But then, a message from her arrived, a flimsy excuse about being scared of the dark during a power outage. And just like that, he left me behind, pulling on his jacket without so much as a glance back.

Through every bitter moment of disappointment, I clung to one thought.

“She’s his sister. Blood ties or not, she’s still the bond his adoptive parents left him. She’s his responsibility.”

But now, as I stood there watching them, her leaning into him, his arms around her protectively, a realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Dorothea’s face, her delicate features, bore an uncanny resemblance to mine. Seven points of similarity, clear as day.

I could no longer fool myself.

With a bitter smile, I whispered the words that had been building up inside me for so long. “Charles, let’s break up.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I turned on my heel, leaving without a single glance back.

As I walked, my vision blurred with tears, the world around me dimming like a fading dream. The neon lights flickered in the distance, barely visible through the haze of my grief. I felt like I was drifting, aimless, and lost.