He Sabotaged My Celebration for My Adopted Sister

"A few cheap, pre-made dishes will make her happy. If she’s happy, she won’t challenge your position. Why don’t you understand my good intentions?"

"Don’t go to her place anymore, Emily. Her place is small and inconvenient. If you get hurt, it’s me who’ll feel bad."

Emily snorted, dissatisfied. "I just don’t want to see her monopolize my brother, not even for a single day. My brother is mine. Who is she? She’s lost, so why would she come back? Can’t she just die out there?!"

My brother scratched her nose indulgently. "Okay, okay, I’ll find an excuse from now on and not go to Emily anymore. I’ll just spend every day with my little princess, okay?"

"Hmph, that’s more like it."

A surge of pain rushed through my heart, and I leaned against the wall, somewhat exhausted.

So, this is what my brother always thought. The more I’ve suffered, the more I should be content. Even a small favor is enough to make me willingly abandon.

To be Miss Gardner, a lifelong lover of no one.

He’s worked so hard, sacrificing himself so much for his precious sister.

He even has to set aside one day every month to persuade me not to covet his sister’s position.

But clearly, before I was five,

he said I was the only little princess he loved in this world.

He said he wanted his sister to live a happy, carefree life.

So, my name is Vivian.

I thought he would remember what he promised.

But it turns out I was the only one who remembered.

Tears fell without warning, burning my cheeks.

The old wound in my heart suddenly throbbed, and I remembered the doctor’s advice that emotional fluctuations could relapse.

I desperately raised my head, and the tears I’d suppressed flowed into my throat, bitter and astringent.

I turned away from the two laughing and joking people. I turned silently, walked into the crowd, and left alone.

Perhaps, I should have left long ago. After all, there’s someone who truly loves me, waiting for me far away.

Andrew Gardner seemed to sense something and hurriedly looked up, but found nothing.

He clutched his chest, which was a little uncomfortable, and pulled out his phone to send a message to his assistant.

The assistant quickly replied,

"Mr. Gardner, I personally handed the invitation to Miss Vivian. She looked at it and put it in her bag. She didn’t react too strongly."

Andrew finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew I cared about him so much that I would silently accept whatever decision he made.

The next day, my brother came to pick me up.

I leaned quietly against the car door. My brother glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

"Vivian, I’ll find you a new place to live."

When I didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"There’s a new apartment building in the north of the city, close to the subway, and only half an hour from the main house…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the ringtone that belonged only to Emily rang. "What? Swollen feet? Wait, brother’s coming soon."

After hanging up, he remembered I was still in the car.

He touched his nose, feeling a little guilty. "Vivian, Emily sprained…"

"Okay," I interrupted with a smile. "I’ll go myself."

Andrew hesitated, looking at my thin, lonely figure and suppressing his irritation.

He thought he’d wait until Emily’s birthday party was over before coaxing me properly.

After all, to him, I was easily moved by even the smallest favors.

I pushed open the dress shop.

But my steps stopped at the door.

At the counter, Emily, holding a pair of scissors, was haphazardly cutting a dress.

It was the coming-of-age gown my mother had designed for me before she died.