Edith's gaze shifted downward.

Earl stood in front of her empty-handed.

He hadn’t brought anything back.

The anger that had briefly flared in her eyes faded just as quickly.

Earl's mouth opened and closed, fumbling for words, but none came.

At that moment, everything became painfully clear.

Earl had forgotten her birthday.

Edith stood up, her emotions unraveled.

"You promised to come home early," she said, breaking free from his grasp. "I waited for you all day."

"I thought something had happened—maybe a car accident. I almost called the police."

"But then I realized," her tears finally fell, "I couldn’t even reach anyone close to you."

The tall man before her stood in silence, his expression lost and helpless.

"Edith…"

Her voice was steady, though her heart trembled.

"Earl," she said again, "you made me a person who only has you in the world."

"You can love anyone else, but you’ve taken away the possibility of me loving anyone else."

"If you can’t love me, don’t give me the hope of being with you."

"You’ve indulged me. And now, what’s the difference between me and the dogs you raise?"

"Dogs aren’t allowed to touch other people’s food, and I’m not allowed to engage with others."

"If you’re happy, you can promise to be with me forever, and when you feel like it, you can find me a new mother."

Earl was silent, struggling to respond.

"Edith, it’s not like that."

"You can call me—"

His words faltered, weak and empty.

Edith sniffled, wiping her tears.

"Where did you go last night?"

She shook her phone in his direction, a bitter smile forming on her lips.

"Look at your phone. Instagram notifications—are there at least five hundred messages from me?"

Earl hesitated, pulling out his phone. He stared at the screen, filled with her messages, and realized it had been on silent mode.

His face twisted in frustration.

Edith asked again, voice steady.

"Where did you go last night?"

Earl poked his cheek with the tip of his tongue—a habit he always resorted to when uncertain.

Edith swiftly snatched the phone from his hand.

Her facial recognition unlocked the device, revealing the messages she had sent.

Edith Baby: What a happy evening!

Edith Baby: Hahahaha, let’s go to this bar together next time. The atmosphere is amazing.

Edith Baby: Let’s ask Edith to come along. She’s an adult now. Seeing more of the world will help her avoid being easily deceived.

Earl: It’s not safe to let her go.

Edith raised an eyebrow, looking directly at him. Her gaze was sharp, cutting through hesitation.

"My birthday," she pointed toward the table behind her, where the dishes sat cold.

She lifted the injured gauze-wrapped hand and showed it to him. "I cooked this for you. You said you’d come home, even if it rained knives from the sky."

A tear slid down her cheek as she smiled bitterly.

"Your knife is to take Edith to a bar?"

With a dismissive gesture, she swiped the phone away and let it fall to the floor.

It landed on the ground, the plastic bear on the phone case cracking upon impact.

That bear had been a gift—a moment they had shared together. Edith had cherished it, proudly displaying it as a symbol of their bond. Now, it lay broken at its feet.

Now broken into two sections:

A series of questions left Earl visibly irritated.

"Edith, is it wrong for your boyfriend to want to pin something to the top?"

"I didn’t spend your birthday with you. Is it really necessary to make a scene in the middle of the night, blocking me at the door like this?!"

"Edith! You’re nineteen, not nine!"

His voice was sharp and impatient.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed Edith’s face pale, and he immediately regretted his harsh tone. Still, his pride wouldn’t allow him to soften his stance.

Edith spoke quietly, as if to herself.

"When I was in high school, it was popular to pin close friends. Back then, you saw there were two other people in my pinned photos besides you, and you were furious—just because one of my male best friends was in there."

"You said no one except you should be in my pinned photos."

"And then they broke up with me, claiming I didn’t value them as friends."

"It didn’t bother me much, because you’re the most important to me."

Edith’s slender back trembled slightly.

"Now tell me, what’s wrong with having only Edith in your pinned photos?"

"Earl, are you being hypocritical?"

Earl’s eyes burned with suppressed anger.

He had drunk too much that night, and his mood and pressure reached their lowest point.

"Do whatever you want," he said with a sigh, brushing past Edith to retreat into the bedroom.

This birthday was unlike any other. It was the worst Edith had ever experienced—worse than when her father left.

Edith lay on the bed, her tears soaking into her arms as she reached for her mother’s diary.

"Edith is like a spring breeze. Her arrival comforted both me and her father… Before this, we never imagined such a possibility for happiness in life."

"She turns three today. We hope she will always be happy, a kind and bright little girl with the best things in the world and plenty of love."

"We wish so much love would support her throughout her life, even if one day we are gone. We want her to live bravely and powerfully in this world."

The breeze drifted through the window, stirring the familiar pages of the diary, soft words blurred by tears like a story lost in a nightmare.

"... Edith, don’t look back. Mom will always love you."

Mom, Edith can’t look back.

Mom, don’t be disappointed in me.

The parents who loved her more than anything in the world hoped she would grow up under the sun, but Edith felt herself sinking deeper into endless darkness.

Everyone knew the delicate, fragile flower growing in Earl’s home—cold, fragile, and moving.

Edith, who had been raised with tender care, was the first fragile snowflake of winter.

No, Earl, Edith isn’t a snowflake.

Her back was thin, as fragile as a piece of paper.

Determined, Edith began looking at houses near her school.

She decided it was time to move out—Earl would understand who truly needed whom.

After the birthday, Earl and Edith fell into a strained silence.

Coincidentally, the company had another overseas project, and Earl left with a cold expression and a suitcase in hand.

In those two weeks, Edith opened Earl’s chat countless times, watching the "typing…" indicator flash repeatedly.

Yet no message was ever sent.

Finally, Edith found a small rental near her school, packed up her things, and moved in.

When Earl found her at the rental house, he was met with the sight of another man—a young man named Bobby Burton, who was carefully setting down a box of books, sweat dripping down his face. His handsome smile caught in the sunlight, a shy, gentle expression in contrast to Earl’s stormy mood.

"Junior sister, is there anything else you need to move?"

Bobby's eyes were filled with tender and unabashed admiration.

The moment he saw this smart, beautiful, and slender girl feeding stray cats on campus for the first time, his heart stirred, and he couldn’t control his emotions.

Yet, all his hesitant attempts at connection had ended in failure. This was the first time he had a real opportunity.

Edith leaned on the windowsill, her delicate white earlobes almost translucent in the sunlight. Her two slender legs swayed gently, and her white skirt fluttered softly in the breeze.

A red cord tied around her wrist, holding a jade pendant. The vibrant red made her wrist look even whiter and more delicate.

Bobby gazed at Edith with deep intensity.

"Junior sister, Edith—"

Before he could finish, a man rushed through the half-open door.

"Edith!"

It was Earl.

He saw Edith and Bobby, and the tension in the room was palpable. Earl strode forward with a sharp, angry expression, his focus entirely on Edith. Ignoring Bobby entirely, he reached out and pulled Edith up, as if intending to take her away.

"Earl, what are you doing?" Edith grabbed the cabinet beside her to steady herself, her voice firm and defiant. "Let go! There are people here!"

Earl didn’t seem to hear her. His grip tightened on her wrist, his hold firm and unyielding.

Her wrist, slender and fragile, felt as though it might snap under the pressure. His eyes burned with an unquestionable possessiveness, his male pride evident.

"Go home with me."

He and Bobby stood side by side—two contrasting figures, one mature and composed, the other youthful and inexperienced.

"Why?"

Earl glanced at Bobby, his expression shifting into one of cold disdain. A mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"Why? Are you really staying here because of him?"

Edith refused to meet his gaze.

"Don’t you have Edith? Why do you still interfere in my life? I’ve moved out. What more do you want?"

His voice raised slightly, betraying a hint of panic beneath his control.

"I’m doing this for your own good. He’s not right for you! You don’t know his background. What if he has ill intentions toward you?"

"He's my senior brother!"

Edith shot back, her tone firm and unwavering. "What about you, Earl? Are you right for me?"

The question hung in the air, leaving Earl’s expression momentarily faltering before settling into indifference.

"That’s between me and her. You have no say in it. You will come back with me!"

"I won’t go back!"

Edith struggled fiercely to break free from his grasp, her voice rising in frustration. "Earl, who do you think you are? Why do you keep trying to control me!"

"I'm your brother!"

Bobby hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, his voice gentle yet firm.

"This… Edith’s brother."

"Please, calm down," Bobby said. "Edith is an adult now. She should have the right to make her own decisions. If you truly care about her, you should respect her choice."

Earl shot Bobby a cold glare.

"It's not your place to interfere in what happens between me and her."

Bobby was left speechless, his face flushing with embarrassment and frustration.

Earl opened his mouth again, his voice calm but commanding.

"Please leave."

Having just returned from a business trip, Earl’s tailored black suit clung perfectly to his muscular frame. His expensive cufflinks gleamed, reflecting the anger burning in his eyes—a gaze as sharp and fierce as a jaguar’s.

A young college student, still fresh and inexperienced, couldn’t withstand the pressure emanating from such a mature and domineering presence.

Edith sniffled softly, sending Bobby out with a quiet word.

"Brother, you go back first. It’s okay. He’s my brother."

Bobby left hesitantly, saying, "Call me anytime if you need anything."

Earl heard every word, but his mind was elsewhere. With sharp motion, he slammed the door shut behind him, cornering Edith against the wall.

His fury was palpable.

"Edith, you've become something else."

"You’re dangerous to me now. Do you need another man to protect you?"

The size difference between them was striking at that moment. He loomed over her, his presence overwhelming, while Edith clung tightly to him, like a vine wrapping around a sturdy tree.

Edith’s nose was filled with the sharp scent of pine from his tie, making her eyes sting.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Earl immediately softened. His hand reached out to brush away the moisture gathering in her eyes.

"Do you like him?"

Edith lifted her gaze to meet him. "He cares about me."

"Your heart is too small," she continued. "If you can’t even accept me, how can you accept someone else?"

"You don’t want me anymore."

Earl shut his eyes tightly, his breath hitching in his chest.

"Fuck," he muttered, unable to deny it. "Who said I don’t care about you?"

But Edith continued, her voice steady, though her words cut deeper.

"It’s been like this since I was a child. You wouldn’t let me fall in love early, wouldn’t let other men near me. I couldn’t have a boy I liked, couldn’t get too close to anyone."

"Even now that I’m in college, even though I have nothing to do with Bobby, you still get angry and drive him away."

Her voice was measured, yet the weight of her words hung in the air.

Earl opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form a reply, his lips were claimed in a long, heated kiss.