I had hoped that after I burned everything, they would finally leave me alone. But they didn’t.

Days slipped by, and gradually, Nathan started acting as if nothing had happened. Flowers arrived at my door again. His texts were sweet, casual—asking about my day, sending little jokes, even attempting a quick kiss when our paths crossed outside the building. It was like the past weeks had vanished into thin air.

Gabriel followed suit, stepping back into his “big brother” role. Coffee deliveries, reminiscing about old times, easy jokes. Every time they said, “We’re sorry. Let’s make this right,” it sounded less like an apology for betrayal and neglect and more like an excuse for a stubbed toe.

Then came the surprise dinner.

“Our treat,” Nathan texted. “The old spot. You remember.”

Part of me wanted to delete the message and forget it ever existed. But another, quieter part—the exhausted, broken part—wondered if maybe, just maybe, we could close this chapter without bitterness. Without hatred.

I went. The restaurant hadn’t changed. Warm wooden booths, soft jazz humming overhead, dim lighting casting shadows across familiar corners. Rosemary scents floated in the air alongside memories I wasn’t sure I wanted back. I watched them laugh, the way we once did, and for a fleeting moment, it almost felt… okay.

Then Nathan’s phone buzzed. He checked it and froze.

“It’s Sabrina,” he muttered, frowning.

“What? Slow down… robbed? Stabbed? Where are you?!” His voice went sharp as he dropped everything.

In seconds, both he and Gabriel were on their feet.

“She’s crying,” Nathan explained, voice tight. “She’s been attacked. We have to go.”

No goodbyes. No glance in my direction. They ran, as if the world depended on her survival.

I stayed seated, staring at the half-eaten food, the flickering candle slowly burning down to nothing. I paid the bill myself.

Outside, the sky had opened up. Thunder cracked and rain poured in sheets. Streets were empty—no taxis, no buses. The restaurant manager offered an umbrella, but the doors were already locked. I had to keep moving.

Each step weighed me down. My arms throbbed under the bandages. My body ached. But worse than the pain was the storm. Thunder rolled across the city, striking a deep fear I’d carried since childhood. During storms, I always froze. Lightning flares and thunder cracks made it feel like the world itself might split apart.

I clutched my coat tighter, pushing forward, the city a blur of lights and shadows.

Then—a sudden flash. A horn. A car.

No time to react.

Darkness.

When I woke, everything felt unnaturally soft. I blinked against dim lighting, clean white walls surrounding me. My body ached, but the pain was distant, manageable. I turned toward the source of movement nearby.

“Nathan…?” I whispered.

Not him.

A man sat in the corner. Tall, dressed in black, eyes unreadable. He didn’t stir until I tried to sit up.

“You’re awake,” he said, steady, deep. “Don’t move too much.”

“Who… are you?”

“Roscoe,” he replied. “Found you after the accident. Took you to the hospital. You were unconscious.”

I wanted to ask more, but the room spun, and I blacked out again.

When I opened my eyes, Roscoe was gone. No note. No explanation. No contact. No missed calls, no messages, no check-ins.

Except for my mother.

Mom: Call me when you’re on your way. Everything’s ready. Come home.

I didn’t tell her what had happened. I couldn’t—didn’t want her to worry.

The nurse said I’d been lucky. The car hit me from the side. Nothing broken. Still, I needed a few more days to heal.

So I stayed. Alone.

Finally, discharge day arrived. I returned to the apartment, just to collect the last of my things before booking my flight home.

That’s when Nathan appeared in the doorway.

“Oh, good, you’re back,” he said, smiling as if nothing had ever occurred. “Listen… we had to sell your car. And some of your things. Sabrina needed emergency funds, and—”

“What?” I froze. “You sold my things?”

“Relax,” Gabriel said, stepping in. “We’ll pay you back. Sabrina’s been through a lot since the robbery. She needs someone to care for her—can you cook? She hasn’t been eating properly.”

I blinked, stunned. “Are you serious?”

Gabriel’s brows knitted. “Where’ve you been anyway? Sabrina said you went to a party after dinner. You weren’t here when she needed you! That’s selfish.”

I laughed, bitter and hollow. “Right. A party.”

Then I hurled the hospital discharge file at them.

“There. That’s where I was. The hospital. You left me out in the rain. I walked home through a thunderstorm. I got hit by a car.”

“What…?” Nathan stammered, shocked. “You were in the hospital?”

“I thought you were with friends…” Gabriel mumbled, confused. “Sabrina said—”

“Of course she did,” I snapped. “It’s always Sabrina, isn’t it?”

Before they could speak further, a piercing scream echoed down the hallway.

“Help! Nathan, Gabriel—it hurts! Please!”

Sabrina. Of course. Always Sabrina.

I didn’t wait to see their reaction. I turned, crossed the threshold, and walked away.

My body ached all over, every muscle screaming for rest. Instead of leaving the room as I had intended, I stayed anchored to the bed, letting the dull pain hold me in place.

I didn’t cry. There were no tears left to shed.

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight spilled through the curtains, warm on my skin. And there, at the foot of the bed, were Nathan and Gabriel.

“Morning,” Nathan said, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips as he held a tray. “We brought you some breakfast.”

Gabriel carefully set the tray on my lap—toast, scrambled eggs, some fruit, and a glass of orange juice. Slightly cold, uninspiring.

“Thought you could use something to start your day,” Gabriel added, perching at the edge of the bed.

I looked at them. They seemed at ease, relaxed even. Almost happy. Like the past few days had never existed.

Nathan scratched the back of his neck. “Look, we’re sorry. Sabrina told us she saw an Instagram story from that night… you were at a party, and she was hurt. Robbed, even stabbed, and she thought you were ignoring her on purpose.”

Gabriel nodded. “She really believed that. So… maybe you should apologize to her. Just to make things right.”

I stared, incredulous, before scoffing.

“Maybe you should apologize to me.”

They both blinked.

Nathan frowned. “Why would we? We didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t tell us what happened. If you had, we could’ve been there.”

I laughed, bitter and hollow. “Do I have to beg to be cared about now? I was gone for days, and not a single check-in.”

“Don’t say that,” Gabriel said firmly. “Sabrina got stabbed. She needed us.”

“And I didn’t?” I snapped. “So if I’m not bleeding in front of you, I don’t matter?”

Before they could answer, the door creaked, and she entered.

Sabrina. Soft, oversized sweater, a slight limp. Pale face, lips quivering, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Picking a fight now, Elena?” she whispered, voice trembling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get hurt. None of this was my intention.”

I studied her—the tremor in her hands, the pout, the subtle manipulation in every word. Like she was the victim. Again.

Tears streaked down her cheeks.

“I just… I don’t want us to be enemies. We were sisters once… I wish we could go back.”

And just like that, the boys reacted.

“Stop making her cry, Elena,” Nathan snapped.

“Come on, Sabrina,” Gabriel said softly. “You shouldn’t be walking around. Let’s get you back to bed.”

Their care for her stung, the attention raw and unearned.

“I’ll feed you,” Nathan said, taking her hand. “You need to eat.”

“Yeah,” Gabriel added. “We’ll bring your favorite seafood. You need your strength.”

Then they turned to me.

“You eat what we made, Elena,” Nathan said. “You’re discharged. Stop being picky.”

And with that, they led Sabrina away, leaving me alone again.

I stared at the plate. Rubber eggs, dry toast, unripe fruit.

From across the hall, laughter rang out. Sabrina’s voice was bright: “Mmm, I love crab legs! You remembered I hate toast, right? Seafood’s my favorite!”

Of course it was. They gave me scraps and lavished her with a feast.

I didn’t cry. Not this time. I was just… done.

My phone buzzed. A message from Mom: Venue options are in. Dresses attached. Let me know what you like, darling.

I tapped the call icon.

“Mom,” I said, voice steady.

“Elena! Did you see the pictures? What do you think of the flowers? And the dresses?” she asked, excitement bubbling.

“I like everything. It was actually hard to choose,” I replied. “I’ll finalize today. But I think the vintage one is my favorite.”

“Perfect! We’ll prepare it for you. How long until you’re back? Your groom is waiting—he’s excited.”

“A few more days. Something came up, but I’ll be there. I can’t wait to wear the dresses… for the wedding.”

Mom chuckled softly. “That’s my girl. We’ll wait for you.”

I hung up and stared at the untouched tray. Then I sensed the shift.

Nathan and Gabriel were standing in the doorway. I hadn’t even noticed them return.

Their eyes fixed on me, unreadable.

Gabriel’s voice broke the silence first. “Dress… for the wedding?”

Nathan stepped forward, frowning. “Wedding? What wedding?”

“What wedding are you even talking about?” Nathan asked, brow furrowed, confusion written all over his face.

I smiled slowly, deliberately, letting the words hang in the air. “The wedding you won’t be attending.”

He blinked, caught off guard. “Whose wedding? Not… not mine, right?”

I tilted my head, letting a soft, mocking laugh escape as I stepped closer. “Of course not mine. You haven’t even proposed yet, Nathan. Still my boyfriend, aren’t you?”

I lightly brushed my hand across his arm, just enough to unsettle him.

He recoiled immediately, shaking my hand off. “Elena… don’t be so clingy. You’re still healing. Just… rest for now.”

I swallowed the sting that cut deep into me. He didn’t even pretend to care anymore. How could I have been so foolish to actually fall for him?

Gabriel, leaning against the doorway, crossed his arms. “Wait… why aren’t we invited? We’ve known you forever.”

“She’s a distant cousin,” I said flatly, keeping my voice calm. “You wouldn’t know her. Mom just wants me there—to represent the family, I guess.”

“And Sabrina?” Gabriel pressed. “Is she coming with you?”

I shrugged. “No. She doesn’t know this cousin. Just my adopted sister. No reason for her to go.”

Nathan laughed like that was good news. “Perfect. Finally, we can go to Finland while you’re away.”

Finland? My breath caught. That had been my dream destination for years, and they’d always claimed it was impossible, a waste of money.

“Yeah,” Gabriel added casually. “Doctor cleared Sabrina for travel next week, so we’re booking our flight.”

“Without me?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Nathan turned with a smile. I didn’t mirror it. “Don’t worry—we’ll send you a gift for the wedding. A dress, something. Anyway, rest up. We’ll take Sabrina to her next hospital appointment.”

And just like that, they were gone again.

I didn’t answer. I nodded quietly, closing the door behind them. So this was it—me, a background note in someone else’s life.

Fine. Let them think I was still around. I’d leave quietly, disappear completely. No one would notice, and when they did… they’d regret it. I just needed a little more time.

Later that afternoon, I finally left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen, craving something warm. Soup, maybe. Something genuine, not thrown together for show.

As I opened the fridge and began chopping vegetables, I heard it—a soft shuffle behind me.

I turned slowly.

Sabrina stood there, pale pink cardigan, hair braided neatly. Innocent, helpless little sister image in full effect.

“I didn’t know you were up,” she said, voice sweet, leaning against the counter. “I thought you were still sick… or maybe pretending?”

I ignored her, chopping steadily.

“I mean,” she continued with a fake laugh, “did you really go to the hospital? Or were you just faking it because I was there, stealing the spotlight?”

I set down the knife, eyes locking on hers. “I’m not like you.”

Her expression hardened. “What does that mean?”

“You crave attention,” I said evenly. “Always play the victim.”

“Oh please,” she scoffed, voice sharp. “You’re jealous. How does it feel… knowing both Nathan and Gabriel love me now? Your boyfriend, your best friend—they’re mine. And you? You’re nothing.”

I flinched slightly, just enough for her to notice and smirk.

“Really, you should leave this apartment,” she said. “You don’t belong here anymore.”

I turned back to the pot, stirring slowly, ignoring her.

“Still pretending you’re above it all, huh?” she mocked. “Fine, I’ll help cook. The boys will love it.”

I spun toward her. “No, Sabrina. I don’t need help.”

“I’ll make something anyway,” she said cheerfully, grabbing a knife. “Let’s see which they like better—yours or mine.”

She moved closer, chopping quickly and sloppily, clearly on purpose. I stepped aside, letting her continue.

Then—

“Ahhh!” Sabrina yelped, dropping the knife. Blood spread across her fingertip.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath.

But it was too late.

“Nathan! Gabriel!” she screamed. “Help! Oh no—I cut myself! Elena didn’t even try!”

Within seconds, loud footsteps pounded the hallway.

The brothers burst in, alert and panicked.

Nathan lunged to Sabrina’s side. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“She didn’t care!” Sabrina sniffled, clutching his arm. “I was bleeding, and she just stood there!”

I froze, ladle still in hand.

“You didn’t help her?” Gabriel barked. “What is wrong with you?”

Sabrina held Nathan’s arm like a lifeline.

“I was trying,” she whispered, “but she… pushed me away.”

“I didn’t touch you,” I said softly, but no one was listening.