4
After half a month in the hospital, my body had recovered to a normal state, and I returned to the
“Rory, look at this room. Celine specially gave it up for you. She even put her favorite little
said gently, leading me into the room.
family home.
on your nightstand,” my mother
Gave it up.
The phrase was laughable. This was the room I had lived in since I was a child. After being in coma
someone else’s permission to live in it.
three years, now needed
05.52
05.52
Chapter 1
I smiled. “Thank you so much, sister. But since you’re already used to living here, I wouldn’t want to force you out. It’s better if you just find me another room.”
My mother paused, seemingly taken aback by my politeness.
“It’s okay, sister. This room is the biggest and brightest. It should be yours,” Celine said, stepping forward with a considerate expre-
ssion.
My parents and brother were already accustomed to Celine’s sweet and sensible nature, their gazes soft with affection.
I shook my head again. “You’re already settled in. Why should you have to move out just because I’m back? If I took your room like this, Mom, Dad, and Alex would surely blame me for being inconsiderate.”
I remembered in my dream, Alex had blamed me, saying Celine was suffering from insomnia and stress after giving up her room for me, yet I was still giving her a hard time. Ha.
“So please, just give me another room. Or, I could even stay in the maid’s quarters. Anything is fine, as long as my sister isn’t put out,” I said, pre–empting any future accusations that I was making Celine feel wronged.
They all hesitated, sensing something was off about my words but unable to pinpoint what it was.
“Sister, I wouldn’t feel wronged at all, I—”
“Then you should just stay put. You’re the little sister everyone adores, after all,” I interrupted her.
And so, I was given another room.
I was in my new room, studying intently.
Celine knocked once, then opened the door without waiting for permission and walked right in.
“Sister, you weren’t coming downstairs, so I brought you some fruit.” She smiled, carrying a plate towards me.
I glanced at her. “Thanks. Just leave it there.”
“Okay.” Celine agreed but walked directly towards me anyway. Then, as if by accident, the fruit plate slipped from her hands.
“Ah!”
She let out a loud shriek and stumbled backward, falling to the floor.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” My father, mother, and brother rushed in.
“Oh, Celine!” They hurried over to help the fallen girl.
“Sniff… Mom…” Celine threw herself into my mother’s arms, looking panicked and frightened. “I… I was just worried sister was work- ing too hard, I wanted to bring her some fruit…”
They looked at the scene and immediately understood what they thought had happened.
“Rory, Celine was being thoughtful and brought you fruit. If you didn’t want it, fine, but why did you have to push her like that?” Alex
accused, frowning.
“Rory, you can’t treat your sister this way! How could you do something like that?” my mother said, cradling Celine with a look of disapproval aimed at me.
“Rory, apologize to your sister right now,” my father commanded.
From the safety of my mother’s embrace, Celine shot me a triumphant, provocative look.
