I was Bob Packer’s adopted sister. He took pity on my tragic past. For thirteen years, I had been treated like a delicate treasure, nurtured in his immense care. When I turned eighteen, I gathered the courage to confess my feelings to him. However, he distanced himself from me and ignored me for two years. Later, he chose to get engaged to his childhood sweetheart. As for me, I decided to give up and no longer entertain the unfounded hopes. I agreed to a marriage alliance with a young heir from a wealthy family. “Let’s get married,” I said. ***** When my family learned that I had agreed to the marriage alliance with the Hooper family, everyone was shocked. Bob’s mother, Roselyn, gently took my hand, looking at me with a mix of concern and hesitation. “Irene, are you sure about this? Marriage is no joke,” she asked. I smiled faintly, “Roselyn, I’ve thought about it carefully.” “But…” Roselyn furrowed her brows, unsure of what to say. After a brief silence, she sighed, “I suppose… you’ve grown up and have your own mind now. Just don’t let yourself suffer. “While this marriage is beneficial for our family business, we shouldn’t sacrifice your happiness just for profit.” Her words warmed my heart. “Roselyn, I understand. But…” I paused for a moment before continuing, “Could you please not tell Bob about this yet?” Roselyn seemed to understand, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she nodded. With that, she didn’t say anything further. I silently returned to my room, and soon, my best friend Doris called. “No way, Irene! Are you serious?” Doris sounded shocked, but I felt oddly calm. “I’m serious,” I replied. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Doris cautiously asked, “Is this because of Bob? Are you giving up because of him? But even if you’re acting out of spite, you don’t have to throw yourself into this, right?” I bit my lip and fell silent. Maybe it was out of spite, but I didn’t want to wait anymore. He had made it clear he didn’t want to give me a chance… Thirteen years ago, my parents died in an accident, leaving me an orphan. My relatives all rejected me, unwilling to take the burden of raising me. “I have two sons. I simply can’t manage another,” one said. “My family’s situation is difficult,” said another. “Let’s send her to the orphanage,” suggested another. I sat silently in a corner, clutching a family photo tightly in my arms, feeling lost and helpless. Then, a bright voice cut through the chaos. “Irene, come home with me.” I looked up to see a tall, young figure reaching out to hold my hand with a big smile. And at that moment, I had a home again. From then on, I became the adopted daughter of the Packer family and Bob’s younger sister. Although he was only two years older than me and we hadn’t known each other long before, Bob treated me with incredible care, pampering me for thirteen years. He remembered every little thing I liked, took care to help me integrate into the family, and protected me whenever I was wronged. He would always say to me, “No matter what, Irene, don’t be afraid. The Packer family is always behind you, and I’ll protect you forever.” Every word Bob spoke was etched deeply into my heart. I began to realize that my feelings for him went beyond familial affection. I loved him. I wanted to be the one who stayed by his side forever. When I turned eighteen, I lost my composure after seeing him accept another girl’s love letter. I tore it up in a fit of rage and confessed my feelings to him. “Bob, I don’t want to just be your adopted sister. I’m into you!” Our parents had been close friends when my parents were still alive. If Bob and I were together, his parents would not object. But from that point on, Bob became increasingly distant, avoiding me more and more. I didn’t want to give up. I believed that his care for me must have been love, and that he just needed more time. I was willing to wait. But day after day, my persistence became a joke. I would often hear whispers around me. “The Packer family only took her in because she was pitiful. How could she really think she matters?” “There are so many men in the world. Why does she have to fall for her own brother? Isn’t it awkward?” I waited and waited, but never once did Bob say “I’m into you too”. The boy who once loved to tease me never smiled at me again. Eventually, Roselyn, seeing how much I was suffering, kindly advised me. “Bob had a cousin he loved very much when he was young, but she passed away when he was five. “When we decided to adopt you, he was very happy and sympathetic to your situation. He promised he would take good care of you. “Feelings can’t be forced. Don’t be too persistent.” At that moment, I finally understood. Bob was kind to everyone, and his affection for me was no exception. That day, Bob publicly announced that he had decided to get engaged to Daisy Glisson, his childhood sweetheart who had once written him a love letter. Afterward, I replied to Jonathan, “I agree to the marriage.”
When Jonathan first approached me, I didn’t understand. As far as I knew, the Hooper family and the Packer family rarely had any interaction. I knew very little about either the Hooper family or Jonathan. I had only heard rumors, mainly about the Hooper family being internally complicated and full of disputes. After Jonathan’s father passed away unexpectedly, the rest of the Hooper family members became fiercely competitive over control of Hooper Group. As the sole heir of the Hooper family, Jonathan was trapped in a precarious position, facing immense pressure. After much consideration, Jonathan approached me. He knew that the Packer family treated me like their own daughter and was aware of the challenges the family was facing. Unlike others who were driven by ulterior motives, Jonathan trusted the Packer family’s integrity. So, he proposed a marriage alliance to secure his position at the Hooper Group, while offering to form a lifelong partnership with Packer Group, ensuring they would never face any worries. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement—after a year, we would part ways, with no further obligations. Once we finalized the marriage agreement, I left. When I returned home, the house was filled with laughter and joy. It turned out that Bob had brought Daisy along. She was sitting next to Roselyn, seemingly saying something that made Roselyn laugh heartily. The atmosphere was harmonious, as if they were a real family. “Irene, you’re back! Come on, dinner is ready,” Roselyn called out cheerfully, waving at me. I forced a faint smile and said, “Roselyn, I’ve already had dinner.” I was about to head upstairs, but Bob grabbed my arm, his tone brooking no refusal. “Sit down and eat with us.” I pulled my arm free but reluctantly stayed. I deliberately moved to sit beside Roselyn, making sure to keep my distance from Bob. I ate in silence, my thoughts distant. Suddenly, I found a piece of fish placed in my bowl. I looked up and met Bob’s deep gaze. “Why have you been going out so much these past few days? Is something going on?” he asked. My voice was calm. “Nothing’s wrong.” Daisy raised an eyebrow and teased, “Irene’s already twenty, Bob. Why do you control everything she does?” Bob’s gaze darkened, his emotions unreadable. “Don’t mess around with those guys you don’t know much,” he warned. My heart jolted, and I quickly avoided his gaze. “I see. You don’t need to worry about me.” The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Daisy pursed her lips, glancing between Bob and me. After a while, she gently tugged at Bob’s sleeve and spoke in a soft voice, “How about we go to the beach tomorrow? Bring Irene along, the more the merrier.” Bob frowned slightly. Daisy continued, “You said Irene loves the sea, right? It’ll be a good chance for me to bond with her.” Then she turned to me and asked, “What do you think, Irene?” My heart sank, and I instinctively wanted to refuse. But before I could speak, Bob spoke first, “Okay, let’s go together.” With everyone’s eyes on me, I couldn’t refuse Daisy’s request, so I stayed silent. The meal felt tasteless. The next day, we went to the beach. I sat quietly on a rock, watching Bob and Daisy walk along the shore, holding hands, looking like the perfect couple. It was such a harmonious scene. At that moment, a picture of the past surged in my mind. It was when Bob and I dropped the drift bottles into the sea to make our wishes. Each time, I would make the same wish that I could stay with Bob forever. But the reality was cruel. Suddenly, a desperate cry rang out. “Help! Mommy…” I looked around and saw a young girl not far from me, frantically trying to stay afloat in the waves. The people around her were helpless, and it seemed like the girl was about to be swallowed by the sea. Without thinking, I grabbed a lifebuoy and jumped into the water. But the rising tide made the waves fierce, crashing into me one after another. Though I was a good swimmer, I still swallowed several mouthfuls of seawater. Suddenly, I felt a warm grip on my wrist. I looked back to see Bob, his arms around me as he pulled me into his embrace. After a short struggle, the three of us emerged from the water, shaken but safe. I curled up, shivering uncontrollably. As I looked at Bob, drenched and looking like a drowned rat, a complex mix of emotions surged within me. I bit my lip, about to speak, but before I could, Bob scowled and snapped, “Are you stupid? What’s the point of showing off like that? Or do you think I’ll always be there to save you?”
I stood there frozen, my heart tightening as if I suddenly realized something. The words in my throat were swallowed back. Bob was right—he now had Daisy. He could no longer be by my side all the time. He was no longer the hero who belonged only to me. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the bitterness inside me. After a long pause, I finally spoke in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry…” I shouldn’t have caused him trouble. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of his affection. I should have recognized my place long ago. That night, I developed a fever, but I couldn’t fall asleep. The door was suddenly knocked on. I wrapped myself in a blanket and said, “Come in.” The next moment, Bob’s cold expression appeared at the door. He handed me some cold medicine. “Are you still feeling bad? Do you want to go to the hospital?” he asked. I was momentarily taken aback, and I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.” As I took the medicine from him, my eyes accidentally landed on the ring on his ring finger. It must have been his engagement ring with Daisy. The handmade bracelet I once gave him was gone. The one I had made for him, with a strand of my hair inside, meant to wish him safety. I bitterly smiled to myself. He must have thrown it away, not wanting Daisy to misunderstand. Bob seemed to notice my gaze and quickly withdrew his hand. I kept my expression neutral and casually asked, “Has the wedding date been set?” Bob’s eyes narrowed, and after a brief silence, he replied, “Next month, once I return from my business trip.” A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but I remained silent. I nodded and said flatly, “I see. Congratulations.” Bob looked at me deeply, his eyes like cold stars in the night. He nodded slightly and said, “Good night.” Then, he turned and left. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh and whispered to myself, “Bob, I’ve let go. I don’t love you anymore.” Jonathan arrived as planned to discuss the marriage arrangement. Bob’s parents were initially hesitant, but after asking a few times and seeing I had no objections, they didn’t say anything more. My only request was that the wedding be held as soon as possible. Bob’s parents understood and said everything would be up to me. But to my surprise, the week before the wedding, Bob returned beforehand. I went to a banquet that day, and to my surprise, I ran into Daisy again. Instinctively, I wanted to avoid her, but she greeted me warmly. All her words were about Bob, and she even made a point of showing me the necklace Bob had given her. It was one of only two Sapphire Tear necklaces in the world. I kept my composure and said blandly, “It suits you.” Daisy smiled, her eyes gleaming with a barely concealed sense of pride. I didn’t have any emotions at all. Since she wanted to show off, I’d play along. However, not long after, Daisy came over with a group of her friends. Bob was even in the crowd. “Irene, did you steal Daisy’s necklace?” one of the women sneered down at me, her voice full of accusation. I was taken aback. I retorted, “You can just slander others like this without evidence? I’m not that idle.” “How can we believe you? Let us search you!” The woman persisted, clearly convinced it was me. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine, go ahead. Search me.” I spread my arms, too tired to argue. Moments later, the woman triumphantly pulled the necklace out of my coat pocket. “Gotcha! Caught red-handed! What do you have to say now?” I was shocked. Looking at the woman’s smug expression, I understood this was all a setup, an act they had staged. The crowd around us murmured in disbelief. Bob’s face darkened as he approached me. “We don’t give you enough pocket money, huh? You even stole things from others?” I was stunned. “You don’t believe me? Can’t you see they’re framing me?” Bob’s face remained emotionless as he said, “Apologize to Daisy!” I stared at him, my nose stinging with unshed tears. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” I shouted. The atmosphere grew tense, thick with unresolved emotions. Seeing this, Daisy quickly stepped in to mediate. “Forget it, Bob. Maybe Irene didn’t mean to.” Bob said nothing but gritted his teeth and repeated, “Apologize!” My heart twisted painfully, and I suppressed the feelings of injustice rising inside me. Without saying another word, I turned and left. Returning home, I packed my bags and left a note for Bob’s parents. I left the home I had lived in for thirteen years. But from now on, it would no longer be my shelter.
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