Chapter 53

Zinnia turned around. Seeing the patch of crushed plants beneath Howard’s feet, she was angry.

Hearing her words, Howard instinctively lifted his foot to move away, but in doing so, he ended up trampling another patch.

Zinnia’s eyes burned with anger as she grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the field.

Howard glanced at the flattened plants. He opened his mouth, trying to explain, “… ”

“What’s your deal?” Zinnia asked. She raised her eyes, her cold gaze piercing through him.

Seeing how upset Zinnia was, Howard chose to admit his mistake honestly. He said, “I didn’t mean to. What are these? I’ll replace them for you.”

Howard had never set foot in a field before, let alone recognized herbs. Now, standing in the herb garden, his once-pristine sneakers were smeared with mud, a stark contrast to his usual spotless appearance.

“There’s no need. Why are you following me around?” Zinnia asked.

Howard had no idea why he followed Zinnia. She ignored him completely, but somehow, he couldn’t stop himself. When she left the living room earlier, he’d instinctively followed her.

He’d never been ignored like this before, yet he found himself oddly fine with it.

“If you have nothing to say, please leave,” Zinnia said, her expression indifferent as she noticed his silence.

“I do…” Howard blurted out instinctively.

“I don’t care what you have to say,” Zinnia cut him off, turning to head back into the herb field.

Howard reached out and grabbed her hand. This time, his grip was light, barely encircling her wrist. Feeling how thin and frail it was, he frowned. He thought, ‘Why is she so skinny? It is as if she has no flesh on her at all.

‘She is back home now, no longer living in the town. The family has such good food. How could she still look like she hasn’t gained any weight?’ He asked, “What’s going on? You’re so thin. It’s like you haven’t been eating properly.”

“Let go,” Zinnia said. Her expression darkened at his touch.

“Zinnia, I have something to say to you. If I let go, you definitely won’t listen,” Howard said, his grip firm but not forceful, as if trying to restrain himself while still holding onto her.

“Let go, and I’ll hear you out,” Zinnia snapped, her face darkening as she tried to pull her hand free.

Howard finally let go. He didn’t know Zinnia well, but he understood one thing–when she said something, she meant it.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it. If not, get lost,” Zinnia said.

Howard frowned and said, “Who talks like that? It’s so rude.”

“No one taught me. I grew up in a town without parents. This is just how I talk. If you don’t like it, stay away from me. If you don’t see me, you won’t have to hear it,” Zinnia replied.

Zinnia had left the Shaw family, so she didn’t care about Howard’s feelings.

Howard ignored her words. He said, “About the pool incident…” His tone faltered as if unsure how to continue.

Zinnia remained silent, her calm and restrained gaze darkening slightly.

Howard’s chest tightened as he stared into her calm, distant eyes—eyes that no longer reflected him. His hand curled into a fist.

Earlier that day, while training at the club, Howard received a video from Jackson. He had just finished a lap and was wiping his sweat when a teammate handed him his phone.

Noticing the message from Jackson, Howard clicked on it immediately. The video caught his attention at first glance. Zinnia’s figure stirred a vague sense of guilt within him.

Zinnia was, after all, a daughter of the family. Yet there she sat, all alone. No matter the reason, the sight tugged at Howard’s heartstrings.

As the video continued, Howard felt his chest tighten further. When he saw Zinnia’s desolate gaze fixed on him and Betty as they walked away while Zinnia, wrapped in a blanket, trudged step by step away from the pool, he struggled to breathe.

Back then, Howard hadn’t paid attention to Zinnia. Zinnia had been submerged underwater while Betty floated on the surface, calling for help. Howard saw Betty and immediately dove in to pull her out.

He hadn’t even thought to look underwater. If he had, he would’ve gone in to save Zinnia too before taking Betty away.

The Shaws hadn’t considered that Betty had fallen into the pool on her own. Because of Zinnia’s past behavior, they had instinctively assumed she was behind it again.

But the truth hit them hard, leaving no room for excuses. Their assumptions had hurt Zinnia deeply. And to make matters worse, Howard had been harsh with Zinnia afterward. Even when she had a fever, he dragged her to the hospital without a second thought.

All these incidents piled up, suffocating Howard with guilt. After changing his clothes, he rushed to the Lynn residence, only to realize Zinnia was at school and not home. He cursed himself for being so foolish.

When Howard finally waited for Zinnia to return, he saw her smiling sweetly at Isaac. A surge of anger that Howard couldn’t quite understand rose within him.

Snapping back to reality, Howard said again, “I’m sorry.”

Zinnia’s lashes were trembling faintly, but she remained silent.

Howard continued, “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you in the pool last time. I thought it was just Betty. I misunderstood you, Zinnia, and I’m sorry. And for grabbing your wrist so harshly before, I was out of line. I’m sorry.”

Having started apologizing, the words seemed to flow more easily now. Thinking about his past actions, a wave of guilt surged within Howard.

He thought, ‘We are family. How can I treat her so cruelly? Why couldn’t I have been more patient with her?’

“I don’t need it,” Zinnia finally spoke, her voice calm and steady. She met his remorseful gaze and continued, “What’s the point of apologizing now? It’s already happened. I don’t care anymore.”

Howard said, “Zinni, I know I’ve been awful to you. I’m sorry. Please, just give me one chance to make things right, okay? I’m your brother.”

Zinnia’s detached response made Howard’s face pale. He felt as though she was slipping away from him. Desperation overtook him.