Nathan turned sharply and stared toward the school. In that instant, he recalled the sharp stab of pain he’d felt when he heard that loud noise earlier.
Nathan found himself heading to the school almost against his own will. He normally avoided crowds, but that day, it was like a voice deep inside him whispered, “You need to see this.”
He spotted Rachel. She was lying there sobbing, repeatedly calling out Stella’s name. He thought to himself, “Why
would she call Stella’s name?”
A wave of dread swept over Nathan, and his hands started to tremble as he frantically shoved people aside. He could- n’t possibly mistake the person sprawled on the ground. No matter how she appeared, he could identify her instantly.
But Stella was supposed to be resting in her bedroom, waiting for him to bring home the muffins. She wasn’t sup- posed to be lying shattered on the pavement like this.
Rachel confessed everything through her tears, admitting that she was the one responsible for Stella’s death.
“Back then, when I got hurt, it was all a setup. I framed her on purpose. When she rushed over in anger that day, I sneakily placed a glass by her side. When she accidentally knocked it over and it shattered, I pretended she pushed me Purene pleted and cut my arm.
“She actually fell for it. She even begged for my forgiveness. She was the only person who treated me like a real friend…”
Nathan gazed at her, stunned, and it took ages before he could force words out, “Did she say anything before she died?”
Rachel remarked, “She said, if I die, you’ll never stop thinking about me for the rest of your life.”
Nathan felt like his throat was being squeezed tightly, leaving him gasping for air. The realization finally hit him that he was the one who killed his sister.
He could still see the day he told Stella to burn her diaries clearly in his mind. She stood outside, crying as she set it aflame. He told the servant, Astrid Keagan, to bring Stella back inside, but he couldn’t stop himself from walking over to the smoking pile, where one last diary hadn’t yet turned to ash.
He stamped out the flames, staring at the beautiful handwriting, every stroke of which he had once taught her himself.
“Would Nathan think I’m disgusting if he knew I loved him?”
In that instant, he felt like nothing else was important anymore. He realized he couldn’t blame her. He didn’t deserve to blame Stella at all.
In this world, no matter what wrongs Stella committed, he would always carry a worse sin. He was just too terrified to
face the truth.
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Chapter 5
288 Vouchers
If someday Stella stopped loving him, if she experienced more of the world and met men who showed her he was nothing special, then they wouldn’t even be able to stay siblings. And the moment he crossed that line, there’d be no way back for him. It would ruin him forever.
That night, a dark thought crossed his mind. If only they were blood siblings, then at least they would share some- thing permanent that no one could take away.
His fear consumed him, so when he found out Stella despised Rachel, it was the first time he didn’t distance himself from someone she hated. He figured, maybe this way, Stella would finally let him go.
He knew she would have to grow up and move on one day. But when Stella spent days unconscious, then woke up crying and apologizing for being a bastard, calling herself worthless, all he wanted to tell her was he was the real bas- tard–a thousand times worse than she ever could be.
But it wasn’t just that–he was a coward, too. He’d let Stella carry the burden of their shared sin all by herself.
Nathan came to a realization and wanted to tell her that if things get really bad, they can just move somewhere far away where nobody knows who they are.
But it was his brief moment of doubt that led him to lose Stella forever.
When Nathan finally snapped out of his daze, he had already taken care of Stella’s funeral.
That tiny urn held the person he loved most. She used to be full of energy. How could someone like her stand being trapped in something so small?
His mind seemed stuck in slow motion, and he felt like sharp knives were slicing through his insides. He gagged over and over, the blades tearing at his throat, but nothing ever came out.
All he could do was stay locked in Stella’s room day after day. It was the only spot left where he could still catch traces of her scent.
Nobody could tell how long it had been, but the truth was his life had ended when Stella passed away.
Just on the other side of the wall, the servants, Dawson Perkins and Astrid, were consumed with worry, their hearts in turmoil.
“We’ve tried so many psychologists, but it’s useless!
“He looks like he’s lost his soul. I heard the monastery in the northern part of the city can grant wishes…”
I never thought I would wake up again.
In the dark, cramped apartment, there was a letter of acceptance lying there.
The name printed on it was “Stella Garrett.”
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