“About what father said years ago…” I paused, my voice barely rising above the music thumping through the villa walls. “I’m now agreeing to get married. Please tell him to arrange all the prep work. No need for romance—make it just formal.”

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end before my mother’s familiar voice broke through. “Are you sure about this? What about your boyfriend, Jared? Did you finally break up with him?”

“Not yet,” I replied, firm but tired. “Don’t tell anyone about this yet.” I swallowed the ache in my throat. “I’ll send the other list for the agreement and return home as soon as possible.”

Then I hung up. The phone slid from my hand and dropped onto the soft mattress beside me. That’s when the noise outside clawed its way back into my senses.

It was Audrey’s birthday. The adopted daughter of my parents. The girl I once thought of as my little sister. The same girl I’d defended from bullies back in high school, when the four of us—me, Audrey, and my childhood friends Jared and Jackson—were supposed to be a family.

Back then, I thought I was doing the right thing. That helping her would bring us closer. That we could all live in one house and laugh over dinner. I never imagined she’d twist everything.

Audrey was clever like that. She’d wormed her way into everything. She used to tag along with us—me, Jared, and Jackson. I didn’t mind. At first. But then it was like she started trying to replace me. Whispering things to Jared when I wasn’t looking. Making Jackson laugh in a way that used to be just mine. Still, I told myself not to overthink it.

But then I saw it. The kiss. It was supposed to be a quiet night. Just me and Jared who eventually became my boyfriend as we both confessed our love. Then, I caught him and Audrey kissing.

I let it go—for a while. But it happened again. And again.

Every time I asked, Jared brushed it off. “You’re just jealous,” he’d say. “She’s like a sister.”

Jackson said the same. “Don’t ruin everything because you’re being insecure, Maureen.”

But it wasn’t insecurity. It was betrayal.

And now, here I was—alone at her birthday party. Watching the three of them giggle and clink glasses like they were the main characters in some twisted romantic comedy. Jared had just taken a shot—and with a laugh, he pressed the empty glass to Audrey’s lips, his free hand grazing her waist as if they were already lovers.

I couldn’t breathe. I got up and quietly slipped back into one of the guest rooms upstairs. But just as I was pulling the blanket over my head, the door creaked open.

“Maureen?” Audrey’s voice was laced with fake concern. “They’re looking for you downstairs. We’re about to do the fireworks.”

I stayed still. “I’m tired and sleepy. Just go.”

“Come on…” She stepped closer. “It’s my birthday. Are you really going to be like this?”

I turned to face her, my voice low. “Audrey, isn’t it enough that I was forced to be here?”

She frowned. “Do you really hate me now? Is it because you think I stole them from you? That was never my intention. Please… we used to be best friends—”

“Stop.” I held up my hand. “Just go enjoy your damn party.”

But she wouldn’t. She grabbed my wrist, tugging. “Let’s go. It’ll be fun. I’m happy when you’re with me—”

“Don’t touch me!” I tried to yank away, but her grip tightened.

In the struggle, we lost balance. We both fell backward—Audrey crashing into the small table beside the bed. The vase on top tipped and shattered, the shards slicing into our arms and shoulders.

Pain bloomed down my forearm, but before I could react, the door flew open.

My boyfriend Jared. He didn’t rush to me. No. He ran to her.

“Are you okay? Audrey—what happened?!” he asked, checking her wounds, brushing the glass from her skin.

“She pushed me,” Audrey whimpered. “I didn’t mean to—she just—”

“What the hell, Maureen?!” Jared turned to me with a snarl. “You’re ruining everything. Again.”

I stared at him, speechless. Blood dripping from my hand.

“She attacked me,” I said, shaking. “She pulled me. I told her to stop—”

But he wasn’t listening. Neither was Jackson, who had now joined them. “You’re always like this,” he snapped. “Jealous. Dramatic. Can’t stand not being the center of attention.”

Then I was told to apologize. Even with blood soaking through my sleeves, I was the one ruining her birthday.

Jackson grabbed me by the arm. “Come on. You’re coming downstairs. We’re celebrating. You’re not going to embarrass the family again.”

So I went. Bruised, bleeding, humiliated—I stood beneath the fireworks, watching them laugh and dance.

Just one last time, I thought. One last time, I’ll try. I joined the circle by the bonfire, fake smile painted on like war paint.

The music swelled. People cheered. I was swaying, barely holding it together when I felt the shove. Jared pushed me? How… why?

I stumbled straight into the bonfire’s edge. Pain exploded up my arm as flames kissed my skin.

I screamed.

Someone screamed with me—Audrey. She rushed to my side, panicked. “Oh, god! Maureen is hurt! We need to call an ambulance—she’s hurt—”

But Jared stepped in, shaking his head. “It’s nothing. Just a small burn. She’ll get by. It’s her punishment for hurting you a while ago."

And Jackson? He didn’t even look at me.

No one helped.

I dragged myself away from the fire. Then I hailed a cab.

No one offered to take me to the hospital. No one cared that I was bleeding.

But that was fine… because this is the last time they’re going to hurt me again.

“It’s a good thing you came in right away,” the nurse said as she gently cleaned the raw skin of my arm. “This is a second-degree burn, and you needed stitches too.”

I didn’t respond. Just nodded. The white ceiling above me blurred. I stayed at the hospital for two more days.

Not a call. Not a single message. No “Are you okay?” No “Sorry for what happened.”

Nothing. They didn’t even care enough to pretend.

On the second evening, I found myself aimlessly scrolling through my phone. Maybe some part of me still hoped they’d reached out. But all I found were photos.

Bright, glowing snapshots of Audrey in her brand-new red dress, smiling between Jared and Jackson. Champagne glasses raised. That same smirk on her lips that she always wore when she knew she had won.

“Thank you Jared and Jackson for the best birthday ever! I’ll treasure this forever! Look at our new friendship bracelets!!!”

I zoomed in. Three matching bracelets. And then Jared and Jackson no longer wore our friendship bracelets like before.

I turned off the screen and placed the phone face down on the side table. Just silence again. My heart pounded in that silence. But it didn’t hurt anymore. It was just… empty.

Two days later, I was back at the apartment. The same place we’d all moved into after college. It was supposed to be a home for a family, only that they had betrayed me.

I stepped inside the quiet living room and headed straight to my bedroom. I opened the closet and began to pack.

I reached for my shoes and then paused. There it was—the memory box. That dumb, stupid box I had once called my "treasure chest."

I sat on the floor, dragging it out, letting the dust coat my fingers. Inside were letters. Crumpled, faded ones written by Jared and Jackson from when we were kids. Stick drawings, silly poems, “get well soon” cards when I had the flu.

And a photo. The three of us—me, Jared, and Jackson—kneeling by a treehouse, dirt on our clothes, wide grins across our faces.

I remembered that day. It was the summer I got bit by a dog. Or almost did. I was always terrified of dogs, and the neighbor’s dog had gotten loose. I froze, too scared to move. Jared and Jackson had jumped in front of me like it was instinct. Jared even got a bite on his arm just to protect me.

After that, everything changed. They became my shadows. My protectors. And somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with Jared, while Jackson treated me like a sister.

Until Audrey ruined everything.

I sat on the floor, gripping a friendship bracelet with my name on it. I was such a fool.

My parents had warned me when I begged them to adopt Audrey. “Are you sure about this, Maureen? Not everyone wants a sister the way you do. And what if she hurts you? You can’t just trust anyone that easy.”

I hadn’t listened. I believed love would be enough.

But now?

Now I knew.

She didn’t want to be my sister. She wanted to be me.

I packed up the rest of my things. Then, I carried the memory box outside. I set the box down and lit the match in the backyard.

The flames caught quickly. The letters curled, blackening. The bracelets twisted in the heat, their gold sheen turning dull and dead. The photos dissolved into ash.

“Maureen!”

I turned at the sound of Jared’s voice. He came running from inside, panic written all over his face.

“What are you doing?!” he shouted. “Are those… are those our albums?! The bracelets?!”

“Yes,” I said simply. “I’m burning all our memories.”

He tried to move closer, but I stepped in front of the fire, blocking him. “It’s over. All of it.”

Jackson arrived seconds later, looking just as stunned.

“Is this some kind of tantrum?” he asked, arms crossed. “You’re upset, we get it. But this is dramatic, even for you.”

“This isn’t a tantrum,” I said, my voice calm, steady. “This is the end.”

“You’re really going to let one bad night ruin years of friendship?” Jared asked. “Maureen, don’t do this. We can talk—”

I met their gaze before turning to Jared. “I don't want to ever be with the both of you again."

I turned away and walked back inside the apartment, the smoke still curling behind me.

I thought they’d leave me alone after I burned everything. But they didn’t.

Days passed, and slowly, Jared started acting like nothing had happened. He began sending flowers again. He texted like a sweet boyfriend, asked about my day, and even tried to kiss me once when we crossed paths outside the building. It was as if nothing had ever gone wrong.

Jackson followed suit, playing the big brother again—bringing coffee, joking about old times. Every time they said, “Sorry about what happened, let’s fix things,” it sounded more like they were apologizing for a stubbed toe than years of neglect and betrayal.

Then they surprised me with dinner.

“Our treat,” Jared said. “At our old spot.”

Part of me wanted to delete the message and never look back. But another part of me—the tired, heartbroken part—wondered if maybe, just maybe, we could end this all without bitterness. Without hating each other.

So I went. The restaurant hadn’t changed. Dim lighting, warm wooden booths, soft jazz playing overhead. It smelled like rosemary and nostalgia. I sat down, watching them laugh, trying to recapture something that had long since died. For a few moments, it almost felt okay.

Then Jared’s phone rang.

He glanced at it and froze. “It’s Audrey.”

He answered, frowning. “What? Slow down… You were robbed? What? Stabbed?! Where are you—”

In seconds, both he and Jackson were on their feet.

“She’s crying,” Jared explained breathlessly. “She was attacked. We’ve got to go.”

They didn’t say goodbye. They didn’t even look at me again.

They just ran. Ran like their world depended on her.

I sat there in silence, staring at the half-eaten food. The candle on the table flickered until it burned out completely.

I paid the bill myself.

When I stepped outside, the sky had opened up. Thunder cracked across the heavens as rain poured relentlessly. The streets were nearly empty—no taxis, no buses. The restaurant manager offered me an umbrella, but they were already closed. I couldn’t stay.

So I walked. Each step was heavy. My bandaged arms ached. My body screamed for rest. But the worst part?

The thunder. It echoed in my chest, triggering a deep fear I’d carried since childhood. I always froze during storms. The lightning, the cracks—it made me feel like the world was about to split in two.

I wrapped my coat tighter and kept going, the city turning into a blur of light and shadows.

Then—a sharp light. A horn.

A car.

I didn’t even have time to move.

Then: darkness.

When I woke up, everything felt… soft. Too soft. I was in a room I didn’t recognize. Clean, white walls. Dim lighting. My body hurt, but it was dull, distant. I blinked hard, turning toward the sound of someone shifting nearby.

“Jared…?” I whispered.

But it wasn’t him.

A man sat in the corner, tall, dressed in black, his eyes unreadable. He didn’t move until I tried to sit up.

“You’re awake,” he said. His voice was deep, steady. “Don’t move too much.”

“Who… are you?”

“Roscoe,” he said. “I found you after the accident. Took you to the hospital. You were unconscious.”

I wanted to ask more. But everything spun—and I blacked out again.

When I opened my eyes again, Roscoe was gone.

No note. No contact. Just… gone. There were no missed calls. No messages. No check-ins.

Except for my mother.

Mom: Call me when you’re on your way here now. Everything’s ready now. Come home.

I didn’t tell her what happened. I didn’t want her to worry.

The nurse told me I’d been lucky. The car had hit me from the side, but nothing was broken—still, I needed a few more days to heal.

So I stayed. Alone.

Until discharge.

Back at the apartment, I stepped inside just to grab the last of my things before I booked my flight home.

That’s when Jared appeared at the door.

“Oh, good. You’re back.” He smiled like nothing had happened. “So, listen… we had to sell your car. And some of your things too. Audrey needed emergency funds, and—”

“What?” I asked, stunned. “You sold my things?”

“Relax,” Jackson said, walking in. “We’ll pay you back. But Audrey’s been through a lot after the robbery. She needs someone to take care of her—can you cook for her? She’s not eating well.”

I blinked, stunned. “Are you serious?”

Jackson’s brows furrowed. “Where’ve you been anyway? Audrey said you went to some party after the dinner. Don’t you think that’s not a good behavior when Audrey was in danger? You shouldn’t have been here with us! I think you’re being selfish.”

I felt like I’d been punched. I laughed. It came out hollow, broken. “Right. A party.”

Then I threw the hospital discharge file straight at them.

“There. That’s where I was. The hospital. You left me in the rain. I walked home through a thunderstorm. I got hit by a car.”

“What…?” Jared asked, staring. “You were in the hospital?”

“I thought you were with friends…” Jackson mumbled, confused. “Audrey said—”

“Of course she did,” I snapped. “It’s always Audrey, isn’t it?”

Before they could say more, a high-pitched scream came from the hallway.

“Help! Jared, Jackson—it hurts! Please!”

Audrey. Of course.

Always Audrey.

I didn’t wait to hear their response. I turned, stepped over the threshold, and walked away.