I had just transferred the hard-earned money from my fifth side hustle to my boyfriend, Ethan, when a viral video popped up on my Instagram feed. It was a grand proposal that was breaking the internet. The sheer luxury of the setup was breathtaking. On screen, a man knelt on one knee, tears glistening in his eyes. “I regret so much that I didn’t confess my feelings to you before we went to study abroad. We let other people get in our way for so many years.” I sighed, thinking it was just another beautiful love story, and was about to swipe away. But then the camera panned. The man’s face came into full view. It was Ethan. And the girl crying tears of joy opposite him was my younger sister, Chloe. The only difference was that they both looked a bit more mature, a bit older. My eyes darted to the background banner. It read: “July 2030.” This was Ethan… four years into the future. Suddenly, a cold realization washed over me. Ethan’s stubborn insistence on going to London to study with Chloe wasn’t for my sake. It was never about me. Just then, two calls came in simultaneously—one from my supervisor at my next gig, and another from Chloe demanding her monthly allowance. I declined both. If they were meant to be, it would be extremely impolite of me to keep getting in their way.
On screen, Chloe sobbed out a tearful “Yes,” and the crowd erupted into cheers. Live streamers rushed forward, shoving microphones into their faces. I clicked into the most popular live stream. “Mr. Miller, it seems your journey with your fiancé wasn’t easy. Would you mind sharing your story with our viewers?” “Yes, please! Everyone in the chat is dying to know!” Ethan offered a gentle, practiced smile and wrapped his arm around Chloe’s waist. “Chloe, her older sister Nora, and I… we grew up in the foster care system together,” Ethan began softly. “Actually, I’ve always loved Chloe. But I never expected Nora to confess to me first. To protect the sisters’ relationship, I had to bottle up my feelings.” “I wanted to tell Nora so many times that I didn’t love her. But during our years studying abroad, she wouldn’t let go. She kept obsessively transferring money to us, trying to use financial guilt to keep us apart.” I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from Ethan’s mouth. When Chloe graduated high school and wanted to go to a top-tier college in London, I didn’t hesitate. I told her to focus entirely on her studies, promising I would handle the money. Ethan had held my hands back then, begging me, “Nora, you know my degree won’t get me a good job here. I need to go to London with Chloe to build a better future. I’m doing this for our future family.” Since then, I had been working three regular jobs and countless side hustles, barely sleeping. I was terrified they would starve or feel less than their peers abroad. Ethan had promised he would marry me the moment he graduated. And now, all my sacrifices were reduced to “obsessive harassment” in his narrative. The live chat was absolutely ruthless. “What a toxic psychopath! She didn’t even try to improve her own life, but wanted to drag down two successful people.” “Thank God true love won in the end.” Ethan glanced at the rolling chat, a satisfied smirk flashing across his face before he turned to the crowd. “Alright, everyone. I have a special surprise for Chloe.” With a wave of his hand, the giant LED screen behind them began playing a video compilation. “Ethan Miller will definitely marry Chloe Evans one day.” In the video, a teenage Ethan wore his high school jacket, the silver necklace I had bought him with my first summer job check still hanging around his neck. The scene cut to a beaming Ethan. “We graduated! Chloe and I got into the same college program. We’re going to be together every single day!” My chest felt hollow, like my heart had been ripped out. When we were applying for colleges, my grades were good enough for a top university in a major city. But Ethan had begged me to choose a local community college to study nursing so I could get a job quickly. “You need to start earning ASAP to fund Chloe’s grad school,” he had argued. “After all, you’re her only family. Don’t worry, I’ll apply to a school in the same city as you.” But when the admission letters came, he and Chloe were accepted to a university in a completely different state. He told me it was a computer system error. The video kept playing. “Today is Chloe’s 23rd birthday. I can’t wait to give her this gift. I don’t have much money right now, so I could only get her this simple thing. But once I make it big, I’ll give her the world.” In his hand was a Chanel handbag—the exact luxury bag I had stared at through the glass display window during my shifts, never daring to touch. Her 23rd birthday was the day after tomorrow. I had just worked five grueling shifts back-to-back, sending him $5,000 to cover his “rent crisis,” only for him to spend it instantly on a “simple” designer bag for my sister. My body shook uncontrollably. Tears hot as fire rolled down my cheeks and splattered onto the back of my hand. I opened Snapchat and pulled up my chat with Ethan. “Ethan, are you really going to marry me?” After what felt like an eternity, a bubble popped up. “Don’t overthink things, babe.” Before I could type a reply, another message flashed on my screen. “When are you transferring Chloe’s allowance for this month?”
Of course. The only reason he even replied to me was because Chloe needed money. “I won’t be sending any more money for your living expenses. Ever.” After I sent that, the chat went dead silent. Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered, and the faint, whiny voice of a girl in the background grated on my nerves. I was about to hang up when Ethan’s voice came through the receiver. “You’ve been working really hard lately, haven’t you?” “Thank you for everything.” “Actually, I bought you a gift. It should be arriving today.” My hardened heart softened just a tiny bit. After hanging up, I went down to the lobby with a flicker of hope to retrieve the package. It was a cheap, poorly crocheted bag. The kind you could buy on eBay for five dollars. Holding the cheap yarn in my hands, I couldn’t even bring myself to be angry anymore. Right at this moment, he was probably using my hard-earned cash at a high-end boutique, picking out a luxury designer purse for Chloe. In the past, I would have immediately snap-chatted him a picture, telling him how much I loved it. But I was done acting. I dialed my manager’s number. “Hey, Mr. Davies. I’m accepting the transfer to the London branch. I’m ready to relocate permanently.” Within an hour, I signed the digital contract on the company portal and booked a one-way flight. Once everything was set, I couldn’t help but look back at the live stream to see how my “future” played out. The screen showed them in different outfits now. The venue had shifted to a stunning historic castle, with a massive multi-tiered cake standing in the center. “On July 5th, 2026, you finally became mine,” Ethan said into the microphone, looking passionately at Chloe. “From that very moment, I swore to myself that I would work myself to the bone to make sure you’d never suffer again.” I let out a bitter laugh. July 5th. That was my birthday. “So, I did everything I could to make money. And thank God, I can finally give you the home of your dreams.” My mind flashed back to the summer after high school graduation. I had gotten tipsy on cheap beer, crying about how exhausted I was and how much I just wanted a place to belong. Ethan had held me tight, whispering, “I’m going to build a home for us, Nora. I promise.” I had only ever seen him as a supportive friend from foster care, but from that night on, I fell hopelessly in love with him. “Ding.” A text popped up on my phone. “Nora, you really need to transfer Chloe’s allowance soon.” “I know it’s tough on you, but she’s your only sister.” “She’s literally starving here, surviving on cheap burgers because we have no cash.” The texts kept rolling in, one after another. My chest felt suffocated. They were complaining to me about being broke? When they first moved, Ethan complained that the dorms were too noisy and cramped, demanding to rent a luxury apartment off-campus. I spent my nights doing Uber Eats deliveries in torrential downpours just to pay his security deposit. Even when a car clipped my bike and left me with a hairline fracture, I didn’t complain once. When Chloe whined that walking to class made her legs hurt and begged for a Vespa, I washed dishes until my hands cracked and bled, never saying a word. I had only one thought back then: “My sister and my boyfriend love me. They are my family. I have to take care of them.” “Why aren’t you replying? Are you sick?” “Should I order some medicine to your place through DoorDash?” Ethan’s messages flooded my screen. I didn’t reply to a single one. On the live stream, the romantic speech reached its climax. “Fortunately, after Nora went completely delusional, claiming we betrayed her, she had a massive psychological breakdown and had to be committed to a mental facility.” “Even God was on our side.” Hearing those words, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest. I could barely breathe. Ethan’s messages were still flashing on my phone. I opened the chat. “Ethan, you don’t have to marry me anymore.” “And I don’t want to marry you, either.”
He didn’t reply. On the screen, the host was asking Ethan about my commitment to the mental facility. The viewers in the chat seemed thrilled to see the “villain” who tried to ruin true love finally get her karma. Ethan cleared his throat, speaking with a sigh of mock pity. “After graduation, Chloe and I tried to distance ourselves from her.” “Normally, anyone with an ounce of self-respect would have taken the hint. But instead, she kept calling, demanding to know when we were coming home.” Chloe took the microphone, putting on a victim act. “Yeah, she was shameless. She wouldn’t leave Ethan alone. We didn’t want to humiliate her publicly, so we just stopped visiting.” “But then she actually tracked us down near our campus. She started telling our classmates that she had been funding our lives for years and that we had abandoned her.” “She made us look like ungrateful monsters. For a long time, we couldn’t even hold our heads up in front of our friends.” Chloe wiped away a stray tear. Ethan wrapped an arm around her, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “She wanted to use financial leverage to make us feel guilty, but I didn’t give her the chance. I flat out told her that Chloe and I were together.” “I told her that we had already crossed that line, and we were officially a couple.” “I guess her fragile mind couldn’t take it. She just… snapped.” Someone in the crowd yelled, “She went crazy because she couldn’t have you!” Ethan remained silent, but a faint, mocking smirk played at the corner of his lips. I knew that smirk. Back in high school, when he fought off three bullies at the school gate for me, wiping blood from his lip, he had warned them: “Touch Nora again, and I’ll end you.” He had that exact same arrogant smirk on his face. But back then, I thought he was my protector. Tears were streaming down my face now. In my memory, he had always been a good guy. In foster care, when other kids tried to take our food, he would always stand in front of Chloe and me, holding his arms out. “Don’t be scared, Nora. I’ll protect you guys forever.” But now, his protection only extended to Chloe. The grand proposal live stream finally ended. I sat in the dark apartment for a long time, unable to move. The two people I loved most in the world were going to betray me, gaslight me, and drive me into an asylum. I refused to accept that ending. I spent the rest of the night packing my bags. I needed to leave for London as soon as possible. Around 3:00 AM, a frantic knocking echoed from my front door. I crept up and looked through the peephole. Ethan was standing outside, looking completely panicked. The moment I opened the door, he practically threw himself inside, wrapping his arms tightly around me. “Nora! Oh my god, I was so worried about you!” I raised my hands and pushed him away. His face froze. “What… what’s wrong?” I shook my head, keeping my voice flat. “Nothing. Why are you here?” Ethan stammered, looking uneasy. “I was so worried after your last message. I literally booked the earliest flight back.” “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Before I could even process his sudden arrival, he added, “Since you’re fine… could you please transfer Chloe’s allowance? She’s really stressed out.” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “When I got hit by a car and was hospitalized, you knew about it, but you didn’t even bother to call, let alone fly back.” “But for her…” The words choked in my throat. I swallowed down the bitterness. “Never mind.” Ethan’s brow furrowed, and he grabbed my shoulders. “Nora, I didn’t have the money for a plane ticket back then! You know that!” I didn’t answer. I turned around and walked toward my bedroom. His eyes scanned the apartment and fell on my packed suitcases. “Nora? Where are you going?” I kept my head down, wiping away my last tear. “I’m leaving. I’m getting out of your and Chloe’s way.”
Ethan stared at me in shock, then let out his signature gentle chuckle. “Silly girl, what are you talking about?” “Have you been overthinking things because we’ve been apart for too long?” Looking at him now, I finally realized what an incredible actor he was. “Chloe is just my sister-in-law, Nora. I only care about her because of you. I don’t have any feelings for her.” “Come on, stop being dramatic.” He reached out to ruffle my hair. “I’m going to run to the 7-Eleven down the street to grab some food. I’ll stay here and keep you company for a few days.” He turned and left the apartment. Like a possessed woman, I opened Instagram and searched for the account that had streamed the proposal. Their “epic love story” had already gone viral. I had been branded as the toxic, obsessed ex-girlfriend. The comments were flooded with hate directed at me. As I scrolled, one comment caught my eye: “No need to waste your energy hating her. Karma got her. Word is that Nora Evans actually passed away last night.” My heart stopped. I quickly replied with a burner account: “Do you have any details?” The user replied almost instantly. “Ethan hated her. After they put her in the psych ward, he refused to pay for her care or even visit. Her mental health deteriorated rapidly. My friend who works at the facility said she watched the proposal video, went to sleep, and never woke up. The nurses heard her crying and whispering about how unfair it all was before she passed.” Reading this, my breath hitched. Pure, icy terror gripped my throat. I forced myself to take deep breaths to stop my hands from shaking. Once I calmed down, I opened my airline app and rescheduled my flight to London for the very next morning. I had to run. I had to rewrite this ending. Just as I put my phone down, Ethan returned with a bag of snacks. He sat down next to me on the couch, and I instinctively flinched away. His eyes flashed with confusion, but he quickly opened a bag of chips. “Here, Nora. These are your favorite. I bought a bunch and put them in the pantry.” “Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay? I promise to spend more time with you from now on.” Right then, his phone vibrated. He tried to turn away, but in the quiet room, I could clearly hear Chloe’s sobbing voice from the speaker. “Ethan… I’m so scared here by myself…” Ethan stood up quickly and locked himself in the bathroom. Five minutes later, he came out with a helpless expression. “Nora, I’m so sorry. My advisor just called. There’s an emergency with my thesis, and I have to fly back immediately.” “I can’t stay with you right now.” “But I promise, I’ll make it up to you during the holidays.” In the past, I would have begged him to stay, tears streaming down my face. But now, I simply nodded. “Go ahead.” A flash of doubt crossed Ethan’s face, but he brushed it off. Before sunrise, he was ready to leave. At the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Don’t worry, Nora. I will marry you. I promise.” His eyes were slightly red. For a split second, I couldn’t tell if he was acting or if there was a shred of sincerity left in him. I just nodded to get him to leave. Before boarding my flight, I checked Instagram again and found Ethan’s personal account. Someone had left a comment on his post: “I heard Nora passed away.” His reply was a simple: “Thank you.” The plane took off, and I switched my phone to airplane mode. When we finally landed in London, I nervously turned my phone back on. I let out a massive sigh of relief. The video, the account, the comments… they were all gone. The timeline had shifted.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “436163”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster
Leave a Reply