Chapter 4

Just then, Lily let out a cry from the living room. "Daniel, I fell!" Daniel rushed out immediately and lifted her gently onto the sofa. When he turned back to me, every trace of warmth had vanished from his face. "Why did you leave your suitcase in the middle of the living room? Lily nearly got hurt. Don't you know she just had a baby?" Lily leaned into his arms and said softly: "Don't blame Emma. She just lost her child. She's upset. It's understandable that she'd do something like this on purpose." I looked at her and felt nothing but exhaustion. I didn't even want to explain. But my father was already jabbing his finger at me: "Even if you're angry, you can't take it out on Lily! She's still recovering. How can you be so cruel?" Mark was more direct. He grabbed my suitcase, threw open the front door, and hurled it into the hallway. "If we don't teach you a lesson, you'll never learn." I looked at him like this and suddenly remembered a time before he had become anyone's right hand, when he was buying his first apartment and came up short on the down payment. I had transferred him every dollar in my savings without a second thought. His eyes had gone red with emotion. "Emma, if you ever need anything, I'll be there for you. I promise." Now he was pointing at my face, telling me I needed to be taught a lesson. My phone screen lit up. Adam had sent over an employment contract. I signed it electronically right then and there. When I looked up, my mother was shoving a large bag of groceries into my hands. "I bought fish and seafood. Clean them up and make something light for Lily. She needs the nutrition right now. Don't use too much oil, and don't make it too salty. Keep the fish tender. Don't overcook it." The plastic bag handles dug into my palms. My throat tightened. I said quietly: "Mom, I'm allergic to seafood." My mother blinked, then frowned. "You never talk about it. How am I supposed to remember?" She couldn't remember that I was allergic to seafood. But she remembered every single one of Lily's preferences. I carried the groceries into the kitchen. While I was cutting vegetables, the blade slipped and sliced across my finger. Blood welled up immediately. Daniel saw it, and his first instinct was to blurt out: "How did you manage that? How is Lily supposed to eat now?" "Throw away everything on the cutting board. And sanitize it with boiling water." Only then, as if just remembering that I was the one bleeding, he pulled a band-aid from the cabinet and held it out. "Put this on. Don't let it get infected." I looked at the band-aid, smudged with grease, and said nothing. When dinner was served, Lily took one bite and immediately started vomiting violently. She covered her mouth, tears spilling instantly. "Emma, you put onion in this on purpose. You know I'm allergic to onion." I looked up at her. "I didn't." "Enough." Daniel's voice slammed through the room. "Everyone here knows the truth. Why are you still denying it?" I flinched at his volume. The cut on my finger started throbbing again. The next second, Mark was already grabbing his car keys and rushing out the door. Daniel scooped Lily up and followed right behind. My parents grabbed Lily's favorite snacks and a change of clothes, and on their way out, neither of them looked at me. The house was finally quiet. Empty, like it had never belonged to me. I dragged my suitcase back in from the hallway and did one final check of my documents. That night, I lay in bed, my heart so still there wasn't a single ripple. The next morning, I got into the car I had called the night before and headed for the airport. On the way, I scrolled past a birthday post from Lily. A two-tier buttercream cake. Expensive flowers. Gifts arranged just so. And one handwritten card after another. From my father and mother: "To our most beloved daughter." From Mark: "To my favorite sister." From Daniel: "To the most important woman in my life." I read each one, and felt nothing. Today was my birthday too. I used to tell myself they were just busy. That they'd simply forgotten. Now I knew they hadn't forgotten. They had just never cared. I liked the post, then left the Hayes inner-circle group chat. The plane rose into the sky with a deafening roar. I watched the city shrink beneath me, and for the first time, I didn't look back. On the other side, Lily had just blown out her candles and was reaching for the cake knife. Daniel suddenly stopped her. "Wait. Today is Emma's birthday too. Let me call her over so the two of you can cut the cake together." Lily's brow creased with reluctance, but she nodded. Daniel opened the group chat and tagged me directly: "Last night was a misunderstanding. Lily isn't allergic. It was just a stomach bug. Take a car and come over. We'll celebrate both your birthdays together." The instant the message was sent, a system notification popped up. "This member has left the group."