Ten Years of a Misplaced Heart

I'd just walked out of the wedding planning company when, right on cue, Jacob sent a message without a word otherwise. "Lindsay's train arrives at 8:30 pm. Get there earlier to pick her up."

It was the first time he'd reached out since our cold war. In the past, I would've seized this opportunity to step down from the fight. I would've rushed to the train station to pick up his sister, Lindsay Locke, without complaint.

But now, I just stared at the text for two seconds before driving away.

That night, when I returned to the Locke residence, the first thing I saw was shoes tossed carelessly on the floor and a suitcase. Lindsay stuck her head out of the bathroom and rolled her eyes at me.

"Where did you go, Ingrid? Do you know how long I waited at the train station? I had to take a cab back. If anything happened to me on the way, Jacob would never let you off. I'm hungry, and I want takeout. Order it for me now!" she snapped.

I looked at her calmly, then lowered my gaze to her feet. She wore a pair of thousand-dollar shoes I'd given her as an entrance gift for college, and the rest of her outfit was branded stuff worth a few hundred each. She wasn't exactly dripping in luxury, but the whole look was better than what I usually wore.

I'd always treated her like my own sister, but I'd never once gotten kindness in return. If I bought her something, she would act nice and syrupy sweet toward me. But if I didn't, she'd snap at me rudely.

And somehow, I'd put up with that for ten years.

As Lindsay watched, I pulled out my phone and texted Jacob. At the same time, I said to her, "I've informed your brother that you don't have money for food. If you don't mind, you can wait for him for a bit. After all, he's abroad, and there's a time difference."

She gaped at me.

I didn't say anything else. I went into the master bedroom.

…

Early the next morning, the noise outside jolted me awake. The kitchen and living room were a wreck, courtesy of Lindsay. Water leaked from the bathroom, soaking the tiles until there was nowhere to step.

She didn't feel a shred of guilt when she saw me. In fact, she even flicked suds onto the floor like a challenge.

I watched her without a word. I didn't stop her, nor did I do what I would've done in the past—quietly grab a mop and clean up after her. I calmly returned to the bedroom and packed what I had left.

It was funny, really. This wasn't even my house, so why would I panic?

Once I had everything, I wheeled my suitcase out.

"Where are you going?" Lindsay snapped, standing in my way.

I brushed her off, saying casually, "I've got a two-week business trip. I'm taking my stuff to the office."

She curled her lip, crossed her arms, and looked at me cockily. "Some people are intellectuals who go abroad for academic exchanges, yet some are corporate slaves who pull all-nighters on business trips.

"You know what that is? That's called being born unlucky. I'm meeting classmates for a meal this afternoon. Send me money, or I'll tell Jacob you're abusing me!"

She was all bluster, like she was confident I couldn't do anything about her.

It was almost funny. I'd licked Jacob's boots for ten years. For his sake, I'd even sucked up to his family for that long. Now that I'd stopped, they were the ones getting mad.

I suddenly laughed and pointed at her, looking her up and down. "I fronted your mom's medical bills, paid your brother's tuition, and funded your college education.

"All three of you have been living off me, and even the clothes on your back right now were bought by me. Next time you run your mouth, think about whether you can afford to pay me back."

Lindsay's face flushed bright red. Having nothing to say, she spun around, ran to her room, and slammed the door.

…

After settling into my new place, a notification popped up on my phone. I opened it to see yet another hospital payment notice for Jacob's mother, Marie Brown.

The hospital was reminding me that the due date was in five days and to make sure there were enough funds in my bank account.

After getting together with Jacob, my heart had ached at the thought of him juggling work and school while taking care of his paralyzed mother and young sister. So, I'd decided to share the burden.

I thought my sincerity would be met with the same. Shame I'd met a thankless scumbag.

With that thought, my hesitation vanished. I canceled the auto-debit and unlinked my card. If someone else wanted to be a sucker, they could go ahead. I was done.