“To my knowledge, this dress is made from the finest fabric from Prague and the most fashionable dress out here,” Amanda announced. “Isn’t it the perfect style for a wedding?”

Her tone dripped with pride as she searched my face for a reaction.

I just answered her calmly, indifferently. "It's lovely and it suits you well."

My lack of emotion made George a bit unsettled. "Kelly!" he said sharply. "What were you talking to my father? My mind is fixed. I'll marry Amanda. All the paperwork has been done. If you went to him to plead, it's useless."

Though George had a refined, scholarly appearance, years in the military had instilled a commanding presence in him. So, when he was serious, his presence would be overwhelming. Today, he turned that pressure on me, making me feel suffocated.

Yet I looked at him straight in the eyes and said evenly, "I only asked Uncle Rick, if he needed anything to buy for New Year."

After saying that, I turned around and walked back to my room.

Behind me, the sound of measured footsteps followed. Then I heard George say softly behind me, "Kelly, I've spoken too harshly before. I'm sorry."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vibrant red ribbon. “Look, I brought you a gift this time too.”

I turned around and saw the bright red ribbon in George's hand.

“You mentioned you liked red ribbons before,” he said, then thrust it to me. “Try it on.”

What he had just said was true. I had once said that I liked red ribbons. Yet when George first bought one, it was Amanda. Amanda thought it was too old-fashioned and threw it away.

Now, George gave me the thing that Amanda did not want.

My nose turned red as I looked away to hide my sadness. "I don't want it anymore. Take it back."

George misunderstood my refusal as a childish tantrum, one he thought he had to soothe. His frustration flared, "Why are you making things difficult again?"

Amanda quickly stepped in to stop George. "It's okay, George. Kelly's just a little girl. Don't scare her."

Amanda gave an overly apologetic smile. "Are you upset we didn’t invite you to the movies? Next time, you can come with us.”

Her tone was so magnanimous that it made me seem petty in comparison. As she spoke, she put her hand on my arm and secretly pinched me hard, when no one was looking.

“Everyone knows your brother dotes on you the most,” Amanda added with a sugary smile. “Don’t be jealous.”

The sharp pain made me flinch. I yanked her arm away and shouted, “What are you doing?”

Amanda immediately stumbled backward and fell to the floor in a dramatic manner. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face. "Kelly," she sobbed. "What did I do wrong?" 

“Kelly, what are you trying to do?” George demanded and rushed over to help Amanda up.

Amanda, still sniffling, murmured, “I’m fine. It’s my fault, I must have tripped. Don’t blame Kelly.”

I took a deep breath to steady myself. “Amanda,” I said, my voice trembling with controlled anger, “You pinched my arm. I didn’t push you. … ”

Before I could finish my sentence, George cut me off, "Enough! Amanda is a kind and gentle person. Why would she hurt you? Stop making up ridiculous lies!”

At that moment, Amanda whimpered, “George, my ankle hurts.”

Without sparing me another glance, George scooped Amanda into his arms and carried her outside. “She’s this way because I’ve spoiled her too much,” he explained.

“George, don't act like this. Kelly must have felt that I snatched you away, that's why she's acting like this …."

When George did not see, Amanda glanced back at me, a smug smile curling on her lips.

I stood rooted to the ground. This absurdity felt so ironic to me.

When she first arrived at the military compound, Kelly had been a timid girl. So, she was easily bullied by others. 

Back then, it was George who had been the one who chased off the other troublemakers and stood by her side to protect and take care of her. He took care of her with unwavering devotion even if there were scrapes on her skin, he would feel heartbroken.

General Palmer often joked, "George may be a tyrant to everyone else, but in front of his little sister, he'd suddenly become a doting older brother."

Kelly snapped back to reality, got the medicated oil from her room, put it on her wrist and began messaging her bruised wrist while comforting herself. 

It would only be a few more days before I would be able to leave this compound and at that time George and Amanda could do whatever they pleased and it had nothing to do with me.

The compound was a cluster of modest single-story homes, each with its own small quarters.

In another room, Amanda watched Kelly carefully apply the same medicated oil to her wrist. Her eyes shined with satisfaction.

“George,” she cooed. “Our art troupe got two tickets for Red Detachment of Women. Let’s go see it together in a few days.”

George who was holding Amanda's foot, couldn’t shake the memory of Kelly’s tear-filled eyes from earlier. His heart softened against his will.

“Could you get an extra ticket from the art troupe?” he asked as he looked up at her. “I’d like to give one to Kelly.”

Though Amanda was upset about it, she kept her smile and said, "Of course." Then she fished a ticket from her pocket and gave it to him.

As she gave it to him, she said timidly, "George, perhaps we should postpone the wedding. I don't think Kelly is ready to accept it. Her brother who has always doted on her is getting married and she must feel like I’m taking away your love for her.”

George's body stiffened and his jaw tightened. Without him realizing it, his hands had curled into fists. After he kept his silence for a long time, he finally said coldly, "She’ll understand her place.”

Early, the next morning, Kelly prepared to leave for her new unit. She had received a transfer order to a satellite research base. Before departing, she decided to bid farewell to her colleagues at the communication unit, where she had always gotten along well with her peers and superiors.

Captain Smith, her former leader, examined her transfer papers with a mix of surprise and admiration.

“Private Lambert, your dedication to serving the nation is commendable,” he said warmly. “However, you do realize working at a satellite research base means complete isolation from the outside world, right? Are you sure your brother will let you go?”

He chuckled. “After all, we all know how much he dotes on you.”

When Kelly first joined the communication unit, she had been harassed by a group of hooligans. Ever since then, George had made it a point to escort her to and from work every single day, no matter what.

Everyone at the unit knew about her “overprotective brother.”

What they didn’t know was that George was about to get married ... and that his world no longer revolved around her anymore. However, Kelly did not say anything. She just smiled.

After explaining her transfer to Captain Smith, she took out a bag of candies she had bought and distributed them among her coworkers.

“Why the sudden treat, Kelly?” someone teased. “Is this your wedding candy?”

Kelly's smile turned bitter. “Think of it that way if you’d like. There’s enough for everyone to enjoy.”

The room filled with laughter and chatter, as the time flew by.

As the workday ended, someone called out, “Kelly, your brother’s here to pick you up!”

George was a striking figure. He was one of the youngest officers in the compound. His presence always drew attention, no matter where he went.

Kelly stepped outside and saw him sitting in the driver’s seat of his car with one hand casually resting on the steering wheel. The backseat was piled with trendy fabrics and tins of cream.

Once, this had been their routine. George would show up with the latest treats and gifts. He would say they were for her. However, ever since Amanda entered the picture, those gestures had stopped. He even stopped picking her up.

When he finally did, he just took a quick look at her and turned his face away.

"Get in the car," George said. "I'll take you to the art unit."

Kelly frowned in confusion. "Why are we going to the art troupe?"

George's brow furrowed tightly. "Well, you've pushed Amanda yesterday and today you've stained her performance dress. Kelly, don’t you think you owe her an apology?"

His accusation left Kelly stunned. "I didn’t push her, nor did I stain her dress. Don’t you dare frame me!"

She spun on her heel to leave, but George leaped out of the car and grabbed her arm roughly. That’s when he noticed the dark bruises marring her delicate wrist.

He froze, his gaze fixed on her injury. "What happened to your hand?"

Kelly's nose went red with the threat of tears, but she forced her voice to stay calm. "You already know, don’t you?"

An inexplicable sense of emotion shot through George's chest. He struggled to shake it off, his eyes narrowing into icy slits. "You're becoming even more skilled in doing underhanded tactics. Are you hurting yourself now just to frame Amanda?"

His words sliced through her like a blade. Kelly's voice trembled with pain and indignation. "George, after all these years, is that the kind of person you think I am?"

George pinched the bridge of his nose and his tone softened slightly. "Kelly, it’s just an apology. It’s not that hard."

The disappointment in her gaze burned more than her words ever could. She turned and walked away, a lone tear escaping down her cheek.

By the time Kelly reached the military compound, George was already there. He tossed a pain-streaked onto the ground in front of her.

Kelly stared at the garment with a puzzled expression.

"You ruined Amanda's performance dress," George said coldly. "She couldn’t go onstage because of you. If you clean it and we’ll call it even."

The white dress was streaked with vibrant colors. It was unmistakable that someone had done it on purpose. However, she wasn’t the culprit.

Kelly's voice turned cold and said, "I didn't do it. I'm not washing it!"

George’s jaw tightened. "I must’ve spoiled you too much if you can’t even tell right from wrong!"

His fists clenched and his voice became lower. It was full of quiet menace. "If you don’t clean that dress, I’ll toss your amulet into the river."

The amulet was the last memento her mother had left her.

Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her body was trembling all over. "George, that amulet... it’s my mother’s keepsake. You can't …."

How could he threaten me with this amulet?

Seeing her tears, George instinctively reached out, but Kelly recoiled and she even retreated a step. His hand hovered awkwardly before falling to his side.

George forced himself to harden his heart. "Clean the dress and I’ll give it back. Put yourself in her shoes. This dress is important to Amanda too."

Kelly looked at George with sorrowful eyes. "Do you have to humiliate me like this?" she asked.

His gut twisted at her words, but he suppressed the discomfort because he figured he was just disciplining Kelly. He said, "Don’t bother complaining to my father. He’s away at the military district for a few days."

Kelly inhaled sharply. "Fine. I’ll wash it."

As soon as George left, Amanda quietly entered the house and with a satisfied smirk on her face, she said, "Kelly, I’m so sorry. I accidentally used up all the hot water earlier. You’ll have to use cold water to wash my dress."

In the compound, hot water was a shared resource from the communal kitchen. Amanda’s deliberate act left Kelly no choice but to scrub the dress with icy water.