Either my sister was no longer the person I loved, or she was still there somewhere beneath years of insecurity and the influence of someone who benefited from keeping her that way.
I looked directly at her and said, “If you want me gone, then say it yourself and do not let him speak for you.”
She met my eyes with impatience and replied, “If you really love me, you will give me what I asked for and leave without making a scene.”
Something inside me shifted in a way that felt permanent and irreversible.
I walked out without slamming the door, without crying, and without asking for anything, and for the first time in my life I chose silence instead of trying to fix something that was already broken.
As I moved down the hallway, I heard Brandon’s voice behind me, low and confident, saying he knew I would react this way because I always made things about myself.
Aubrey responded, but I could not hear what she said, and I realized I no longer needed to know.
Outside, the air felt cool and still as the sun began to set and covered everything in a soft golden light.