Chapter 2

When Sharon turned eighteen, she finally confessed to Clifford, but he shot her down.

Still, Clifford kept spoiling her and never pushed her away.

No one in their circle could figure out what Clifford was really thinking.

That same year, my brother Mason transferred to the affiliated high school and ended up in the same class as Sharon.

Just like Clifford, Mason was a top student. And they both had those blue, slender phoenix eyes.

Their brows and eyes were crisp, and their features were striking and chiseled.

Just beneath the outer corner of their left eyes, in the exact same spot, was a tiny beauty mark.

When they smiled, there was a soft affection in their gaze, but when they weren't, they seemed cold and untouchable, as if the world couldn't reach them.

Sharon found herself completely captivated by those eyes, treating Mason as Clifford's substitute.

She pursued him with fiery passion, never holding back.

Mason was getting fed up and would often complain to me. "She wouldn't let me leave again today. Sorry I made you wait so long, Audrey."

"She confessed to me, and I turned her down."

"She brought me breakfast again, and I turned her down again. She said if I didn't look like Clifford, someone as broke as me wouldn't even qualify to be her lapdog."

"It's driving me crazy. Even the teachers don't dare to step in. It's starting to mess with my grades. She said if I turn her down again next time, she'll make me pay for it."

"Audrey, are all girls this clingy?"

I just shook my head with a smile.

Mason ruffled my hair. "So what about you, Audrey? What would you do if you liked someone?"

My ears went hot all of a sudden.

Back then, I was just a little thing, tilting my face up to look at Mason. His eyes held a whole galaxy, sparkling with stars.

Maybe this was what it was like to fall for someone.

And I just stayed quiet. Actually, I was just like Sharon.

My feelings for Mason were so obsessive, they were borderline crazy.

When I was nine, my mom ran away to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband.

She left all by herself, just to get away from him.

After that, I took her place. I became the one my dad vented all his rage on.

One day, I got home late from school and didn't have dinner ready for him. He grabbed a kitchen knife and chopped down at me without a second thought.

Dad shouted, "You little bastard, trying to starve me, huh? Just like your bitch of a mother, always wishing I was dead. Since she had the nerve to run off with some other man, I'll make sure her daughter pays for it."

I can still remember the look in his eyes. Vicious and poisonous.

I didn't flinch. Maybe dying wouldn't be the worst thing.

At least I wouldn't have to take a beating every day anymore.

The knife was only a few inches away from slicing into me when the living room door was kicked open with a bang.

Dad's hand shook, and the knife veered off course.

The next second, Samuel and Mason burst in from next door, rushing behind him and tackling him to the ground.

What nobody saw coming was that, all worked up and after years of drinking and sleepless nights, Dad suddenly had a brain hemorrhage and died right there on the spot.

Walking out of the funeral home, dusk had already settled in.

Mason squeezed my hand, not letting go. "Don't be scared, Audrey. I'll always be here for you."

Everything was shrouded in darkness, but Mason's eyes seemed to shine through it all.

During those five years with the Brooks family, I finally knew what it felt like to be wrapped up in real love.

Samuel and Kamryn were genuinely kind people. They'd always remember my birthday, with gifts and a huge cake waiting for me.

Mason would dab cream on my nose, and I'd chase him all over the house, not letting him get away with it. Samuel and Kamryn would be cracking up the whole time.

After I performed at the school's New Year's party, Kamryn said I had a real gift for dancing. She never once complained about the hassle. She'd drive me to dance lessons every day, rain or shine.

Chasing an arts dream? It burnt through cash like crazy.

For a regular family like the Brooks family, it cost a small fortune.

But Samuel and Kamryn never said a word about it. To help me keep dancing, Samuel picked up ride-share shifts after work, and Kamryn hustled even more craft gigs on the side.

I couldn't bear to see them working themselves to the bone, so I lied and said I didn't like dancing anymore.

But Kamryn saw right through me. She said gently, "Audrey, I know you love dancing.

"Every time we walk past the dance studio, your eyes just stick to the window. You can't look away.

"Other girls get to dance, and our Audrey is not only beautiful but dances so well. So why shouldn't you dance too?

"Audrey, you see, the universe is fair. You may not be able to speak, but it's given you gifts in other ways.

"Our Audrey dances so beautifully. I'm truly proud of you."

Kamryn's voice was gentle yet firm. It was like the spring sunshine, filling my heart with warmth.

I thought this kind of happiness would last forever.

Never expected it would all end the year Mason turned eighteen.