Chapter 3
The day after my father’s funeral, Jason came home.
When I heard his car pull in, I instinctively stepped out onto the balcony.
From there, I saw him get out.
But he wasn’t alone.
Ava followed close behind, and Jason, all gentlemanly, helped her out of the passenger seat.
Watching their intimacy, my heart stayed flat, without a ripple.
When I went downstairs, Jason was calling my name.
I walked over slowly; when Ava saw me, her smile bloomed.
“Sis, we’re back!”
Seeing how happy she looked, I still kept my face expressionless, even though a bitter taste rose in my chest.
“Mm.”
No sooner had I given that noncommittal response than Jason said,
“Eight hours in the air—we’re exhausted and haven’t eaten. Go cook us some noodles.”
At those words, my face darkened at once.
Cook noodles—for him and his childhood sweetheart? How dare he had the nerve to ask.
I let out a cold laugh. “Jason, I don’t have time.”
“How could you not have time? You’re standing right here, aren’t you?”
His face showed confusion, tinged with disdain.
I swallowed back my anger and lowered my voice. “Dad passed away a few days ago.”
Jason’s expression flickered, then smoothed over in an instant.
“Are you kidding? Your dad’s surgery date hasn’t even come yet.”
“Exactly, sis,” Ava chimed in, watching the drama with relish. “Cursing Uncle like that—that’s not okay, is it?”
“Believe it or don’t,” I said coldly.
Seeing how dark my face had gone, Ava edged closer to Jason, lips wobbling:
“Jason, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t gone on the trip and made Sis unhappy, she wouldn’t be so angry she’s cursing Uncle now.”
Looking at Ava’s self-blaming act, I couldn’t help a cold laugh.
Playing that coy tea-sweet talk now?
“Ava, this isn’t on you. She’s just being unreasonable,” Jason said, eating up her act.
And there it was—without caring about right or wrong, he blamed me for making trouble again.
He kept soothing Ava, still refusing to believe what I’d just said.
No matter how speechless I felt toward the two of them, I no longer had the energy to engage.
I walked to the table, picked up my car keys, and headed straight out.
Seeing I was leaving, Jason hurried to block me.
“What kind of drama are you throwing now?”
He frowned. “I go on a trip with Ava and some friends, and you get jealous about that?”
I lifted my eyes to him.
He looked at me like I was the one being ridiculous.
“Let go.”
There was nothing left I wanted to say to him.
“You can hang out with whoever you want—that’s your freedom. And I’ll go wherever I want—that’s mine.”
I wrenched my arm free and strode out.
Infuriated by my attitude, Jason shouted after me, “If you’ve got the guts, don’t come back!”
Heh.
Then I won’t. Who needs to?
