I Came Back, and I Quit

Chapter 3

Adrian stopped pushing, but Vanessa didn't leave. She sat in the lounge area with her arms folded, clearly waiting for me to give in.

Ever since we were children, that expression had been enough to make the family tell me to let her have her way.

When she wanted my piano, my mother told me to give it to her. When she damaged my college acceptance letter, my father told me to let it go. When she put her name on a proposal I'd worked so hard on, my department manager reminded me that she was my cousin, after all.

I'd actually believed them. We were family. There was no need to keep score.

Then I'd died in the Whitmores' basement storage room. Adrian had locked me in there that day and ordered me to kneel in front of Vanessa's photograph and reflect on what I'd done. I'd had gastric bleeding and begged him to take me to the hospital.

He'd answered through the door.

"You're so good at calculating. You should be able to calculate whether you'll last."

I hadn't lasted.

My fingers paused over the keyboard at the memory.

Vanessa finally lost patience.

"Claire, are you doing this on purpose? You know I need your help with the Whitmores. Haven't you always said that all you want is for me to be happy?"

I looked up.

"Wanting you to be happy and working myself to death for you are two different things."

She sprang to her feet.

"How can you talk to me like that?"

"I'm speaking perfectly normally."

"You never used to be like this!"

"You're not who you used to be, either."

Vanessa froze. I stood up and slid the gift list back across the table toward her.

"What you bring, what you say, even how you carry yourself—that's your call. The Whitmores want a wife for Adrian, not some puppet who needs everyone else telling her what to say and do."

Her face flushed scarlet. Adrian stood a short distance away, his expression unreadable. Vanessa snatched up the gift list and stormed into his office.

Before the door closed, I heard her cry out in a tearful voice.

"Adrian, she thinks she's better than me!"

I lowered my head and went back to work. After 5 minutes, Adrian sent me a message.

Adrian: Stay after work.

I sent a brief reply.

Claire: I won't.