Chapter 2

I tossed my phone onto the bed and walked into the bathroom, quietly wiping the color off my lips.

I pulled open a drawer and dug out an old, yellowing family photo album.

In the pictures on the first few pages, I was barely two years old.

Dad was holding me up high, Mom was gently pressing a kiss to my cheek, and Graham was making goofy faces right beside us.

Once, during a Thanksgiving gathering, I overheard an aunt reminiscing.

"Flora, you have no idea how protective your brother was when you were little!"

"I literally just made a joke about you being a scrawny little thing, and Graham chased me around the yard screaming his head off!"

Back then, they actually cared about me.

But ever since Poppy was born, I became invisible.

She was blonde, radiant, and flawless—a complete contrast to my plainness.

Whenever relatives visited, they endlessly praised her. "Poppy looks just like a little princess."

Then they would turn to me, awkwardly forcing out a dry compliment: "Flora is... such a good, quiet girl."

A sudden knock on the front door snapped me out of my thoughts.

I put the album away and walked over to open it.

Silas stood on the porch, holding two fancy bakery boxes.

He was wearing a white athletic tee, his smile bright and blinding.

"Flora, guess what I brought?" He shook the boxes right in front of my face. "I got cheesecakes for you and your sister!"

My gaze shifted downward.

Through the clear plastic packaging, I saw two identical slices of rich, molten caramel cheesecake.

"Thanks." But I didn't reach to take them.

"Take it! I picked yours out specially." He forcefully shoved one of the boxes into my hands and casually walked right into the living room, making himself at home.

"Where's Poppy? I texted her earlier, but she didn't reply."

"They went out to buy her a present."

I placed the heavy cake box on the dining table.

Silas paused for a second before letting out a laugh.

"Oh, they went shopping. Makes sense. Why didn't you go? Being lazy again, huh?"

I stared at that disgustingly sweet slice of cheesecake.

My stomach churned with a faint wave of nausea.

Three years ago, when I first met Silas, he sat at the desk right in front of mine.

Once, he tried to hand me a caramel chew.

I shook my head and told him I hated sweet things.

He gave me a surprised look. "A girl who doesn't like sweets? You're pretty unique."

From then on, he only ever bought me high-percentage dark chocolate.

Whenever he ordered iced lattes for us, he always made a specific request to the barista: "Zero sugar in this one. The boss gets cranky if it's sweet."

But in just three short years, he had completely forgotten.

Now, all he saw was Poppy.

When we were freshmen, Silas came over to our house for the first time.

He bumped into Poppy, who was wearing a fluffy dress and eating a strawberry cupcake.

Coming down the stairs, he blurted out to me, "Your sister is so cute. She doesn't look like you at all."

"No wonder you always complain that Graham plays favorites. If I were him, I'd probably..."

Back then, I thought he was just joking.

It was only now I realized that his casual joke was the underlying truth of every choice he had made over the last three years.

"Why aren't you eating?" Silas sat on the sofa. Seeing me spacing out and staring at the cake, he asked the question effortlessly.

"I'm eating."

I opened the packaging, picked up a fork, and scooped a small piece of the cheesecake into my mouth.

It was sweet.

So sweet that it tasted bitter.

"By the way, what are you doing for your college commitment?" Silas kept his head down, tapping away on his phone screen.

He was probably texting Poppy, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Poppy mentioned she wants to major in Finance. I looked up a few good business schools for her."

"Oh, what about you? Your mom said you’re just gonna take the community college route, right? "

"Honestly, Flora, that’s probably the smartest move for you. Way less academic pressure. You wouldn't be able to handle it anyway."

He leaned back, looking completely satisfied with his own arrangement. "Plus, it works out perfectly."

"Poppy and I will be at a real university nearby, and you can just stay home. On the weekends, when we have free time, I can drive her back down and treat you to dinner so you don't feel left out."

Silas locked his phone screen, looked up at me, and asked randomly, "So, what local school are you planning to go to?"

I looked right at him.

"Any of them will do."