Chapter 3
The welcome party was held at Cloudhill Estate.
James's face lit up when he saw me. "Sophie, I knew you couldn't stand to see me upset."
I reached out my hand to him. "Give me back the pendant."
"What's the hurry? If you act like this, Lily will know you never wanted to be here anyway."
"I'm only here because you took something that belongs to me."
"Sophie, today is Lily's big day. Don't spoil it for her."
I was left on the sidelines, watching as they showered Lily with gifts.
"Here's an apartment in Westside. It's yours," James said.
"And the sports car you've been wanting, worth 600 thousand dollars, for you," Chris added.
Lily covered her mouth. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Why are you all so nice to me?"
The three of them gathered around her, like they used to do with me.
"Lily, no matter what happens, we'll always be here for you," James said.
My phone buzzed. It was a reminder for my seven a.m. flight to Newlace tomorrow.
James glanced over at me. "Where are you flying to?"
"It's nothing. Can I have my pendant back now?" I replied.
He finally held it out to me.
As I reached for it, Lily suddenly jostled me.
A sharp snap echoed. The pendant shattered right at my feet.
I crouched down, my fingers brushing against the cold shards, and for a moment, my mind went blank.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see it," Lily mumbled.
"It's not your fault. Sophie didn't hold onto it tight enough," James said.
"It's merely a piece of jade. I'll buy you ten more," Chris scoffed.
I clutched the shards in my hand and looked up at them. "This is the only thing my grandmother ever left me. What could you possibly give me to make up for that?"
Nobody answered.
"Don't let something so small kill the vibe," James said.
"Christmas is almost here. Let's make our wishes," Chris chimed in.
Lily grinned. "I wish that the five of us would always stick together."
But there were only four cards.
"I only got four. You don't believe in this stuff anyway, so it's fine if you sit this one out." Chris shrugged.
"She won't care," James said.
They didn't even ask me; they decided for me.
I carefully gathered up the shards of the pendant, tucking them away while the others were busy writing down their wishes.
Everyone was totally absorbed in their wishes, and Lily leaned in, grinning as she teasingly covered her paper so no one could sneak a peek before she was ready.
I double-checked the bag for any missing pieces, then looked around the floor to be sure I hadn't left anything behind.
Not a single person bothered to crouch down and help me.
And not a single person mentioned my grandmother.
Suddenly, it hit me that there was really nothing left to say tonight. The more I tried to tell them how much that meant to me, the more they acted like I was picking on Lily.
So I shut up and stepped out of the light, hanging back in the shadows while they finished writing their wishes.
[May Lily stay healthy and happy every year.]
[May I always be there to protect Lily.]
[May she always stay with me.]
I didn't have a card.
But I still made a wish.
I wished they'd disappear from my life for good.
*****
The rain kept pouring down, and suddenly the staff rushed in, urging everyone to evacuate. "Rainfall has exceeded the safety limit. There's a risk of a landslide. Everyone needs to leave immediately."
The smiles vanished from their faces in an instant. They huddled around Lily, rushing her toward the car.
I clutched the bag with the shards and followed behind. Rain kept pounding down, the ground was slippery, and I lagged a bit. By the time I got there, they'd already reached the car.
Chris and Lucas hustled Lily into the car, and James closed the door behind them. "Everyone's here. Sit tight."
The car's headlights lit up.
The car drove past me.
I stood there in the rain. I didn't try to run after them, and I didn't call out.
Even now, I was still the fifth wheel, the one nobody bothered to check on.
A low rumble echoed from the distance.
It felt like the whole ground was trembling beneath my feet.
"Ms. Sanders, hurry! The mountain's about to collapse," my family's driver shouted as he rushed over.
At last, I turned around.
It wasn't until later that I found out that the next day, the news reported that Cloudhill Estate had been completely buried.
They stared at the TV, and for the first time, it dawned on them that they never bothered to check if I was there last night.
James finally spoke up, "Where's Sophie?"