Chapter 2

I knew they would never agree.

Still, I said it just to vent, even though I knew it wouldn't change anything.

"Ellie! It's not that I don't want to lie back there. The trunk is just too cramped."

"You know I can't breathe in tight spaces. It feels like I'm going to die."

Chloe grabbed my hand again, shaking it as she pleaded.

"Ellie, please. Aren't you always the one who loves me most?"

She was better at acting spoiled than anyone. The second she did it, the whole family rushed to indulge her.

She was right. I loved her more than anyone.

I let her have everything.

Food. My room. My spending money.

Whenever we argued, all she had to do was sulk. I was always the one who backed down and coaxed her out of it.

After I gave in for so long, she grew used to it. She took it for granted that this was simply how I should treat her.

I stared at her, my expression hard.

"I've loved you this much, but you've never loved me back even once."

"You'd rather give the seat to your dog than let me sit there."

"Have you ever treated me like your own sister?"

Chloe froze, stunned that I would say something like that.

Her eyes instantly reddened and filled with tears, as though I were the one bullying her.

"Don't be mad, Ellie. I'll ride in the trunk this time."

She pretended she was about to get out, but she never left her seat.

"Elise, look at the time! How old are you, fighting with Chloe like this?" Mom snapped.

Dad's tone was even harsher.

"What you said was cruel. How is Chloe supposed to lie in a trunk that small?"

"You know how easily she gets scared! Stop being so dramatic, will you?"

A bitter smile touched my lips.

So he did know how cramped the trunk was.

But he also knew I was about five foot seven, while Chloe was barely five foot three.

Not once had he thought about how much it hurt me to curl into a ball and lie back there.

I was about to speak when I heard our neighbor, Mrs. Whitaker, beside us.

"Are you short a seat? Elise can ride with us."

Mom leaned halfway out of the front passenger seat and thanked her with a smile.

"We'd appreciate that. Elise, go ride with Mrs. Whitaker."

At last, the tension eased.

Mrs. Whitaker smiled, took my arm, and led me toward her SUV.

Once I got in, I realized how comfortable the back seat of a car could be.

I didn't have to curl up until my arms and legs went numb and ached unbearably.

And there was none of that suffocating pressure of being crushed into a tiny space.

I took out my phone and emailed the HR representative at the overseas firm.

"I'm sorry to contact you again. I'd like to reconsider my earlier decision. After careful thought, I've decided to accept the offer if the position is still available."

Two hours earlier, I'd turned down Ashford & Wynn's $300,000 compensation package without a second thought.

London was far from home, and I'd been afraid my parents would worry. So I'd planned to accept a $150,000 local position at Sterling & Vance and stay in Columbus.

Ten minutes later, I received a clear answer.

They were delighted to welcome me aboard.

If there was no place for me at home, then I would put as much distance between us as I could.

The world was vast. Somewhere in it, there had to be a place for me.

Then I would never have to suffer like this again.

...

By the time we reached our hometown, the backyard had already been decorated.

Folding tables lined the lawn. Grandpa Ray stood by the grill in the corner of the patio, busy heating it up, while Mrs. Whitaker and several neighbors arrived one after another carrying homemade potato salad, mac and cheese, and other dishes.

"That's how parties are back home. You host in your own backyard, the neighbors bring dishes and lend a hand, and it's livelier than booking a party room at a restaurant. It saves a lot of money, too."

When I arrived, Mom was holding Chloe's hand and chatting animatedly with our relatives.

Someone saw me and casually asked, "Is that Elise? Didn't she graduate this year too? How's the job search going?"

Mom answered indifferently, "Yes. She has something lined up here in Columbus."

"She's nothing special. She's lucky she found a job at all. As long as she makes enough to pay her own rent, that's good enough."

I used to believe she only said things like that because she wanted to keep a low profile.

But then, again and again, I heard the way she spoke about me and the way she spoke about Chloe.

The difference was night and day.

That was when I realized she truly looked down on me.

No matter what she said about me, her tone would always belittle me.