Chapter 2 - The Sister Everyone Excused
Sunday breakfast was usually the most peaceful meal in the Carter house.
Not that morning.
Emily came downstairs at eight wearing jeans, a gray sweater, and no makeup. Her eyes were swollen, but her expression was controlled.
Susan was making coffee.
Their father, Robert, sat at the table reading news on his tablet.
Chloe arrived last.
She had covered the faint red mark on her cheek with makeup.
Robert looked between his daughters.
“What happened?”
No one answered.
He lowered the tablet.
“Why does this room feel like somebody robbed a bank?”
Susan turned off the coffee machine.
“Chloe has been seeing Ryan.”
Robert blinked.
“The neighbor?”
“Yes.”
He looked at Emily.
Understanding dawned slowly.
Robert knew about Emily’s feelings even though she had never told him directly.
Fathers noticed things too.
He looked at Chloe.
“You knew your sister liked him.”
Chloe sighed.
“This again?”
Robert’s eyebrows rose.
“Yes. This again.”
“Ryan is an adult. So am I.”
Emily sat down.
“I don’t care that you dated him.”
Chloe laughed.
“You threw a plate at me.”
“I care that you lied.”
“You never asked.”
Emily stared at her.
“That’s your defense?”
Chloe poured herself coffee.
“My defense is that nobody belongs to anybody.”
Robert said, “That isn’t the point.”
“Then what is the point?”
“The point is basic decency.”
Chloe slammed the mug down.
“Why is everyone acting like Emily was engaged to him?”
Emily pushed her chair back.
“I’m not doing this.”
Susan reached for her.
“Sweetheart—”
“No. I’m fine.”
She looked at Chloe.
“Actually, I’m better than I was yesterday.”
Chloe gave her a skeptical smile.
Emily continued.
“Because yesterday I thought I lost something.”
She paused.
“Today I realize there was nothing worth losing.”
Chloe’s face tightened.
Emily walked out.
She spent the afternoon at Megan’s apartment.
Megan Torres had been Emily’s closest friend since college, and unlike Emily’s family, Megan had never treated Chloe’s behavior like weather everyone simply had to survive.
“She did what?”
Megan almost dropped her wine.
Emily sat on the couch.
“I walked into Ryan’s yard with a cake.”
“You brought that man a homemade cake?”
“I know.”
“And your sister was half naked?”
“Basically.”
Megan stared at her.
“And you slapped her?”
Emily covered her face.
“I’m not proud.”
Megan considered this.
“I’m not saying violence is the answer.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m just saying if somebody filmed it, I would need the video.”
Emily laughed despite herself.
It was the first time she had laughed since Saturday.
Megan became serious.
“Did Ryan call?”
“Six times.”
“Chloe?”
“Zero.”
“That tells you something.”
Emily checked her phone.
Ryan had sent messages.
Please let me explain.
I didn’t mean to hurt you.
Chloe and I aren’t serious.
Can we talk?
That last one made Emily angry.
She showed Megan.
Megan read it.
“So his defense is that betraying you with your sister was casual.”
“Apparently.”
“Block him.”
Emily hesitated.
Megan looked at her.
“Emily.”
“I know.”
“You’re waiting for an explanation that makes this hurt less.”
Emily swallowed.
“There isn’t one.”
“No.”
Emily blocked Ryan.
For three days, he left her alone.
Then Thursday evening, she found him standing outside her office.
Emily stopped on the sidewalk.
“What are you doing here?”
Ryan shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
“You blocked me.”
“That was intentional.”
“I deserve that.”
“Yes.”
He looked tired.
“I ended things with Chloe.”
Emily felt something twist in her chest.
“That’s not my problem.”
“She means nothing to me.”
“Then that makes what you did worse.”
Ryan looked surprised.
Emily continued.
“If you loved her, at least there would be a reason. Instead you were willing to hurt me and help destroy my relationship with my sister for somebody who meant nothing.”
“I didn’t think you and I were—”
“Together?”
“Yes.”
“We weren’t.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“But there was something.”
Emily laughed softly.
“You liked knowing I liked you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
She looked directly at him.
“You gave me just enough attention to keep me hoping.”
Ryan looked away.
That told her everything.
Emily nodded.
“Goodbye, Ryan.”
He caught her arm gently.
“Wait.”
She looked down at his hand.
He immediately released her.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily believed him.
That was almost the worst part.
“I know.”
His eyes lifted.
“But sorry doesn’t mean I have to let you back in.”
She walked away.
That night, Chloe discovered Ryan had ended their affair.
He told her outside a restaurant.
“You used me.”
Chloe laughed.
“I used you?”
“You knew Emily cared about me.”
“So did you.”
Ryan had no answer.
Chloe stepped closer.
“You’re dumping me because you suddenly discovered morals?”
“No.”
“Because you want Emily.”
Ryan looked at her.
Chloe understood.
Her face changed.
“You do.”
“I messed up.”
“You think she’s going to take you back?”
“I don’t know.”
Chloe smiled without humor.
“She won’t.”
“Probably not.”
“Then why end this?”
Ryan’s voice was quiet.
“Because when I saw her face, I realized what kind of person I’d become.”
Chloe slapped him.
Ryan accepted it.
“I probably deserved that.”
“You deserve worse.”
She walked away.
But Chloe did not go home.
Instead, she drove to a downtown bar.
By midnight, she had told three friends that Emily had assaulted her out of jealousy.
By morning, a photo of Chloe’s bruised cheek appeared on social media.
The caption read:
When your own sister attacks you over a man she never even dated.
People started commenting.
Poor Chloe.
Emily sounds crazy.
Imagine being that obsessed.
Emily saw the post during lunch.
Her stomach dropped.
Megan called immediately.
“Do not respond.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“She wants you to.”
Emily stared at the comments.
Someone she had gone to high school with wrote:
Always knew the quiet ones were nuts.
Emily closed the app.
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
By evening, Ryan had posted something of his own.
No names.
No photographs.
Just a statement:
I was involved with someone while knowingly encouraging feelings from someone else. The woman being blamed publicly did not create the situation. I did. I hurt people because I was selfish.
Chloe called him screaming.
Emily did not thank him.
But she noticed.
At home, the situation became worse.
Robert demanded Chloe delete her post.
She refused.
“It’s true.”
“You left out why Emily was upset.”
“She hit me.”
“And you deliberately humiliated her.”
“So that makes hitting okay?”
“No,” Robert said. “But neither does it make you innocent.”
Chloe turned toward Emily.
“You love this, don’t you?”
Emily looked up from the kitchen table.
“Love what?”
“Everyone protecting you.”
Emily stared.
Something old and familiar moved beneath Chloe’s anger.
Not confidence.
Resentment.
“You think Mom and Dad love me more.”
Chloe froze.
Susan looked between them.
Emily continued quietly.
“You always have.”
“Shut up.”
“That’s why you take things from me.”
“Shut up.”
“Clothes. Friends. Attention.”
“I said shut up!”
“And Ryan.”
Chloe’s face became red.
“I didn’t take Ryan.”
“No.”
Emily nodded slowly.
“He gave himself away.”
That line ended the argument.
But later that night, Chloe stood outside Emily’s locked bedroom door.
Her voice was softer.
“You think you’re better than me.”
Emily sat on her bed.
“No.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, Chloe.”
A pause.
Then Emily said the thing that hurt most.
“I just don’t want to be like you anymore.”
Silence.
Footsteps retreated.
Emily lay awake long after midnight.
May you like
Across the hall, Chloe packed a suitcase.
By morning, she was gone.
