Love Faded After My Sister’s Death

Soft sobs filled the hall as a white cloth draped over Layla's body, intensifying the sorrow in the air. In the center, her photo was displayed. She had always preferred colorful photos, not this dull, lifeless version. "Layla was always so well-behaved. How could this happen..." "She was so pitiful..." "I heard she was burned beyond recognition when they found her." Their voices weren't soft, and the words reached my ears clearly. I knew what they were doing—just trying to gauge my reaction, curious to see how much of a blow I had taken from losing my closest family member. It felt like they were watching a tragedy unfold, waiting for the drama to play out. The words pierced through me like a knife. The image of Layla's death replayed vividly in my mind, too clear to escape, even when I closed my eyes. Meanwhile, Jack knelt beside me, his eyes cold, showing no hint of sorrow. It was true. Even as husband and wife, he had never cared for me, let alone Layla. I overheard more murmurs from behind. "But Jack's a firefighter, right? It must have been hard for him not to save Layla," someone sighed. Another voice quickly countered, "Hard? I heard Jack was carrying a woman out of the fire, and she looked like Layla's homeroom teacher." "Harper Reed?" "Harper?! You've never heard of her?" "Back then, Jack and Harper were the couple everyone envied. They were perfect for each other." "Yeah, but Amelia really messed things up. If she hadn't pushed so hard, trying to get Jack's attention by using all sorts of tricks and even trying to tie him down with her family's connections, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Reed would've been together by now." Tears slipped down my cheeks silently, landing deep in my heart, bitter and painful. 'Yeah, if it weren't for me...' I thought. Years ago, Jack and Harper were the star couple—he, the brilliant scholar, and she, the struggling student—but I had forced a marriage, turning everything upside down, leaving all three of us embarrassed. Layla had been the closest person to me. Even back then, when she tried to talk sense into me, it was no use. She saw things more clearly than I did. "Amelia, he doesn't really love you. It's not worth it. Don't tie yourself down to one man, Amelia..." Those words echoed in my mind again, as if they had been said just yesterday, ringing in my ears. But blinded by love, I had ruffled Layla's hair, smiling boldly. "So what? So many people like me. Why wouldn't he like me?" 'Layla, I regret it now,' I thought. I closed my eyes again, and all I could see was Layla. "Jack, Layla... do you ever regret not saving her?" I whispered, staring blankly ahead. I needed an answer. The crowd fell silent. They waited, holding their breath, eager to hear what Jack would say. I wanted to know how Jack would explain choosing not to save Layla, my sister, and instead saving his long-lost first love, the woman he couldn't have. "The situation with Layla was already critical. Even if she had been saved, she might not have made it. It was safer this way. Besides, I owe Harper." Jack's voice was as cold and emotionless as ever, his tone flat, as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to him. 'Safer? Owe?' I thought. I took a deep breath, bracing myself with my hand on the floor to keep from falling. 'Is that really the reason?' I had thought of many possibilities before, but hearing the truth from his lips felt like a lightning strike. I grabbed Jack by the collar and slapped him hard across the face, tears instantly flooding down. "So you're going to repay your debt with Layla's life? Jack, do you not have a single selfish thought? Do you even know how many excuses I've made for you in my head? And you, with one light sentence, just gave up on saving Layla? She's your sister too!" I said these words, mixed with years of suppressed grievances. I looked at the man I had spent so many years with—handsome, composed, the man I had fallen for at first sight. But everyone had warned me about him... I looked into his eyes but could no longer cry. "Do you really love Harper that much?" Watching Jack frown and remain silent, I just felt tired. He never thought he could be wrong. Even regular people would have a moment of sympathy for Layla, but Jack, my husband, acted as if none of this had anything to do with him. Suddenly, the crowd buzzed, and a soft voice cut through. "Amelia, I'm sorry about Layla. But I'm her teacher, you know! If I had known she was still inside, I would've made sure she was the first to come out." It was Harper's voice. She was being pushed and shoved through the crowd, eventually standing in front of me. Before she could even finish speaking, she started crying, looking as though she had been wronged deeply. "But... but you can't blame... Jack for this!" She gently placed her hand on Jack's cheek, her eyes full of tenderness, as if she were the perfect, loving wife. She was beautiful, the kind of soft, delicate beauty that made people want to protect her. "Blame him? He failed in his duty as a firefighter." I sneered inwardly, looking at the pair of them, so wrapped up in each other. "And you, didn't you know Layla was inside? You were in class. Didn't you realize a student was still in the building? What do you think tomorrow's headlines will be..." Jack furrowed his brows and interrupted me, pulling Harper even closer against his chest. "There won't be any headlines tomorrow. And Harper didn't do this on purpose. Be polite when you speak to her." 'Polite?' I sneered inside. Layla's death had left a burning rage in me, and it was impossible for me to speak politely. "Not on purpose? Then why wasn't it her who died?" I shouted. Jack's face turned completely cold, and for the first time, I saw him genuinely angry. He said, "Amelia, when did you become like this?! You're truly despicable!" I couldn't catch my breath, the world blurring around me. Through the haze, I barely made out the victorious look on Harper's face—her once delicate expression was now gone, replaced with something else entirely.