Chapter 3

3.

I was awakened the next morning by frantic pounding on my bedroom door.

Through the wood, I heard Mrs. Holloway's panicked voice: "What if she passed out inside? Kick the door open!"

I recognized her voice, got out of bed, and limped over to unlock the door.

Mrs. Holloway stood outside with a doctor in a white coat. "Brooke, sweetie, come eat breakfast and let the doctor dress your wounds."

The atmosphere in the living room was suffocatingly tense when I stepped out.

Chloe's eyes were swollen from crying. It turned out the shouting I heard earlier wasn't a dream―Mr. Holloway had severely reprimanded her for yesterday's incident.

For once, Lucas did not jump to Chloe's defense. When he saw me limp in, he stood up awkwardly, looking like he wanted to say something.

"Are... are you okay?" he muttered.

I didn't answer and quietly let the doctor bandage my foot.

After dinner, Lucas hovered around me like a lost puppy.

When I tried to watch television and couldn't figure out the remote, he quickly set it up for me. Whenever I shifted on the sofa, he immediately handed me fresh fruit.

By the time I finished my fourth mandarin orange, another freshly peeled one appeared in front of my face.

I looked at him. "Eat it yourself."

Lucas pulled his hand back in embarrassment.

"Hey..."

"Look..."

Our voices overlapped. I glanced at him. "You go first."

He stuffed the orange into my palm anyway. "About yesterday... I'm sorry. I didn't leave you at the mall on purpose."

"I went to a clinic to buy medicine, but Chloe called saying she was badly hurt and wouldn't tell me how bad it was. When I got there, it was just a sprain, but she begged me to stay."

His ears turned bright red with shame. "I shouldn't have abandoned you. I'm really sorry."

He looked at me, nervously waiting for my reaction.

"I do not forgive you," I said flatly.

His head dropped instantly.

"But I don't blame you either," I added. "You were the one who asked Mrs. Holloway to call me, right?"

He gave a hesitant nod. In this entire household, he was the only one who had asked for my phone number.

A few days later, my foot had fully healed. Mrs. Holloway offered to take me shopping personally, but I declined.

"Lucas can drive me."

Lucas sprang up from the couch like an excited golden retriever. "I'll go with Brooke!"

Ignoring Chloe's sour expression, he sprinted straight for the garage.

Logan offered, "I should come along too. Lucas is still young and reckless."

Chloe's whiny voice drifted from the stairs. "Then who is going to accompany me to the clinic for my follow-up? My ankle still hurts!"

Mrs. Holloway turned around. "Chloe, Mom will go with you."

Chloe stomped her foot in frustration. "No! I want my brothers to come with me!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Mrs. Holloway's face turned completely cold.

Logan's tone was equally chilly. "Your foot looks completely fine to me. You don't need a follow-up. If you insist on going, have the chauffeur drive you."

Chloe burst into angry tears, but this time, nobody stepped up to comfort her.

I declined Logan's offer and left the estate with only Lucas.

Inside the car, Lucas hummed a cheerful tune. While waiting at a red light, he pulled a small jar from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Here, Brooke. This is a medical-grade scar removal cream. I specifically went to a top specialist to get it. It cost a fortune!"

I looked at the jar in my hands, feeling a strange flutter in my chest. "Do you have money on you?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. If you need cash, just ask Dad, but I have some savings. Did something happen?"

"No," I said. "How much do you have? Can you transfer thirty thousand dollars to me?"

Lucas blinked in surprise, but unlocked his phone without hesitation to make the transfer.

I caught his wrist, stopping him, while my fingers traced the label on the cream. "Lucas, when did you get your driver's license?"

Confused by the sudden change of topic, he answered honestly, "This past March."

I nodded. "Are you planning to go mountain climbing with your friends this Saturday?"

His eyes widened in shock. "How do you know that? I haven't even told Mom and Dad yet!"

I looked into his eyes. "Do not go."

"What? Why?" he whined. "We already planned everything!"

"I also know there are four of you going," I continued coldly. "Cancel it. Do not go."

Lucas stared at me, thoroughly spooked by my accurate details, and finally mumbled a reluctant, "Fine."

I let go of his wrist. "Now you can send the money."

This time, he transferred it with a slight pout. To cheer him up, I bought him a hand-carved wooden bead bracelet from a traditional artisan shop down the street.