: Sister

"Chase, who is she?"

Raina Rhodes's voice was sickeningly sweet, with a hint of grievance.

Chase Quinn's icy expression thawed. He reached past me and affectionately wrapped his arm around Raina Rhodes's shoulder.

"She's the younger sister I've mentioned to you so often, Jasmine Hollis."

'Sister.'

That word, coming from Chase Quinn's lips, rolled through my heart, scalding me until my eyes turned red.

I bit down hard on my lip, the metallic taste of blood on my tongue helping me barely restrain the torrent of emotions.

But Raina Rhodes, seemingly oblivious to the strange atmosphere, just giggled coquettishly and gently swayed Chase Quinn's arm.

"Oh, so it's little sister Jasmine. You should stay for dinner then. Chase is going to cook himself today, you know."

My eyes flew wide open.

Last week, I had a high fever. I pleaded with Chase Quinn to make me a bowl of congee, but he refused, saying he didn't know how to cook. In the end, I was the one who had to drag my sick body out of bed to cook for him.

'So he *does* know how to cook. He just won't cook for me.'

Chase Quinn seemed to recall that day as well. A flicker of guilt crossed his face before he composed himself and chimed in.

"Since Raina asked you to stay, you might as well eat with us."

I nodded mechanically, my mind elsewhere.

The memories of my time with Chase Quinn were like the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen—lingering in my heart, but impossible to grasp.

"Jasmine, do you have a sweetheart?"

Raina Rhodes's question pulled me back to the present.

Following her gaze, I looked down and saw the dense cluster of hickeys on my neck.

I instinctively buttoned the top button of my shirt.

Raina Rhodes put on the air of someone experienced, covering her mouth as she chuckled.

"Oh, Jasmine, we're all adults here. What's there to be embarrassed about?"

"But Chase is different from you. He says only wanton women lose their virginity before marriage, which is why he can't bear to touch me."

My face burned as if I'd been slapped out of nowhere.

I opened my mouth, but no rebuttal came.

'Was there anything wrong with what Raina Rhodes said?'

'I've been with Chase Quinn for three years without any official title. Isn't that wanton?'

Just then, Chase Quinn emerged from the kitchen carrying a platter.

In less than half an hour, he had prepared a three-course meal.

'So this is the "I don't know how to cook" he always tells me.'

I said nothing more, simply picking up a piece of food with my chopsticks.

It tasted wonderful, but all I could taste was bitterness.

Raina Rhodes's gaze swept over Chase Quinn and me, her eyes smiling.

"Chase, did you know Jasmine has a sweetheart? I wonder when she'll bring him over for us to meet."

I pressed my lips together, my eyes instinctively darting to Chase Quinn. His expression was normal as he said:

"Raina is right. If you have a sweetheart, you should bring him here for me to see. As your brother and sister-in-law, we should vet him for you."

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I just nodded haphazardly in agreement.

But Raina Rhodes wouldn't let me off the hook. She went on to recount the story of how she and Chase Quinn met and fell in love.

They had fallen in love at first sight in college and were the perfect couple, envied by everyone at school.

Later, Raina Rhodes went abroad to study. Although they broke up, they could never get over each other.

When Raina Rhodes returned to the country a short while ago, Chase Quinn wasted no time going to the Rhodes Family to propose marriage. They were finally getting their happy ending.

I did the math. The time Chase Quinn came to me to discuss my college choices was right when Raina Rhodes had gone abroad.

'Then what was I? Raina Rhodes's replacement?'

'So from the very beginning, I was just a toy for Chase Quinn to pass the time with.'

The meal tasted like ash in my mouth.

When the meal finally ended, I stood up to leave, but Raina Rhodes insisted on giving me a ride.

I couldn't refuse, so I got into her car.

The moment I got in, Raina Rhodes's expression changed. She let out a sudden, cold laugh.

"Jasmine Hollis, your sweetheart is Chase, isn't he."

She stated it as a fact.

I was so stunned I could only stare at her blankly.

Raina Rhodes paid no mind to my answer, continuing on her own as her words dripped with thick sarcasm:

"The moment I left to study abroad, you got yourself into Capital University. Are you that desperate to steal another woman's man?"

I wanted to tell her no, that Chase Quinn was the one who told me to apply, but the words were caught in my throat. I couldn't say a thing.

"But no matter how hard you try, you're just a mistress who has to stay in the shadows. What right do you have to compare yourself to me?"

"The second I came back, Chase couldn't wait to dump you and come to my home to propose marriage. I'd advise you to take the hint and get lost. Don't be a persistent pest that everyone loathes."

Her words left me feeling so ashamed I wanted to crawl into a hole. Just as I was about to explain, Raina Rhodes dialed a number.

She shot me a taunting smile while screaming in terror:

"Chase, you have to save me! Jasmine said she wants to die and take me with her..."

Then she hung up.

Before I could even react, the car swerved sharply, crashing straight into a low wall on the side of the road.

The immense force of the impact flung my body forward. My forehead slammed hard against the seat in front of me. Blood gushed out instantly, and everything went dark.

Raina Rhodes wasn't in much better shape. Her hair was a mess, and a trail of blood trickled from her temple.

'Psycho!'

'To go to such lengths just to frame me.'

Before long, Chase Quinn rushed over with paramedics and carefully lifted Raina Rhodes out of the car.

"Raina, are you okay?"

Raina Rhodes, looking beautiful even with tears streaming down her face, huddled in his arms and sobbed:

"Jasmine blames me for stealing you. She insisted on grabbing the steering wheel to make me pay the price."

My head was spinning, but I still forced myself to argue back:

"I... I didn't..."

Chase Quinn looked at me with disgust, his voice like ice.

"Is there anything a woman like you wouldn't do to get what you want?"

"How dare you hurt Raina today. I swear I'll make you pay for this!"

Before I could speak again, Chase Quinn rushed to the ambulance with Raina Rhodes in his arms, leaving me with only the sight of his retreating back.

But when the paramedics tried to lift me into the vehicle, Chase Quinn stopped them.

"There's no precedent for a culprit to ride in the same ambulance as the victim. A person like her should be taken to the police station first to receive the punishment she deserves."

The doctor said urgently,

"We don't know the truth of what happened yet, and this woman's injuries are obviously more severe. If she doesn't receive treatment in time, I'm afraid she'll suffer irreversible harm."

Chase Quinn's expression softened slightly, and he was about to let me get on. But then Raina Rhodes, nestled in his arms, murmured weakly,

"Chase, no... Don't let her come with me. I'm so scared she'll do something terrible to me again..."

Upon hearing this, Chase Quinn's gaze instantly turned cold again. He said to the paramedics,

"Take Raina to the hospital first. Her safety is the most important thing."

"You're the medical team I'm paying for. Don't waste time on someone irrelevant."

Seeing this, the doctor had no choice but to set me down again as the ambulance sped away.

I lay alone at the scene of the accident, surrounded by people, but not one of them was willing to help me.

My wound was still bleeding, and my consciousness was gradually fading.

I kept murmuring to myself,

"Home... I want to go home..."

I don't know how much time passed before another ambulance finally arrived and took me to the hospital.

I forced myself to stay conscious and asked the doctor for a phone, my hand trembling as I dialed my mom's number.

"Mom, I miss you so much. Will you come get me? Please? I'll listen to you. I'll go to the blind dates..."

The moment I finished speaking, I couldn't hold on any longer and passed out.