After the tragic death of my best friend, I took her younger brother in and treated him like my own. Everyone knew how much Zach Lawson meant to me, so much so that I vowed not to marry because I could not bear leaving him.

The day he turned eighteen, he got on one knee and asked me to marry him.

With tears of joy streaming down my face, I took the bouquet from him, only to realize they were made of writhing snakes.

Everyone laughed at my misfortune. It was an artfully crafted joke, at my expense. Thalia Lewis laced her arm through Zach's and grinned. "Sorry about that, Sydney. It was just an innocent prank. Zach is willing to do anything to make me smile!"

Zach gave me a look of utter disgust. "Is this what you think of me? You're my sister! How can you even think of marrying me? This is vile! Is this the reason you took me in? Have you been secretly pining for me since the start?"

My whole life had come crashing down around me. I was overcome with shock, misery, and despair, until Connor Grey showed up and asked for my hand in marriage.

"Sydney, I promise that once I'm done with this competition, the first thing I'm going to do is fly home and marry you."

I hung up the call at the exact moment my adopted brother, Zach Lawson, entered the room. When he saw me hastily putting my phone away, he furrowed his brows in annoyance. "Who were you talking to?"

I replied curtly, "Why does it concern you who I'm talking to?"

Zach, knowing that I was still mad at him, tried to change the topic. He set down the bag he had brought on the table and said, "Sydney, I know you're mad at me, but I've already apologized. I know I shouldn't have played that prank on you. It was all my fault that you fell and caused your old injury to flare up, but I swear I didn't mean to hurt you on purpose.

"Thalia thought it would be a fun little prank, and I was just trying to make her happy. I didn't think you'd be so scared of those snakes that I snuck into the bouquet. I didn't think you'd stumble and fall as a result. They weren't even poisonous!

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to say yes to my proposal either, much less in front of all those people. It was quite humiliating for me, to be frank.

"Sydney, I've always thought of you as a sister, and I've never had feelings for you in that way. It was just an accident. Please don't stay mad at me. Look, I made you some of your favorite chicken soup to make up for it."

I could not help but recall all those sweet, tender words he had said to me the night of his 'proposal'. I had not doubted the validity of his words, not even for a second. When he brought out the beautiful bouquet, I was naive enough to believe that he was actually professing his love to me.

Sydney Morrigan, what an idiot you were!

All those years before, when I first brought Zach home, he had followed me all over the house like a duckling, calling me sis. Years later, despite him calling me by the same name, it left a sour taste in my mouth.

When Zach turned 18, he promised that he would give me the world. He swore up and down that he would protect me, and that no one was allowed to hurt me under his watch.

Truth be told, I could not remember the exact moment I fell for him, but it was too late for regrets.

Zach scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup and brought it up to my lips. He crooned as if coaxing a toddler, "Come on, Sydney. Take a bite. I'll feed you."

The soup had already gone cold.

The memory still gleamed vividly in my mind. Years ago, I accidentally ingested some chicken without realizing and developed hives all over my body. It was then I found out I was allergic to chicken. This was not Zach's fault, since neither of us had known prior to that incident, but he still blamed himself all the same. He was so immersed in guilt over the incident that it took him days before he dared to look me in the eye again.

He had promised me tearfully, "I promise I'll keep a close eye on everything you eat from now on, Sydney. I will never let you anywhere near chicken again. Mark my words!"

Who would have thought years after that he would forget his promise?

Zach did not realize this. He assumed that I was refusing to eat because of my grudge and slammed the bowl down forcefully on the table. He snapped, "I got up at the crack of dawn to make this soup for you! I had to keep stirring every few minutes to keep the broth fresh, and my arms are killing me!

"I blew off my date with Thalia just to come visit you today, so can't you be more appreciative? Stop throwing a tantrum like a child! I'm trying to be nice to you, Sydney!"

I stared at him coldly. "I didn't ask you to make me soup."

Zach scoffed. "Who else would do it for you? You have no one apart from me! No one will ever look after you the way I do! You should be grateful that I'm still here after all these years when I could've left you for dead! I don't want to waste my time arguing with you! Finish the soup quickly. I need to meet Thalia after this."

I silently picked up the spoon and took a sip of Zach's chicken soup. He had added too much salt, and the broth was far too thick.

It was fine. I would not have to put up with him much longer. Once Connor returned, I would finally be rid of Zach once and for all.

I set the half-empty bowl aside and said curtly, "I don't have any appetite. This is the best I can do. Are you happy now?"

This displeased Zach. "Can't you finish the whole thing? You're such a picky eater. Thank goodness Thalia isn't like this."

I could not resist a scoff. "Have you forgotten that I'm allergic to chicken?"

I could tell Zach was already gearing up to scold me, but he stopped dead in his tracks as realization struck him. "No… Of course I didn't forget! It was a mistake. I'll call a doctor right now. I'll go downstairs and buy you something else!"

I shook my head. "Never mind."

I could feel my face tingling, and a red rash was beginning to develop over my bare arms. Zach saw this too and said with a frown, "How come you didn't mention it? Why can't you be more careful? Give me a few minutes. I'll go find a doctor right now. I'll be back in a jiffy."

All of a sudden, his phone rang, and when he picked up, Thalia's whiny voice rang out, "Zach… My period has come, and my tummy hurts!"

This sent Zach flying into a panic. Alarmed, he replied, "Don't be scared, darling. I'll come home right now and give you a massage to make it better. Stop crying, okay? I'll be home before you know it."

He hung up hastily and looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry, Sydney. Thalia's period cramps are always the worst. She needs someone to take care of her. I need to massage her and make her some soup so that she can feel better. I'm sure you understand, don't you?"

Of course I understood; he used to dote on me in the exact same way. I replied icily, "Go on then."

Zach shot me a guilty look. "Sydney, you should call a doctor to check on you. Thalia really needs my company. It's just an allergic reaction, and I'm sure you'll be fine. It's not like you can die from an allergy, right?"

I nodded stiffly. "I understand, Zach."

Zach flinched upon hearing this. I could see a brief expression of sadness flash across his face as he said gloomily, "You never used to say my name like that. Never mind. I know you're just still angry at me. You'll come around sooner or later."

After Zach left, I summoned a doctor, and while I waited, I decided to scroll on my phone.

The first thing that popped up on my screen was a status update from Thalia Lewis, Zach's girlfriend.

[I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I had an intense craving for chicken soup last night, and Zach spent hours trying to perfect it for me! It's the best thing I've ever had!]

This was the caption for a photo of a bowl of soup, garnished and seasoned to perfection. The next photo showed a massive pot of less-than-appealing chicken soup, clearly belonging to Zach's failed attempts.

Oddly enough, the failed ones looked exactly like the bowl of soup Zach had brought me earlier.

Either way, this was none of my business. Not anymore.

The day I got discharged from the hospital, I returned home only to catch Zach and Thalia making out on my living room couch. They jumped when they heard me opening the door.

Zach seemed embarrassed to be caught. He explained hastily, "Sorry, Sydney. I didn't mean to forget that you were getting discharged today. Thalia got into an argument with her roommate, and I was just comforting her. She's my girlfriend after all, whereas you're my sister.

"Partners should always come first, don't you agree, Sydney? Surely you can understand?

"This also reminds me… You don't mind Thalia living here for a while, do you? She's my girlfriend, after all."

There did not seem to be any room for dispute at all. I glanced at him and shook my head. "It's fine."

It was fine, truly. Once Connor returned, I would sell the house and buy a new one. It did not concern me where Zach and Thalia would be living, since this was my house, after all.

I entered my room, but to my horror, I realized that everything, down to the wallpaper and the furniture, had been changed. My previous bare walls were now painted a sickening shade of pink, and one glance around the room showed me that my belongings had been replaced by another woman's—Thalia's, of course.

Zach explained, "Thalia is very particular about her surroundings. Your bed is more comfortable, and the lighting in your room is better, so I let her have this room instead.

"Thalia didn't like the way your room looked, so I let her change the layout and refurnish it as she liked. After all, she and I will be getting married in the future, and she's going to end up moving in anyway. You can have my room instead, Sydney."

Thalia did not like the idea of this. She pouted and whimpered, "Zach, have you forgotten that Sydney fancies you? What will she think of that?"

This seemed to snap some sense into Zach. He glared at me and snapped, "Screw that! You're to sleep in the broom closet, Sydney! This is your fault! If you hadn't developed these sick feelings toward me, I wouldn't have to resort to this!

"Your belongings are already in the broom closet, anyway. Go buy yourself a mattress. That'll be your bedroom from now on!"

The broom closet was just big enough to fit a single-sized mattress, but it was too late to go out and buy one at this hour. This meant I would have to spend the night on the floor. Not only that, but the broom closet was musty and barely even habitable.

Years ago, to save Zach, I got into a terrible accident that resulted in a serious leg injury. My leg would hurt for months after that, and I could not sleep a wink from the pain. Zach felt sorry for me and spent countless days researching ways to help me sleep better. He spent a fortune on a new bed for me and picked out the most expensive mattress, duvet, and pillow just for my comfort.

Who would have thought the man who used to worry himself sick over my sleep would one day force me to sleep on the cold, hard floor?

People could change, Sydney. That was the cold, harsh truth.

I nodded and replied coolly, "Alright."

Zach was rather surprised by the lack of resistance I put up. He wanted to say something in response but ultimately changed his mind.

Something else occurred to me. Connor and I were going to get married soon, and I would be selling the house after that. I decided that as cruel as Zach had been acting toward me, he deserved to know this.

"Zach, I'm getting married soon, to someone you might remember. It's Connor Grey. He's a few years your senior."

Zach froze upon hearing this. The next moment, however, he and Thalia burst into laughter. "Sydney, you must be out of your mind! Who are you kidding? You're getting married? And to Connor Grey, the tech prodigy, no less? That's impossible! You'd never marry, Sydney! You love me too much to leave me!"

He was right. For a long time, I would willingly put my happiness on the back burner for him. To take care of him, I promised him that I would not marry until he did, because I feared that no one would look after him once I left him. This explained why he was so confident that I was lying about my engagement.

Unbeknownst to him, I meant it this time.

I retreated to the broom closet, where my clothes and belongings were haphazardly stacked in a corner, clearly tossed in there as an afterthought.

I picked up an old photo album. My face had been scribbled over in all the photos, with pig noses and devil's horns added. Zach's photos, on the other hand, were decorated exquisitely with colorful markers. I did not have to be a rocket scientist to guess who was behind this.

This photo album contained all the pictures Zach and I had taken over the years. I had bought this album not long after Zach came into my life, and every year we would fill it up with photographs of memorable trips. Zach had sworn he would cherish this photo album until the end of his days, because it was a tangible representation of our shared memories together.

Alas, he allowed Thalia to defile it like a child's art project. Perhaps he himself had taken part in the vandalization.

I tossed the album aside in disgust.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on my door. Thalia stepped in, clutching a jewelry box. She was smirking. "Sydney, I bought you a present as a token of appreciation for letting me stay here."

I took the box from her and opened it. Inside lay an old and rather tacky-looking pearl necklace. It was hardly a present for someone my age.

Thalia crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, looking at me in disdain, "Sydney, I think this necklace suits you very much! Don't old ladies like you love pearl necklaces? Even Zach agrees that you'll love it."

I knew Thalia was trying to get on my nerves, but I would not let her succeed. I snapped the box shut and handed it back to her. "Thank you for your generosity, Thalia, but truth be told, I don't like it at all."

Thalia replied frostily, "Some people need to learn some gratitude! Why don't you go look in a mirror and see what you're worth?

"Let me show you what it means to cross me!"

Thalia snapped the necklace in half, spilling pearls everywhere, then slapped herself across the cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she gazed at me, clutching her swollen cheek as she whimpered, "Sydney, I know you don't like me, but you didn't have to attack me! I know you're in love with Zach. You must hate me for getting in the way of you and Zach!

"I got the message! I'll leave right now, and I won't disturb you ever again. I hope you and Zach will be happy together!"