My Brother Said I Was Family But He Never Gave Me a Home Chapter 04
I looked at him calmly. “It’s late. I’m going to rest. You should go too, or she’ll get anxious.”
He wiped his tears quickly and walked to the couch.
“She’s a grown-up, she can sleep alone. Besides, she was exhausted today; she’s passed out by now. I’m staying here with you.”
The apartment had one bedroom.
The fact that he had rented a studio told me he never planned to stay here himself.
“I’ll get a bigger place. Tonight I’ll take the couch.”
I didn’t argue, because I knew it wouldn’t last. He would leave anyway.
Sure enough, at 2 AM, a phone rang near the door. He answered quickly and kept his voice low, but I was already awake.
“Tell her I’m at work. I can’t come back.”
“She’s an adult. What do you mean she can’t sleep without seeing me? Isn’t anyone else there with her?”
The call ended abruptly.
My heart, which had unconsciously lifted, sank again.
I knew I would never matter to him as much as Sophia did.
But still, just once, being the person he chose, even for a moment, would have meant something. At least then I wouldn’t have so many regrets.
I turned over. Sleep was starting to take me.
Then I heard footsteps and a soft knock.
“Emily, are you asleep? Something came up at work. I have to go.”
His tiptoeing footsteps faded, followed by the gentle click of the front door.
I stared at the dark ceiling for a long time.
My eyes burned, and my nose felt stuffy.
I laughed. “This is pointless.”
When I woke up, the house manager told me Christopher had gone home and gotten into a fight with Sophia about the party.
Sophia had cried and threatened to slit her wrists with a broken bottle, so she was in the hospital.
The manager hinted that maybe I could go explain things.
By then, I had already packed my few belongings.
I took the keys and went to the hospital. A team of ER doctors and a psychiatrist were leaving her room.
“Mr. Scott really adores that girl. All those doctors for a scratch like that.”
A dark feeling settled over me.
When I transferred into Sophia’s school, her friends bullied me. Christopher said a few words to the administration, switched my class, and then never mentioned it again.
The door was cracked open, and I heard Christopher’s voice.
“Stop this. I only treat her well because I feel guilty.”
“Otherwise, why would I have kept her out of the house for three years just because you didn’t want to see her? Why would I have refused to establish her legal residency because you said you didn’t want a sister?”
“Cut me some slack, let her stay a little longer. Once she finishes college, I’ll transfer her to a branch office in another state. Okay?”
Sophia’s voice was watery, her eyes red-rimmed.
“What if she won’t go?”
Christopher was quiet for a moment.
“Then I’ll find her a husband through connections, someone who needs the Scott name. Once she’s married, she’ll move wherever he goes. Problem solved.”
“I promise this family will only ever have one daughter. You.”
