I’m Chloe Quinn, the orphan adopted by the Foster family and Luke Foster’s sister. He cherished me dearly. For five years after my parents passed away in a car accident, he spoiled me like a precious princess. Yet, after I confessed my feelings for him, he ignored me for three whole years. On the day he went to propose to someone else, I also accepted another’s proposal. “I’ll marry him,” I said. After I agreed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Grandma Foster smiled, “Good girl, you can prepare for the wedding this month.” She and other relatives happily discussed the wedding plans as they walked out with light steps. I sat by the window, staring blankly at the scenery outside. Sophia stood aside with red-rimmed eyes, “I’ll try to persuade Luke again. Maybe there’s still a chance things could change.” I looked at her teary eyes and chuckled lightly, “Isn’t marriage supposed to be a happy event? Look how thrilled they all are.” My agreement to marry probably relieved Luke the most. Silly Sophia still didn’t understand. “But Luke used to care for you the most,” she said with a voice on the verge of tears, pulling my thoughts back to years ago. That year, when my parents died in a car accident, relatives like wolves divided up my family’s assets, leaving only my fate undecided. “Who wants this little girl?” “I can’t afford to raise her.” “We can’t either.” They pushed the responsibility around. I huddled in a corner, shivering. A tall teenage boy appeared like a divine figure, shielding me, “I’ll take her!” He brought me home. From then on, I became the Foster family’s adopted daughter and Luke’s sister. Though he seemed cold, he was attentive enough to notice my fear of the dark and stayed up all night telling me stories. Even when he worked outside, he never forgot to search for interesting gifts for me. He took my childish words seriously. He said, “If Chloe doesn’t want to get married, the Foster house will always be your home. I’ll protect you forever.” He spoiled me to the bone, letting me grow up safely, becoming the most precious princess in our social circle. I took his vow as truth. Unnoticed feelings gradually sprouted. I also naturally felt that Luke would be mine forever. So on that Valentine’s Day, when he handed the bouquet he won to another girl, I unhesitatingly smashed the flowers and declared my feelings in front of everyone. “Luke, I don’t just see you as a brother. I like you.” I was adopted by the Foster family anyway, and Luke and I grew up together like childhood sweethearts. If it worked out, it would be a good match. But Luke avoided me like the plague ever since. I still didn’t want to give up. I thought he loved me but just wouldn’t admit it. If he didn’t love me, why was he so attentive to me? If he didn’t love me, why would he get jealous whenever he saw me interacting with other guys? I even went to his company. But day after day, year after year. This infatuation eventually became a joke. People no longer said, “This could be a good match.” Instead, they said, “That adopted daughter of the Fosters is really shameless, pestering Luke every day.” I waited and waited, but Luke never said he liked me. I only waited for dark nights with no one to keep me company. In the gift boxes, presents gradually gathered dust. The once earnest boy who told me stories had grown into a cold, emotionless man. I stubbornly refused to marry anyone else, gradually passing the suitable age for marriage. Grandma Foster finally revealed the truth, “Years ago, when he took his little sister out to play, she got lost, and he felt extremely guilty.” “Later, when he saved you, he treated you like his own sister.” “Luke only has sibling affection for you. You’re getting older now, you should wake up.” I finally realized the truth. It turned out that this doting love was just borrowed from someone else. That day, Luke went to visit the Sanders family. To discuss marriage, the target being Rachel Sanders, the girl whose flowers I had smashed. That day, I also agreed to Grandma Foster’s suggestion, “If someone is willing to marry me, I’ll do it.”
At dawn, I left the house with money. I had made an agreement with a friend. His mother needed treatment, and his brother needed to go to school. As long as he fake-married me, I would give him half of my money. I had once rashly thought about just leaving everything behind. But after calming down, I immediately rejected this idea. No matter what, the Foster family had raised me, and they hadn’t wronged me in any way. After confirming the details with my friend, I left the money and departed. When I returned to the Foster house, it was bustling with activity. It turned out Rachel Sanders had come to visit. At the dining table, she sat between Luke and Grandma Foster, chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious atmosphere. They looked so much like a family. I wanted to make an excuse that I had already eaten and leave. But Luke’s voice left no room for refusal, “Sit down and eat.” I had to sit down reluctantly, but I wisely chose to sit next to Grandma Foster, keeping the farthest distance from Luke. I remained silent, focusing on my food. Suddenly, an extra piece of food appeared in my bowl. This gesture startled me. Luke quickly withdrew his chopsticks, as if trying to hide something, and said in a serious tone, “You haven’t been to class for half a month.” I was surprised he had noticed, considering he had been avoiding me for months. I gave a light “Mm,” since I had decided to get married and leave, there was no need to go anymore. The young man raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone cold, “You should still go. Learning more will help you understand things better.” I was taken aback. In the past, he would always smile and pat my head, saying, “Chloe is the most sensible.” Rachel joked, “If she doesn’t like studying, don’t force her.” She tugged at Luke’s sleeve intimately, “It’s Valentine’s Day. Why don’t we take your sister out with us later?” Luke’s brows furrowed slightly. Rachel was magnanimous, “A girl her age would love such excitement.” She looked at me, “You’ll come, right, sister?”
This was a gesture of goodwill from my future sister-in-law, I couldn’t refuse. I nodded. Throughout the meal, I listened to Rachel talking about where they would go later, with Luke quietly agreeing. The atmosphere was harmonious. The food in my mouth tasted like sawdust, but I forced myself to swallow it, maintaining a calm appearance. On Valentine’s Day, the city was truly lively. Flower stalls were everywhere, and malls had various activities. Shouts, laughter, and conversations rose and fell all around. I followed behind the two of them. Watching Luke buy a necklace for her. Watching Luke participate in an activity, win a grand prize, and give it to Rachel, surrounded by envious voices. Rachel turned back and said considerately, “Why don’t we give this prize to your sister? I remember she likes this the most.” With one sentence, she brought back memories of when I childishly tore apart the bouquet years ago. Luke’s sharp eyes swept over me, his expression indifferent, “This is my gift to you.” Rachel glanced at me, her eyes curved in a smile, “Your sister isn’t an outsider. As her future sister-in-law, I should take care of her more.” She put the prize in my hands, her tone gentle, “Luke had a diamond necklace custom-made for me, unbreakable. This ordinary prize, let’s give it to you.” She touched the exquisite necklace on her neck and stepped back, linking her arm with Luke’s again. Behind them, I was swallowed by the passing crowd, stumbling. A motorcycle sped by, grazing me and knocking me down. A sharp pain shot through my leg. There was a commotion around me, but I keenly heard Rachel’s clear voice in the distance. “Didn’t you say you’d take me to a nice place to see the night view?” A group of people surrounded me, but through the gaps in the crowd, I met his starry eyes. He looked at me for a moment, then was pulled away by someone beside him, withdrawing his gaze. I was still in a daze. “Are you alright?” With the help of those around me, I stood up, limping. I thanked the kind lady, “It’s fine.” But my thoughts had already drifted far away. He had told Rachel about that place too? When I first discovered how beautiful the view was from the hilltop, I immediately dragged Luke there. “This is my secret spot, we can’t tell anyone else.” I put my finger to my lips, winking playfully at the young man. The corner of his mouth turned up imperceptibly, “Alright.” In the darkness, his gaze burned like flames, particularly warm. We admired the night view together, made wishes devoutly, and watched the stars twinkle. Every year, my wish was to be with Luke. It turns out, wishing upon stars doesn’t work after all.
I limped home with difficulty. Sophia tenderly applied medicine for me. The next day, Rachel heard I was injured and came to see me. Luke waited outside to avoid suspicion. I only saw half of his sharp profile, softened by the morning light. Rachel fussed over me and had someone bring some things. I let Sophia receive them, intending to make some excuses to send them off, but Rachel suddenly sat down and started talking about the beautiful night view from the hilltop last night. She spoke of Luke’s gentleness and the beauty of the night scenery. “Is that so?” “That’s nice.” “Sounds good.” As I listened, I maintained a calm expression, responding with these three phrases. It was as if all the past rumors didn’t exist. I was just a sister sincerely wishing her brother well. Finally, she stood up and looked around my room. Her gaze was deep, “This room is nice.” The room itself was spacious and had been decorated particularly cozily. With the small ornaments Luke had collected over the years, it looked quite stylish. I thought, soon I would be leaving, and these things should be returned. Sophia helped me up to see Rachel out. She stood beside Luke, looking particularly petite next to him. “Is your leg better?” he asked, his expression cool. I nodded, but noticed the watch he usually wore on his wrist was gone, replaced by a couple’s matching watch. Correspondingly, Rachel was wearing the other one. The original watch was a birthday gift I had given him. Thinking about it now, that watch was too ordinary and didn’t suit him. I no longer felt the anger of the past, but asked calmly. “Have you set a wedding date?” Luke was silent for a moment before speaking, “After I return in a month.” He had been assigned to a business trip by the company. “Congratulations.” A thousand words crossed my mind, but in the end, they all faded into silence. I opened my mouth to congratulate them. His gaze was like stars sinking into a cold night, looking at me deeply for a moment before nodding. Finally, I watched their silhouettes walking away side by side. And sincerely said, “They really are a good match.”
It was just letting go of a dream that didn’t belong to me. My friend came as promised. Grandma Foster was still hesitant about this poor office worker, but seeing that I didn’t object, she tacitly agreed. I had no other requests, except one: to get married before Luke returned. Grandma Foster understood and didn’t want to make a fuss, keeping everything simple. But three days before the set wedding date. Luke came back early. Grandma Foster was clearly a bit flustered. I hadn’t expected it either. When I returned, what greeted my eyes was a room in complete disarray. Messy clothes, fallen bookshelves, broken vases. My clothes were carelessly thrown on the floor, covered in dust. After such a disturbance, it looked nothing like the room of someone about to get married. Among them, several servants were bossing others around, “Search carefully, it could be anywhere.” Sophia was angry, “What are you doing!” The servant wasn’t afraid of Sophia at all, “Miss Sanders’ necklace is missing. We’re following Mr. Foster’s orders to search for it.” My expression darkened slightly, “I didn’t take any necklace.” The servant was about to say something disdainfully. Two figures stepped in from the courtyard gate. Rachel’s eyes were red, “Sister, if you like it, I can have another one made just like it. That one was Luke’s token of love for me, I can’t give it to you.” Luke was in a suit, his face slightly dark, “Chloe, hand it over.” “I thought you had grown up, but I didn’t expect you to still bully Rachel after I left.” I took a deep breath and looked at his distrustful eyes, “I never took any necklace.” “You said to let go, so I did.” “I haven’t interfered with your marriage either.” “Why won’t you let me have peace?” Suddenly, a servant laughed mockingly, “If you’ve really let go, why is there still a wedding dress in your room!” A white wedding dress was pulled out and thrown in front of everyone. Whispers immediately spread around, “How shameless, did she still want to replace the bride?” Luke’s expression was calm, but I was particularly familiar with the disappointment in his eyes. “Still so obsessed.” He turned his head, “I’ll have a new necklace made for you.” Rachel’s eyes gleamed with hidden joy as she nodded. A sense of weariness suddenly rose in my heart. He was experienced in business, smart and wise. How could he not see through this clumsy trick? He just didn’t want to believe me anymore. As they were leaving, Rachel whispered in my ear. “Years ago, you smashed my bouquet.” “Now, this is my payback to you.” The crowd left in a noisy mess. Leaving behind only chaos. Sophia, seeing familiar things scattered in pieces, began tidying up with teary eyes. I stepped over broken vase shards, over scattered books, picked up the wedding dress despised by everyone, and dusted it off. Sophia came over, “This is…” The room was in such a state, it would be hard to restore in a short time. I lowered my eyes, “Tell Grandma I’ll leave from a hotel for the wedding.” I took the dowry left by my parents and left this home of ten years. Wishes made in youth finally became empty words.
My wedding was a quiet affair. My friend, Peter Chen, was a college classmate who unfortunately couldn’t continue his studies due to poverty. In this small apartment, we lived in separate rooms, agreeing that I would leave after his mother recovered from her illness. By then, we would part ways, and no one would know my background. These days, the most sensational news in the city was about the wedding of Mr. Foster and Miss Sanders in a week. It was said that Mr. Foster had returned several days early for this. Walking on the street, I overheard gossip. “With such a big event, hasn’t that person caused any trouble?” “Who knows, maybe she’s accepted her fate.” “It’s a pity, Mr. Foster used to bring that person here to volunteer often. Who would have thought…” Hearing the sighs, I was about to hurry away when I accidentally bumped into a child. Before I could apologize, the child exclaimed happily, “Big sister!” This reaction made me instinctively cover my face. The child understood and tugged at my sleeve, “Come with me.” After winding through several small alleys, we arrived at a somewhat dilapidated orphanage. Several children were still living there. Seeing me arrive, they all came to greet me. “Big sister.” In my younger years, Luke and I had helped these orphaned children and promised to visit them from time to time. Seeing them so lively now, I felt some comfort. Walking into the courtyard, I saw the osmanthus tree in the center was blooming. I sighed, “I didn’t expect this tree to still be alive.” The promised meeting day had passed by two months. The children chattered around me. “Yes, you and big brother haven’t come for these past few months, but we’ve been taking good care of it…” Mentioning Luke, the boy’s voice suddenly lowered, glancing at me carefully. Clearly, he had also heard the news of Luke’s impending marriage. Seeing their awkward expressions, not knowing how to comfort them, I burst out laughing, “It’s okay, I’m married too.” “Luke is still good, but from now on, he’s just my brother.” As soon as I finished speaking. The wooden door creaked open. I turned my head. Luke stood there in casual clothes, looking like a jade tree in the wind, standing between light and shadow. While I was stunned, a child beside me exclaimed happily, “Big brother!” “Why are you here?” A child scratched his head shyly, “I brought big brother here. Didn’t he and big sister promise to visit us together? Today I saw only big sister alone, and I happened to meet big brother on the street, so…” A group of children gathered around him, unable to resist asking. “Big brother, are you really getting married?” “What about big sister?” I felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly interrupted, “We’re already married to different people, we have nothing to do with each other now.” Luke looked at me, his dark eyes seeming to want to say something. But he said nothing. We carried on as usual. Cleaned up the yard. Replenished what the children needed. When saying goodbye to the children, Luke and I walked out of the yard side by side. The sunlight fell on our shoulders, giving me a sense of déjà vu of returning to the past. Luke spoke softly, “You didn’t need to lie to them about being married.”
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