Chapter 68
When Zinnia returned to the Lynn residence, she saw Howard from a distance even before entering the yard. Howardโs white sneakers were dirty with mud, and his hair was messy, making him look rather disheveled. Zinnia was speechless, thinking, โWhy are the Shaw family so persistent?โ
Safia wasnโt home today; sheโd gone shopping with her friends. Henry was out fishing with an old friend. The house was just hers for the moment. Zinnia had planned to come back early to mix some medicine, so she didnโt wait for Isaac. She hadnโt expected to run into Howard. She pulled out her phone to check if Maisie had left yet.
Before she could send a message, Howard approached her, โZinnia.โ
โWhat do you want!โ Zinniaโs voice was calm.
โThis is for you, an apology gift from last time,โ Howard said, pulling out a box from his bag and handing it to her.
Without a glance, Zinnia replied seriously, โI donโt want anything from you.โ
Howard insisted, โZinnia, weโre siblings. This is your right to have.โ
Howard seemed to have figured out Zinniaโs personality. She was straightforward and didnโt care if her words hurt others. Betty would thank him warmly and praise him for his gifts. But Zinnia didnโt want his things at all; he didnโt even expect gratitude from her. Having heard Zinniaโs frank comments often, Howard wasnโt bothered anymore; he had gotten used to it.
Ignoring her refusal, Howard grabbed Zinniaโs hand and forced the box into it.
Zinnia tried to push it back. โI donโt want your stuff.โ
She thought, โThis guy is so annoying. Iโve said I donโt want his things, yet he keeps pushing them on me. Heโs even more irritating than before.โ
โI donโt take back things Iโve given,โ Howard grumbled as he forced the box into Zinniaโs hand.
โYouโre so annoying. We donโt have any ties anymore,โ Zinnia said, frustrated. As they continued to push and pull, she finally snapped, throwing the box at him.
The box fell to the ground, revealing a pink crystal butterfly hair clip inside. One of the wings had cracked from the fall. The sharp corner of the box hit Howard, causing a brief sting of pain, which also echoed in his heart. Howard looked down at the broken butterfly clip, his lips pressed into a thin line. He crouched down to pick it up.
โYouโre willing to accept gifts from our cousins but not from me?โ His voice was sorrowful.
โI donโt want things from people I dislike. You donโt like me, and I donโt like you,โ Zinnia said seriously.
Howardโs face darkened. Her clear disdain for them couldnโt be more evident.
โIf you donโt like this, Iโll get you something else next time.โ He closed the box, his fingers turning white as he gripped it tightly, ignoring Zinniaโs harsh words.
Howard didnโt understand why he kept coming back to Zinnia when she clearly didnโt reciprocate his feelings. Despite her cold demeanor, he stubbornly persisted. Something felt off with her absence from their home. Howard had to admit he wanted her back in the family. So, he reasoned that if they visited often enough, she would eventually relent.
Zinnia replied, โI wonโt take anything else from you either. Donโt come seeking me anymore.โ
She frowned, baffled by Howardโs persistence. She hadnโt realized before how stubborn he could be and how he seemed incapable of understanding her words.
She thought, โEven Maelis has given up on me. Why do these brothers keep coming back?โ
โZinnia, weโre siblings. Iโm your real brother,โ Howard said, his face paling. Her blunt rejection caused an uncomfortable pain in his chest.
He thought, โShe never says anything nice to us. Sheโs always been so cold and stubborn, never yielding an inch.โ
Every time she did something wrong, Betty would take the blame for her. When confronted, she always insisted she wasnโt responsible.
โShe never admitted to treating Betty poorly. She was just a little liarโquiet and unyielding, never backing down.โ
โYouโre not my brothers. I donโt have family like you,โ Zinnia snapped, frowning at his emphasis on the word โreal.โ
She thought, โBrother? Now he claims to be my real brother? They used to wish I didnโt exist.โ
โZinnia, weโre blood relatives. You donโt like Betty. The past between you and Betty, all the grudges and conflicts, we wonโt dwell on it anymore. But I need you to understandโwe are your real family, much closer than our cousins,โ Howard insisted, his stubbornness flaring up. In some ways, he and Zinnia were alike.
โYour sister is Betty,โ Zinnia muttered, annoyed by his persistence, feeling like he couldnโt understand her at all. โIโm not their sister,โ she thought.
โBetty is our sister, and so are you,โ Howard said firmly.
โIโm not. You all abandoned me; Iโm not your sister. And I donโt have a brother like you,โ Zinnia was determined to make things clear today. Her delicate face turned red with anger as she glared at him.
She thought, โTheyโre really so annoying.โ
It felt like she and Howard were bickering like little kids.
Howard misunderstood her words, thinking she was referring to the time they sent her away.
โIt was just temporary. We never said we didnโt want you.โ
Back then, it was meant to be a temporary separation to let both Zinnia and Betty calm down. The family didnโt want them to keep clashingโit was never about giving her up.
โMrs. Shaw chose Betty, so Iโm no longer part of your family. And youโre not my brother anymore. My brothers now are the Lynn brothers.โ Zinniaโs clear, earnest eyes reflected her determination.
The air grew tense and quiet.
โWhat did you say?โ Howardโs throat felt tight, like something was choking him; it took him a moment to get the words out.
He wondered, โDid I hear her wrong? What does she mean we chose Betty over her? How could our mom make such a choice; why wouldnโt she want Zinnia?โ
โYou gave up on me. So please, donโt come and bother me again,โ Zinnia said slowly, emphasizing each word.
She thought, โDonโt come and bother me again. I donโt want to see you.โ
Later, Zinnia said, โJackson, I want to live somewhere else.โ