status. Rainy days are perfect for going public. The photo was of him in a perfectly tailored tuxedo, embracing Chloie Ellis, who was in a mermaid-style wedding dress. He was smiling gently at the camera. The simple sentence and the wedding photo shocked Jayde. Her eyes, already red, burned. The comment section was filled with congratulations. People were saying they were a perfect match, a pair made in heaven. Jayde stared at the screen, feeling nothing. The usual ache in her ch**t wasn't there. She calmly typed a comment. May you be together forever. Chapter 4 After posting the comment, Jayde Rosario unfollowed Brendan Maynard's social media. The days until she left were counting down. She would use this time to dig him out of her heart, piece by piece. She returned to the hillside mansion. The house was empty, and a chill hung in the air. She went into the kitchen and cooked herself a simple bowl of egg noodles. While she was eating, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Chloie Ellis. Jayde, Brendan and I won't be home tonight. Take care of yourself. A moment later, Chloie sent several more photos. A candlelit dinner. A mirror selfie in a fancy hotel suite. Jayde's fingertips trembled slightly as she looked at the pictures. She calmly replied with one word. "Okay." She closed the chat, and a notification popped up from her high school group chat. Someone had tagged her. She clicked on it and saw her classmates were planning a graduation party for the weekend. She thought about it. Once she moved to California, she probably wouldn't come back to the country very often. She agreed to go. Her reply instantly brought the group chat to life. Will your doting brother Brendan Maynard come to the party? Remember that time we were camping and there was a landslide? Your brother flew back overnight and brought a search party into the mountains to find you. He said he'd always be with you when you went out. He should come this time too, right? The messages from her classmates filled her mind with memories of a time when she felt safe and warm. But now, those warm feelings were like shards of ice, piercing her heart with every breath. Jayde put her phone down and replied with three words. He's not coming. Her classmates' idea of Brendan was stuck in the past, in the years when he spoiled her completely. They didn't know about the confession he had rejected when she was seventeen. And they didn't know that the man who had promised to protect her had found someone else to protect. That night, Jayde sl**t restlessly. In her dream, she was eight years old again, standing awkwardly by the fountain on her first day at the Maynard home. She didn't know what to do. In the dream, young Brendan, in his plaid school uniform, glanced at her indifferently. Then he turned and walked away with his backpack, without saying a single word. She woke with a start, her face wet with tears that had stained her pillow. If Brendan had been that cold to her from the very beginning, maybe she would have understood the distance between them sooner. But there were no "if onlys." The hardest thing in the world wasn't never having something. It was having all the favoritism, and then losing it all overnight. When she got up, she looked at the duffel bag in the corner of her room, full of memories. Thirteen days left. Thirteen days until she truly left this place. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to throw these memories away. Only by getting rid of them completely could she clear the space in her heart. Jayde took a deep breath, picked up the heavy duffel bag, and walked out of her room. As she was about to go downstairs, she saw Brendan and Chloie Ellis had just returned. Brendan frowned when he saw the bag in her hand. "School hasn't started yet. Where are you going with that luggage?" Jayde tightened her grip on the strap. "I'll be living on campus later, so I packed some useless things to throw away." She struggled to carry the heavy bag down the stairs. Brendan didn't say anything. He just strode forward, took the bag from her, and walked outside. He threw it directly into the large tr**h receptacle by the curb. The clattering sound it made as it landed made Jayde's heart sink. If he cared even a little, he would have heard the sound of the wind chimes made from seashells from the Aegean Sea inside the bag. What he threw away were the gifts he had flown halfway around the world to bring her over the years. They were also the memories they had once promised they would never forget. But Brendan didn't even glance at the tr**h. His gaze was fixed straight ahead. "You're going to college in the city. There's no need to live on campus. Stay at home after school starts. I'll talk to your teacher." His tone was unquestionable. It filled Jayde with a mix of emotions. If he had just asked her high school teacher, he would have known she hadn't even applied to any colleges in the city. She had applied directly to the University of California, Berkeley, thousands of miles away. But his mind was on Chloie Ellis now. He didn't care about her future at all. It didn't matter. Only thirteen days left. Once she was in California, she wouldn't need his attention. Thinking this, she turned and went back upstairs without a word. Behind her, she heard Chloie asking quietly, "Is Jayde mad because we didn't come home last night?" Brendan's voice was cold. "She's eighteen now. She should learn to be independent. No one can stay with her forever." Jayde paused on the stairs, then continued to her room. Yes, she was eighteen. She wouldn't miss the past. And she wouldn't hope for the future. From now on, she could walk her own path, all by herself. Chapter 5 For the next few days, Jayde Rosario stayed in her room. She didn't leave from morning until night. Brendan Maynard took Chloie Ellis out early every day and came back late, and sometimes they didn't come home at all. Their lives no longer seemed to intersect. Sunday arrived. Ten days before she was set to leave. It was also the day of her high school reunion. At a bar by the sea, as soon as Jayde walked into the private room, a few of her close friends handed her a drink. "You're eighteen now. Let's say goodbye to being kids and legally have our first drink." Jayde paused for a moment. People said al**hol could drown your sorrows, and she wanted to relax. This drink was a farewell to her friends, a final toast. After one drink, she felt a little dizzy. She went out to the corridor to get some fresh air. As she passed an open private room, she unexpectedly saw Brendan. He was surrounded by a group of men and women, laughing and talking. Her heart skipped a beat. She forced herself to look away, but the conversation from inside the room made her stop. "Brendan, you're about to get engaged to Chloie. What about your sister, Jayde Rosario? She used to follow you everywhere." "She's an adult now. She's not my responsibility anymore." The clear, familiar voice reached her ears, and it sobered her up a little. She stood at the doorway, her eyes lowered, not moving for a long moment. After what felt like a long time, she murmured to herself and continued walking down the corridor. "Yes, she's an adult. She's sensible. From now on, my world won't have you in it, either." Jayde went to the window at the end of the corridor to get some air. Then she went to the restroom and splashed cold water on her face. When she came out, she ran right into Brendan. He seemed to have had a few drinks himself. Their eyes met. Jayde was about to speak, but Chloie Ellis's voice came from behind him. "Brendan." She called out his name sweetly, then threw herself into his arms. "I drank too much. I can barely walk." Brendan ki**ed her on the forehead, his voice doting. "Then I'll carry you." With that, he scooped Chloie up into his arms in a princess carry and walked away, as if Jayde wasn't even there. Their in**mate display left Jayde frozen in place for a long time. "Jayde, why are you crying?" Her friend, Brielle Steele, asked, pulling her back to reality. Jayde froze, then forced a faint smile. "It's just an eyelash in my eye. It's nothing." Brielle nodded, then pointed in the direction Brendan had gone. "Is that your brother? He actually has a girlfriend now. We all thought he'd never date. We thought he'd always stay with you, because he used to dote on you so much." Hearing this, Jayde felt a slight bitterness in her heart. "He and I both have our own lives. We won't be tied together forever." Brielle's face showed a hint of regret. "Actually, we all used to think he was your boyfriend. You two looked so good together. It's just a shame he's your brother..." Jayde's heart felt heavy and damp. She used to think it was a shame, too. But now she felt that the bonds between people were just fate. She and Brendan used to be siblings. From now on, they would have no relationship at all. The reunion ended at one in the morning. Jayde said goodbye to her friends and walked out of the bar. She saw Brendan and Chloie standing by the revolving door, looking like they were waiting for her. "You're an adult now, and you're still out past midnight. You're getting more and more out of control. What if something happens?" The reprimand froze her in place. Chloie glanced at Brendan reproachfully. "Jayde has you to protect her now, and later she'll have her boyfriend to protect her. What could possibly happen?" "Let's go home together," Chloie said, taking Brendan's hand and walking out. She motioned for Jayde to follow. Jayde followed behind them, her eyes on the ground. Only when they stepped outside did she realize it was drizzling again. Brendan opened his umbrella and walked forward with Chloie, not looking back. The large umbrella was tilted to the right, shielding Chloie completely from the rain, while half of his own shirt was dark with water. Jayde watched them in a daze. She suddenly remembered how Brendan used to hold his umbrella for her. He always tilted it towards her. "Jayde is my delicate rose," he used to say. "Roses can't get wet. I'll always protect you." A gust of wind blew, and the slanted raindrops fell onto Jayde's white dress, bringing a chill with them. Jayde came back to her senses and slowly walked out into the rain alone. Roses can't get wet, but I want to be my own sunflower. Always facing the sun, always bright. Chapter 6 When she got home, Jayde Rosario was soaked from the rain. She felt drowsy and heavy. After a hot shower, she collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately. For the past few days, she had been alone in the mansion. She was already getting used to it. She no longer tried to ask about Brendan Maynard's whereabouts. "Ding." Her phone chimed with a message. She picked it up and saw it was from her father, Farrell Conner. My dear daughter, your flight is scheduled to depart at 10 PM on August 25th. Remember to bring all your documents and materials for school. Dad will be waiting for you at the airport. Jayde clicked on her phone's calendar. She murmured to herself, "Only seven days until I leave this home." Her calendar for seven days from now had an entry: Brendan Maynard's Birthday. Maybe her departure was the best birthday gift she could give him. Over the next two days, Jayde went through her luggage again, making sure she had everything. Then she packed up all the old things she couldn't take with her and arranged for a donation pick-up service. As the courier was making a list of the items and preparing to pack them into boxes, Brendan returned home. "What's going on?" he asked, his eyes on the piles of clothes and books. Jayde filled out the donation form and motioned for the courier to take the bags first. "I arranged for old clothes to be picked up. I'm clearing out things I don't use." Her voice was calm and empty of emotion. It made Brendan frown. He had felt that Jayde was different lately, but he couldn't quite figure out what had changed. A strange feeling was growing inside him, a sense of emptiness he couldn't explain. "Chloie and I have been staying at the Blue Sea Apartments downtown," he said, changing the subject. "It's quieter there and more convenient for work." Jayde just nodded slightly. The Blue Sea Apartments, without her there, would indeed be quieter. She watched as Brendan started gathering some of his and Chloie's things, preparing to leave again. On impulse, she asked, "Brendan, your birthday is next Friday. Can I attend?" Jayde had meticulously prepared a gift for Brendan's birthday every single year. This year would have been the tenth year. Ten. A perfect number. She wanted to see it through one last time. Brendan had shielded her for ten years. She wanted to say a proper goodbye. "We'll see," Brendan said, unwilling to commit. He pushed his suitcase toward the door and left. The heavy sound of the door closing made Jayde's heart tremble slightly. Her eyes reddened. Back in her room, she instinctively reached for the drawer in her bedside table, wanting to look at the love letters she had written to him. But when she opened it, the drawer was empty. She had already thrown away those brief but heartfelt letters. Only a faded sketchpad lay at the bottom of the drawer. Jayde carefully took out the old sketchpad and gently opened it. The yellowed pages each showed Brendan in a different moment. Brendan in his plaid school uniform, holding her hand, saying, "Kid, I'm taking you home." Brendan on the highest podium, holding a trophy, hanging the gold medal around her neck. He had said, "Kid, you're my badge of honor." Brendan at a formal banquet, holding a w**e glass, in complete control, sending a thornless rose over to her table. He had said, "Kid, roses need time to bloom. I'll wait for you to grow up." Every drawing was a memory etched deep in her mind. But it didn't matter anymore. She would scrape those memories clean from her heart, bit by bit. She turned to the last page of the sketchpad. It was blank. Jayde remembered that every year on Brendan's birthday, she would secretly draw a picture of the two of them together. She thought she would draw one this year, too. But this year, the people in the drawing would be Brendan and Chloie Ellis. This time, she genuinely wished them well. She drew meticulously, st**ke by st**ke, with great care. She didn't stop until the sun began to set. Then, she heard the sound of a key in the front door. Jayde went out to the living room and saw Brendan stumble in. He smelled strongly of al**hol. "Brendan, why did you drink so much?" Seeing his unsteady steps, she quickly went to help him. Brendan leaned heavily on her, his large hand wrapping naturally around her waist. The strong scent of al**hol mixed with his familiar woody cologne filled her senses. Jayde froze. She wanted to step back, to create some distance, but the next moment, Brendan pulled her into his embrace. His restless hand slipped under her clothes, and his burning, al**hol-fueled k**s landed forcefully on her lips. Chapter 7 Jayde Rosario's mind went completely blank. This was the scene she had dreamed of countless times, but now it was happening, real and overwhelming. A rough hand moved over her ch**t, sending a jolt through her body that made her pull back, struggling against him. "Brendan..." Her struggle only seemed to make him more forceful. "Chloie, be good..." Brendan's passion-filled murmur exploded next to her ear like a clap of thunder. In a daze, she felt herself being lifted. The man carried her into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. It was only then, as she landed on the soft mattress, that she truly woke up from the intoxicating k**s. "Brendan Maynard, look closely! I'm Jayde Rosario! I am not Chloie Ellis!" Jayde's voice trembled with a pain that was sharp and heartbreaking. Brendan stopped. His eyes, clouded with drunkenness, glanced at her. Then he simply pulled her into his arms and held her, doing nothing else. Jayde tried to get up, but Brendan's hoarse voice whispered in her ear. "Don't go." Her body went stiff. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Was he asking her to stay? Or did he still think she was Chloie Ellis? Deep, even breathing sounds came from beside her. Brendan had closed his eyes and fallen asleep. A sudden, suffocating feeling of powerlessness washed over her. She tried to break free from his arms, but his grip was too strong. She couldn't escape. Her head felt heavy, and the lingering smell of al**hol on his breath made her even dizzier. An overwhelming fatigue washed over her, and she fell into a dazed sl**p. The next morning, the first thing Jayde saw when she opened her eyes was Brendan. He was standing by the bed, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. "Jayde Rosario, why are you in my bed?" The events of last night flooded her mind, and her face flushed with heat. She instinctively opened her mouth to speak, but Brendan cut her off. "If this happens again, you'll move to the school dorms. And you will never enter my room again!" The man's reprimand was mixed with disappointment and disgust. It made Jayde swallow any explanation she might have had. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It won't happen again." She knew that even if she told him the truth, he wouldn't believe her. In his eyes, she was just his stepsister who had inappropriate feelings for him. It didn't matter. Only five days left. In five days, she would be in California. From now on, she wouldn't just avoid his room; she would disappear from his world forever. Jayde got out of bed, pulling her messy clothes together, and walked out of the room. Just as she stepped into the hallway, she ran into Chloie Ellis coming up the stairs. "Jayde, why are you coming out of your brother's room so early in the morning?!" Chloie's voice was sharp with shock. Jayde's face turned pale. She was flustered and didn't know what to say. She avoided Chloie's gaze and fled back to her own room. But as soon as she entered, Chloie followed her in, slamming the door shut behind her. "You were in your brother's room all night. What did you do?" Chloie stared at her, her eyes filled with a dark, scrutinizing light. "We're both women. I've always known how you feel about your brother. I thought you knew your place, but I never expected you to be so shameless. You took advantage of him when he was drunk and climbed into his bed!" Chloie's words were filled with blatant disgust. Jayde lowered her head. She knew any explanation would be useless. "Last night, he and I didn't..." Before she could finish, Chloie interrupted her sharply. "He and I had a fight yesterday, and that gave you an opportunity. But we are getting married soon. If you pull another disgusting stunt like this, I will make sure you leave the Maynard family forever!" After her threat, Chloie glared at Jayde one last time, then turned and slammed the door as she left. Jayde slowly slid down the wall to the floor. She felt as if all her strength had been drained from her body, leaving her weak and helpless. Brendan's reprimand and Chloie's warning were like an invisible hand, gripping her heart and squeezing tight. Large tears rolled down her face uncontrollably. The emotions she had suppressed for so long finally shattered. Jayde covered her mouth with her hands, letting the tears flow silently through her fingers. Chapter 8 After some time, Jayde Rosario heard the roar of a car engine outside. She looked out the window and saw that Brendan Maynard had driven away with Chloie Ellis. She calmly looked away from the window, curled up on her bed, and hugged herself tightly. The next morning, her phone rang, breaking the silence in her room. The screen displayed 'Mom'. Jayde hesitated for a moment before answering. "Mom..." She had barely spoken when her mother, Glenna Taylor's, angry voice came through the phone. "Brendan and I were traveling for a month, and you cause a scandal like this. Your brother is getting married, and you're still trying to climb into his bed! Jayde Rosario, do you have no shame? Get out of there! Don't live with your brother anymore!" A wave of immense sorrow washed over Jayde. When she was little, her family had gone bankrupt. Her parents divorced. Her father went to California, and her mother remarried into the Maynard family, bringing her along. Her mother always said she was a burden. She said that because of Jayde, she couldn't have another child with Mr. Maynard. Over the years, her mother had rarely shown any care for her. The only two times she had actively 'cared'were to blame her. Once, when she confessed to Brendan, her mother had called and screamed at her, calling her shameless. Today, her mother was accusing her of climbing into Brendan's bed, saying she had no shame. "Mom, you didn't even ask what happened. You're just certain I was the one who initiated it?" Jayde asked, her voice trembling. The phone was silent for a moment. Then her mother's disgusted voice came again. "We're both women. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! If you affect my standing in the Maynard family, you can go find your dad!" After saying that, her mother hung up. The black screen of the phone reflected Jayde's lost and haggard face. She bit her l*p hard, refusing to let the tears fall. Looking at the word 'Mom'on her phone's contact list, she thought silently, Mom, don't worry. This daughter you dislike will completely leave the Maynard family, and you, in just 4 days. For the next few days, Brendan didn't come home. Jayde was busy with her own preparations for going abroad and didn't pay any attention to where he and Chloie had gone. Until 11:59 PM on August 24th. One minute before Brendan's birthday. Jayde opened her social media and clicked on the only contact she had pinned. But after staring at the screen for a long time, she closed the chat. This was the first time in ten years she hadn't wished him a happy birthday. At 8:00 AM the next morning, a flight reminder popped up on her phone. Ms. Jayde Rosario, your flight will depart in 14 hours. Please arrive at the airport two hours in advance to complete check-in. She calculated the time. She had only 12 hours left before she had to leave. She found herself opening her social media again. She saw a new post from Chloie Ellis. The sunrise by the sea is beautiful. Looking forward to the sunset and you this evening. The post included a photo of her and Brendan holding hands at a place called Rose Coast. Jayde's eyelashes fluttered. Her heart was calmer than she had expected. At that moment, Chloie sent her a direct message. Your brother wants to spend his birthday alone with me this year. I hope you won't disturb us. Below the text was a 10-second video. In the video, Brendan was wearing a bathrobe, lying on a large, couple's-themed waterbed in a hotel room. Chloie was lying beside him, her shoulder exposed from under the blanket, covered in ambiguous red marks. Jayde didn't need to think to know what kind of pa**ionate night they had just had. She just twitched her lips, quietly exited the social media app, and then began to reconfirm and clear out all of her belongings in the house. 4 hours left. Jayde took the entire sketchpad from her drawer and tore her drawings of Brendan into tiny pieces, one by one. The shredded paper went into the tr**h can, and the memories in her mind were cleared out, bit by bit. 3 hours left. She threw out all her remaining personal items in the house, leaving no trace that she had ever lived there. 2 hours left. She took the Totoro nightlight from her bedside table and placed it on the living room coffee table. She put it on top of the drawing she had made of Brendan and Chloie. It would be her last wedding gift to him, from his sister. When she was eight, Brendan had been a light in her life. But from now on, she would be her own light. Because she was a sunflower, no longer someone's rose. 1 hour left. She left a small message in the bottom right corner of the sketch. Brendan, happy birthday. Let's part ways here. We have no further connection. I wish you all the best in a future without me. Birds and fish travel different paths. Mountains and rivers will not meet again. After that, Jayde picked up her phone. She deleted Brendan and Chloie Ellis as friends and deactivated her social media account. Then she did a full factory reset on her phone, erasing everything. The whole process was done without a single moment of hesitation. Having done all that, Jayde took one last look at the home she had lived in for ten years. Then she turned and headed straight for the airport. The plane roared into the sky. ...... What happens next? Available chapters here are limited, click the button below to install the App and enjoy more exciting chapters (Automatically jump to this novel when you open the app) &1&