My younger brother, Brett, always competed with me. When we were kids, he fought for our parents’ attention. When we grew up, he went after my girlfriends. But every time he tried to sneak into Serena’s bed, she’d ruthlessly kick him out. “I’m your brother’s girlfriend, no one’s taking me away.” I was 25 when I passed the police academy’s final assessment. Brett brought over a cake, his eyes, usually filled with a defiant glint, surprisingly subdued. Serena held a bouquet of flowers, and the engagement ring she raised glinted in the warm light. In that moment, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Until my first mission. I kicked open a hotel room door, And there I saw my brother, Brett, pinning Serena beneath him, engulfed in a moment of raw passion. Serena’s white shirt was a rumpled mess. Her collar gaped open, fresh hickeys blooming on her collarbone. My own brother, Brett, held her down, his movements clumsy yet audacious. In that instant, my world imploded around me. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, the pain stealing my breath. Brett finally looked up, his face flushed with a drunken, lustful haze. When he saw me, he deliberately shifted, a smug, triumphant grin playing on his lips. “Took you long enough, big brother. A little later, and you would’ve missed the show.” Serena never once looked at me. She just pulled her blazer tighter around Brett. It was my birthday gift to her last month, bought with half a year’s salary. I forced myself to look away, speaking to my colleague behind me. “Take them in.” The ride back to the precinct was filled with a chilling silence. I sat in the passenger seat, feeling the gazes from the back seat. A cocktail of pity, shock, and barely contained gossip. I was a walking punchline. A colossal joke, betrayed by my own brother and my fiancée. At the precinct, I was assigned to record the interrogation. Behind the one-way mirror, I watched Brett in the interrogation room. There wasn’t a trace of shame or remorse on his face. “Officer, I’m not a hooker. We’re in love. I love her, she loves me, we’ve been together for a long time.” His voice came through clear as day, every word a razor-sharp blade, shredding my heart to pieces. “I know every mole on Serena’s body.” “I told you, I’d take everything from Ryan. First, it was Mom and Dad’s love. Now, it’s Serena.” The documents in my numb fingers slipped, scattering across the floor. My vision blurred, my stomach churning violently. A colleague grabbed my trembling body. “Ryan, you okay? Maybe take a break?” Through my hazy vision, I saw Serena emerge from another interrogation room. She walked straight past me, her voice chillingly clear. “Brett is still young, he doesn’t know any better.” “I’ll take full responsibility for everything.” The way her eyes lingered on Brett showed a mix of panic and tenderness I hadn’t seen in ages. Captain Miller told me to go home and rest. I don’t know how I got back to my apartment. In the empty living room, I frantically dialed Serena’s number like a madman. Dozens of calls. From no answer to outright hanging up. Finally, my phone screen lit up, but it wasn’t her calling back. I shakily opened the email. It was an official termination letter from the precinct. The reason: Misconduct during an arrest, causing significant harm to the individual involved.
Attached was a formal complaint, signed by Serena herself. I collapsed onto the cold floor, my gaze empty, fixed on the dining table. On it sat an unopened cake. Serena had prepared it in advance to celebrate my first successful mission. I suddenly remembered years ago, when I got into the police academy and excitedly told her the news. She hugged me tightly, her eyes sparkling brighter than any star in the night sky. “Ryan, I’m so proud of you.” It was all a lie, then. All those memories I’d cherished as priceless were nothing but her empty charade. I shakily answered the phone. On the other end, Serena’s voice was back to its usual tenderness, now making me sick to my stomach. “Ryan, let me explain. I really had too much to drink…” I cut her off, my voice a raw croak: “Serena, do you honestly think I’d believe that?” She paused, then her tone shifted, filled with a weary understanding, almost patronizing. “Ryan, what happened today was really messy, and it’s bad for your career.” “I’ve already arranged a new job for you. It’s easier than being a cop, and the pay is higher. You…” I let out a choked laugh, tears streaming down my face. “Serena, who are you to decide my life for me!” The next second, Brett’s message popped up. The photo showed him wrapped in Serena’s favorite bathrobe. The collar was wide open, revealing mottled hickeys on his collarbone. The background was the marital home Serena and I had decorated with our own hands. That soft, white king-sized bed we’d picked out together. But Serena had told me the house was still airing out and uninhabitable. Below the photo, a caption: [Big brother, the bed you picked out is so comfortable. Your taste in women isn’t bad either.] A furious rush of blood surged to my head. I grabbed my car keys and stormed out. Soon, I stood at the villa’s front door. I entered the code Serena and I had chosen, but it kept flashing “incorrect.” I had to go around to the backyard, scramble up the wall, and climb onto the balcony. Voices drifted from the living room. I lightened my steps, moving closer, one foot after another. In the dining room, Serena was gently feeding Brett porridge, spoonful by spoonful. Her movements were soft, intimate, a tenderness I’d never experienced myself. “I don’t like these curtains. Too plain. Change them.” Brett pointed to the galaxy-themed curtains I’d personally chosen, his tone demanding. Serena playfully tapped his nose, a doting smile on her face: “Okay, we’ll change them.” “Whatever Brett likes, we’ll get.” After giving his instructions, Brett pouted, asking impatiently. “Serena, just don’t marry him…” Serena put down the bowl and kissed Brett’s forehead. “Silly boy, marrying him is a necessity.” “I need a husband with a clean, respectable record, and someone who’d listen to her.” Each of her words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. “But don’t worry, you’ll always be the man of this house.” “My true love is only you.” My nails dug into my palms, but the physical pain was a mere fraction of the agony in my heart. Brett still wasn’t happy and turned his head away. Serena chuckled softly, then started kissing his neck. Her hand, growing bolder, slipped beneath his shirt. “Serena…” Brett feigned reluctance, then suddenly pushed Serena down onto the sofa. Soon, they were entwined, right there on the couch. I stood in the shadows, watching that scene, Trembling, frozen to my core. It wasn’t until the cold wind had completely chilled me that I returned the way I came, through the window. Back in my car, I pulled out my phone and shakily opened a webpage. [Special Talent Recruitment Program – Border Patrol] Selected candidates would serve on the border, with restricted communication, for ten years. I calmly filled out all the information and clicked submit. Consider these past seven years of my life, a complete waste.
Consider my entire twenty-something years of life, nothing but a cruel joke. From now on, Ryan was dead. The next day, the heavens opened, unleashing a torrential downpour. I stood before my parents’ gravestone, letting the icy rain drench me to the bone. My mind, against my will, flashed back to a series of images. Sweet memories of Serena and me, meeting and falling in love. And many years ago, me clutching my parents’ legs, Crying and begging them not to take my brother to the city with them. I’d rather go with them myself and work multiple jobs, just so he could stay in our hometown and focus on his studies. But the brother I’d protected with all my might had stabbed me in the back with the most brutal betrayal. The woman I’d loved for seven years had systematically dismantled my entire life. I closed my eyes, the pain in my chest had become a dull, persistent ache, almost numb. My phone stubbornly rang in the rain. “Ryan, that person has deep connections. Don’t go head-to-head with them. You’ll only end up hurting yourself.” I wiped the rain from my face, trying to make my voice sound normal. “Captain Miller, thank you.” “I’ve made up my mind. This profession isn’t for me. I’ve found a new direction in life.” I hung up and looked up at the gray, overcast sky. Rain mingled with my tears, streaming down my face. Suddenly, a black umbrella appeared over my head. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. That cool, subtle fragrance I once adored now just made my stomach churn. Serena’s voice, as gentle as ever, came from behind me. “You’ll get sick standing in the rain.” I didn’t move, didn’t speak. “Ryan, don’t be stubborn with me.” She slipped an offer letter into my hand. “I’ve arranged a new job for you. An executive position at a prestigious company, with a relaxed schedule and a generous six-figure salary. It’s much better than being a cop.” “I don’t need it.” I said coldly. She destroyed my dream, then tried to dismiss and insult me with money. Serena’s tone remained patient, almost patronizing, like she was trying to soothe a child: “Ryan, I know you feel wronged. But everything I did was for your own good. I couldn’t stand by and watch you take risks. I promised your late parents I’d look after you. From now on, you don’t have to always try to be the strong one alone.” “For my own good?” I finally couldn’t hold back. I looked up at her and suddenly laughed. My laugh sounded hollow and desolate in the rain. Serena’s brows furrowed. “Don’t throw a tantrum, Ryan.” “I know it’s hard for you to accept right now, but once you calm down, you’ll understand my good intentions.” “Our years of history together…” I scoffed. She was so sure I loved her so deeply, that I couldn’t live without her. She was so sure I’d eventually become like a docile pet, accepting all her arrangements. I looked at her face, and my hatred and fury reached a boiling point. Right in front of her, I tore the offer letter page by page into tiny pieces. I flung them hard into her face. “Serena! Who are you to decide my life!” “I never want to see you again!” The paper scraps fluttered and stuck to her wet face, making her look utterly wretched. I expected her to be angry, to explode. But she wasn’t. She just looked at me, her voice still calm. “Ryan, I’ll wait for you to calm down.” I didn’t want to argue with her anymore and turned to leave. But the intense emotional turmoil and days of mental exhaustion had already taken their toll on my body. My vision suddenly went black. All my strength drained away, and I collapsed. In the last second before consciousness vanished, I thought I saw a flicker of panic cross Serena’s usually composed face. Perhaps it was just my imagination. When I woke up, Serena was by my bedside, her face drawn and pale. Seeing me awake, she immediately clutched my hand, her eyes filled with remorse.
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