Chapter 56
Sienna draped her coat over Amber’s shoulders once more. “Let’s go home,” she commanded, taking Amber’s hand and leading her away.
Amber trailed behind Sienna with mincing steps, muttering under her breath, “Who do you think you are, ordering me around? Just because you tell me to go home, I have to obey?
“You’re not that important. You hit me and I haven’t even settled the score with you yet. If it weren’t for this damn rain, I wouldn’t be following you at all. Hmph, you are so annoying.”
Amber reluctantly climbed into the car with Sienna. The blasting heater warmed her from head to toe, gradually thawing even the frost around her stubborn heart.
Sienna stole a glance at the adorable short-haired girl beside her, who was squinting contentedly in the warmth. Amber’s skin was delicate, though her cheeks bore a faint tan, clear evidence of recent time in the sun.
They all shared the family’s complexion, delicate and smooth.
Amber’s long lashes fluttered over those eyes. Staring at her, it occurred to Sienna that their grandmother had those same enchanting eyes.
Back then, their grandmother was a legendary, talented beauty, a national sensation, and the dream girl of a generation. Practically every household owned her records and posters.
Noticing Sienna staring at her, Amber huffed in annoyance and deliberately turned her head away, presenting only the back of her head to Sienna while stubbornly fixing her gaze out the window.
I won’t talk to her first. That’d make me look desperate. She slapped me, and I remember it perfectly. I’m only eighteen, not eighty, so of course I remember every detail, Amber wondered.
That slap was meant for Vivian, a sharp smack right across my cheek, and Sienna still hasn’t even apologized to me. It didn’t hurt at all. It was feather-light, Amber thought.
When Jocelyn hit Amber, it hurt ten times more than this, yet none of those blows stung as much as this did now. A thousand needle pricks of pain spread through Amber’s chest.
Sienna seemed to read her thoughts. After a pause, she said quietly, “I’m sorry.”
Amber froze, her whole body trembling. She bit her lip and refused to turn around, struggling to suppress the grievance and the urge to cry.
But her traitorous body refused to obey. No matter how hard Amber tried to hold back, her shoulders trembled uncontrollably as quiet sobs escaped her lips.
Before she knew it, despite her efforts to hold back the tears, Amber’s face was already streaked with silent trails she hadn’t even.
Sienna reached out, wanting to pull Amber into her arms, but was cut off by Amber’s stubborn voice. “Don’t you dare touch me.”
Sienna’s hand froze in midair for a moment before she slowly drew it back, her expression clouded with guilt and sorrow. Fixing her gaze straight ahead, jaw clenched, Sienna tried to suppress the turbulent emotions welling up inside her.
Sienna didn’t even try to comfort Amber. That just made her feel even more wronged.
See? She is so phony, Amber thought bitterly. She never had any intention of comforting me from the start. She’s so tyrannical and unreasonable.
She just hits me and then brushes it off with a half-hearted sorry, like it means nothing. I can’t stand this kind of behavior from her. What a half-hearted apology. At the very least, she should have hugged me.
She continued wondering, Whatever, it’s not like I’m desperate for her hugs anyway. But at least she still has Jocelyn. Jocelyn isn’t like Sienna. At least when she hits me, she says more than just a half-hearted sorry.
Sienna must have just wanted to see if I was dead Vivian.
At that thought, Amber couldn’t hold back.
If anything happened to me, Vivian would be blamed as a murderer. It was all for.
Tears flooded down her face, unstoppable. No matter how hard she wiped, the tears just.
Amber, you’re such an idiot, Amber thought bitterly. To just for Vivian’s sake. How hard for her to endure.
Sienna sneezed, likely from catching a chill earlier in the breeze.
The sister that really matters is Vivian. I never even counted. All this trouble was me.
Enna is sick? She immediately made arrangements for the doctor to be on standby.
Lana’s heart skipped a beat as she.
Amber’s tears stopped abruptly for a few seconds when she heard Sienna sneeze.
Don’t even think about turning around, Amber told herself. She’s totally doing this on purpose, even though she braved the storm and pouring rain just to come find me and gave me her coat to wear.
She even apologized to me, all gentle, and asked if it still hurt. But none of this changes one thing. She only did it for Vivian!
Sienna had no idea her simple sneeze would trigger such a cascade of thoughts in Amber’s mind.
Looking at Amber’s back, Sienna noticed she seemed to have stopped crying.
Regardless of the circumstances, Sienna did strike Amber, but she never regretted her actions.
What was done was done. There was no point in dwelling on her decisions. Overthinking only brought a heavy mental burden. It was only natural that Amber resented her now.
Sienna knew Amber needed space to cool down. She made sure not to disturb her, quietly withdrawing her gaze and fixing it on the intersection ahead. Traffic was paralyzed by the heavy downpour, and the road was completely gridlocked.
Lana said, “Miss Enna, we might have to wait here for over an hour. There’s a convenience store nearby. Would you like me to get you anything?”
Amber felt a surge of excitement as she wondered, Is she going to ask about me now? Should I answer her? No way. She only slapped me because of Vivian.
But if she talks to me and I ignore her, wouldn’t that make me look ridiculous? I’d just be making a fool of myself!
In the very next second, all of Amber’s excitement and anticipation were dashed, leaving her chilled to the bone.
“No need,” Sienna said.
Amber’s mind was in turmoil. Amber, you’re just being delusional. Would she ever care about you? she thought. She treats you like thin air, as if you don’t even exist. Even asking you a question would be too much for her.
A sour pang tightened in her chest. Amber hung her head, silently cursing herself for being so pathetic. Here she went again, on the verge of tears.
“Lana, you go back first and let Vivian know I’ll be home a bit later. Amber and I are going downstairs to grab a bite to eat,” said Sienna.
The rain had stopped. As the door opened, a fresh scent filled the air. Along the roadside, some wildflowers had weathered the downpour, displaying vibrant violets, cornflowers, and crimson blossoms.
Others, unable to endure the rain, lay peacefully along the pavement, their fallen petals adding color to the rain-washed scenery.
Sienna opened the car door, but Amber stubbornly turned her head away, putting on her most defiant act to refuse to go with her.
Who does Sienna think she is, making decisions for me? Amber fumed inwardly. She just announces we’re getting out to eat, without even asking me, so typical of her, always bossy and self-important, never caring about what I actually want!
Did she even ask me? Does she even know how unwilling I am to get out? It’s freezing, even with this coat on. Hmph.
“Let’s grab something to eat, Amber. Aren’t you coming?” Sienna asked.
Amber snorted, but her feet had already stepped onto the pavement.
It’s not like I’m following her orders. I’m just hungry, and it’s only natural to grab a bite when your stomach’s growling, Amber wondered.
Sienna watched Amber acting all high and mighty while clearly contradicting herself, and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Come on, Amber. What do you want to eat?”