Chapter 3
When I got home that night, Grace was still awake.
She sat at the piano and played a Chopin nocturne.
Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing her in a soft glow that made her look like something out of a painting.
She heard me come in and stopped playing. She turned around and smiled at me. "Emily, you're back."
"How was the party?" she asked.
I kicked off my heels and winced. My feet were bleeding from the blisters.
"It was fine," I said.
Grace blinked at me with wide eyes. "Did you see Ryan? Isn't he charming?"
I froze. "He mentioned me?" I asked.
"Yeah." Grace stood up and walked over to me. "He said you were interesting."
She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. "Don't take it personally, Emily. Ryan speaks his mind, but he doesn't mean anything by it."
She took my hand, and her fingers felt ice-cold against mine. "There will be plenty more events like this. You'll get used to it."
She paused, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "After all, the Jennings family daughter can't embarrass Dad, right?"
The third week, the family doctor came by for our routine checkup. When it was time to draw blood, Grace turned pale and gripped Olivia's hand tightly.
"Mom, I'm scared," Grace whimpered.
Olivia wrapped her arms around her and soothed her like she was a toddler. "It's okay, sweetie. It'll be over before you know it."
When my turn came, I held out my arm.
The nurse searched for a vein for what felt like forever. She said casually, "Your skin's too dry. I can't see your veins."
Grace said softly, "Emily used to do manual labor. She probably never took care of herself."
The nurse glanced at me but didn't say anything.
When the needle went in, I didn't flinch.
She drew three vials of blood.
When it was over, Olivia helped Grace back to her room to rest.
I sat in the living room and heard her gentle voice floating down from upstairs.
Olivia said, "Grace, you were so brave. Tonight Mom will make you some chicken soup to help you recover."
I looked down at the needle mark on my arm.
It was a small red dot, and the pain faded quickly.
The test results came back three days later.
At dinner, Felix put the reports on the table. He said, "Nothing major. Emily's a bit malnourished and anemic, that's all."
Olivia ladled soup into my bowl and said, "You need to eat more from now on and take care of your health."
Grace paused with her fork and suddenly said, "Oh Mom, did you reserve seats in the guest section for my piano recital next week?"
Olivia smiled and said, "We did. Your father reserved all the best seats."
Grace looked at me and said, "Emily should come too. She can listen to some classical music and broaden her horizons."
I gripped my spoon. "I might—"
She interrupted me with a sweet smile and said, "You have to come. This is my first recital and the whole family needs to be there."
She turned to Felix and asked, "Right, Dad?"
Felix nodded. "Yeah, Emily's going too," he said.
His tone left no room for argument.
On the day of the recital, I wore the dress Olivia had bought me and sat in the center of the first row.
The lights dimmed, and Grace walked onto the stage in a flowing white gown.
She bowed to the audience and took her seat at the piano.
Her fingers touched the keys, and music filled the hall.
I didn't know much about classical music, but I could tell she was talented and played with genuine emotion.
The audience erupted in applause.
Olivia wiped the corner of her eyes and whispered to Felix, "Grace is amazing."
Felix held her hand, his expression filled with pride.
During intermission, Grace stepped offstage to rest. Several reporters rushed over to interview her.
One of them asked, "Ms. Jennings, does your recital theme 'Homecoming' have any special meaning?"
Grace took the microphone, and her eyes turned red. "Actually, it's dedicated to my sister Emily," she said.
The cameras immediately turned to me.
"Emily was lost for twenty years, and now she's finally home," Grace continued, her voice breaking. "Like a bird that left the nest and finally found her way back."
Camera flashes went off, and reporters eagerly recorded this moment of "sisterly love."
I sat frozen in my seat, unable to move.
Grace walked over and took my hand. "Emily, thank you for coming back."
Her palm was damp, and her eyes were clear. I could hear whispers from the audience below. Someone said, "Grace is so kind."
Another voice chimed in. "That Emily looks kind of slow."
"Well, she grew up differently," someone else added.
I pulled my hand away and stood up. "I need to use the restroom."
As I walked through the hallway, I heard two staff members talking. One of them said, "The Jennings sisters are like night and day."
The other one agreed. "Yeah, one's a swan and the other's—"
The rest trailed off into silence.