No Spring Can Undo This Winter

He'd said it was just a keepsake, that he swore he'd never send it to anyone.

I'd believed him.

I never thought Edmund would casually let Flora watch something that private between us.

Cold spread through me, and my throat felt like a hand was crushing it shut.

Flora stood off to the side and let out a sigh.

"Sis, Mom's heart isn't good. How could you do something like this? She's absolutely furious…"

Dad slammed his hand down on the table.

"This is disgraceful! If you had even half of Flora's sense, you'd never have pulled something so out of line!"

He jabbed a finger at my face.

"Fine, then. You can earn your own tuition from now on! You seem to think you're so capable!"

The air choked out of my chest, like I'd taken a fist straight to it.

I opened my mouth, and not a single word came out.

Dad went on.

"Twins, twins, so how does one turn out so brilliant, and the other end up a cripple who still loves playing dirty tricks?"

Flora hooked her arms around Dad's and gave it a little shake.

"That's enough, Dad, don't say that. Sis will get upset. Then she'll go and secretly toss or smash the limited-edition pieces in my room again, and I'll be the one who suffers."

Mom and Dad's faces darkened further.

I drew in a deep breath.

All these years, Flora had conjured up things out of nothing more times than I could count.

Every single one ended the same way, with me getting yelled at, me apologizing, me kneeling in the living room in tears writing out a confession.

And I'd actually believed Edmund wouldn't show that video to anyone.

I was too stupid.

"Flora." I looked at her. "You've been the center of everyone's world your whole life. Why do you need to tell these lies to make Mom and Dad hate me?"

Her expression crumpled into hurt at once.

"Sis, how can you think that of me? You've done so many things to bully me, but we're sisters after all, blood is thicker than water. I never held any of it against you."

Dad's voice came out cold.

"If only Flora were the only daughter we had."

Years of swallowed hurt and anger crested all at once.

"I'm not coming back to this house again." My eyes swept over them. "From now on, pretend you never had this daughter."

Dad was shaking with rage.

"Fine! You think you're something! Walk out that door and don't you dare come back!"

I lifted my hand and slowly wiped away the thread of blood at the corner of my mouth.

This house had never seemed to have any room for me.

For as long as I could remember, I was always the one overlooked.

Everything Flora did was endearing. She said I'd stolen things from her room, and Mom and Dad believed it without question.

No matter how I explained, no one believed me, because I was a cripple.

Right. In their eyes, why would Flora ever lie to frame a cripple?

She lacked nothing.

Everything I lacked, she had.

My eyes burned and stung. I turned and left.

It didn't matter. I was only a few days away from leaving for out West anyway.

When I reached the bottom of the dorm building, I spotted a Ferrari parked at the curb.

Edmund stood beside it in sunglasses, drawing sidelong stares from everyone around.

"A whole night. No call, no message. Are you done throwing your fit?"

I said nothing.

He took a step forward.

"Yesterday was your fault. Go apologize to Flora. She was scared you'd be angry, cried half the night."

"I'm not apologizing."

I let out a laugh, all of it scorn.

"If she was so scared I'd misunderstand, why didn't she come find me herself?"

"And, Edmund, I thought I made it clear yesterday. We're over."

Rage filled his eyes in an instant, and he grabbed my arm.

"Effie, what do you mean? I never agreed to break up. You say it's over and it's over?"