Chapter 9

Caleb was his father’s child born late in life; his father was busy with work, so his older brother and sister-in-law were closer to him.

His older brother had raised him; his elder brother was like a father to him. In his heart, his brother was the most important person.

And my biological father, whom I had never met, had killed the people he cherished most.

I shared the same blood as the murderer of his brother and sister-in-law.

This was my original sin.

It didn't matter anymore.

Anyway, I was leaving.

The day I was discharged from the hospital was also my twentieth birthday.

Caleb kept his word and came to pick me up early that morning.

He ignored the subtle tension between us, wrapped an arm around my waist, and intended to carry me bridal style.

The moment he touched me, I flinched away as if pricked by a needle.

“No, thanks. I can walk myself.”

Caleb’s arms felt suddenly empty, a strange panic stirring within him.

In the car, he opened the passenger door for me, but I quietly sat in the back seat.

“Jocelyn… there are some things I need to take care of at the company. Once I’m done, I’ll come home to celebrate your birthday.”

I nodded absently.

In fact, I had just seen Caleb’s SnapChat messages with Serena.

They were going to take wedding photos today.

After arriving home, Caleb gave a few instructions and then hurried off.

Watching his retreating figure, I felt a sense of relief.

My legs were still a bit weak, so I walked slowly, taking a long time to reach the second floor.

My room was right next to Caleb’s. Before I came back, Caleb must have had someone clean it.

The room was immaculately clean, as if I had never left.

The walls were covered with photos of Caleb and me, a painful sight now.

I tore all those photos down.

And the diary in my drawer, filled with my teenage crushes and secret thoughts about Caleb, I threw it into the fire pit.

I burned it all to ashes.

When Caleb first brought me home, I lived there for a decade.

The days were long, but in this house, there were surprisingly few things that truly belonged to me.

I only packed a small amount of clothes and necessary documents.

Everything else that was useless, I burned.

The plush doll Caleb gave me when he brought me home;

The unburnt candle from my fifteenth birthday cake, prepared by Caleb;

The princess dress he gave me when I was sixteen…

Too many memories. My life had been completely filled by Caleb.

Now, I was going to burn it all away.

When I left, the room was still immaculately clean, but all traces of me had been completely erased.

I took only one twenty-four-inch suitcase.

That was all.

As the car drove to the airport, the sky was clear and sunny, and my heart felt a sense of newfound clarity and lightness.

I was finally leaving.

What I once thought was inseparable, I managed to let go of.

Caleb, this time I won’t cling to you anymore. Goodbye.

Ahead lay a new world. I was going to walk into it alone.