Chapter 3

The next morning, carrying the newly bought medicine and cooling patches, I took a three-hour bus ride to the rundown suburban trailer park where Chloe lived.

When I pushed the door open, the room smelled of damp mold.

Chloe was curled up on her single bed, her forehead burning hot.

Biting back my tears, I gave her the medicine and placed a fresh cooling patch on her forehead.

She was delirious with fever, but her hand was clutching a piece of drawing paper with a death grip.

"Nina... didn't... didn't cheat..." she mumbled.

I gently pried her fingers open and pulled the paper out.

It was a drawing of a sunflower, completely filled with complex numbers and intersecting lines.

To anyone else, it looked like random, chaotic graffiti. But I knew better. This was Chloe's encrypted visual diary.

Because of her autism, she used this unique system to record everything that happened to her daily.

By noon, Chloe's fever finally broke.

She sat up, carefully smoothing out the drawing on the desk, and began adding more numbers with a pencil.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

I went to open it.

Julian was standing outside holding a fruit basket.

Beside him was Scarlett, wearing a designer dress and holding a Starbucks iced latte.

"Nina, I brought Scarlett to see Chloe," Julian said warmly.

He walked right in, putting the fruit basket on a scratched coffee table.

"While you're here, make some homemade lobster bisque for Scarlett. She said she's craving it."

He wasn't here to visit my sick sister.

He was here to order me around.

I stared at his entitled face and didn't move an inch.

"There's no lobster here, and there's no kitchen for that."

Scarlett wandered around the tiny studio, pinching her nose in disgust.

"Julian, this place is so gross and sketchy. The air smells weird."

She walked over to Chloe's desk, her eyes landing on the paper.

"Ooh, what's this?"

She reached out to grab Chloe’s drawing.

Like a cat getting its tail stepped on, Chloe violently lunged forward to shield the paper.

"Don't... Don't touch it!" Chloe’s voice shook with terror.

Scarlett gasped, taking a step back and looking at Julian with pouty, tearful eyes.

"Julian, I just wanted to look at it. Why is Chloe being so mean to me?"

Julian’s face darkened. He walked over and grabbed Chloe by her shoulder.

"Chloe, stop being rude."

Scarlett stared at the drawing, a calculating glint in her eyes.

"Julian, my art exhibition tomorrow is actually missing a piece of modern abstract art."

"This messy drawing actually fits my theme of 'Chaos and Order' perfectly."

She tugged at Julian’s sleeve, whining.

Without a second thought, Julian reached down and snatched the drawing right out from under Chloe’s arm.

"Be good, Chloe. It's just a piece of scrap paper."

"Scarlett needs this for her portfolio to get into her dream college. Think of the bigger picture."

"I'll buy you a strawberry cake later."

Chloe panicked. Lacking the words to express her distress, she desperately reached out to grab it back.

"Give it back! It's mine!"

In the struggle, Chloe's wrist slammed hard against the sharp metal edge of the desk.

There was a sickening *thud*.

Chloe pulled her hand back, whimpering.

The fair skin on the back of her hand instantly swelled up, a dark purple bruise forming at a terrifying speed.

She didn't cry out loud. She just bit her lip raw, tears welling up in her eyes.

I rushed over, shielding Chloe behind my back.

"Julian, give the drawing back. Now." I glared at the paper in his hand.

Julian handed the drawing to Scarlett and looked at me coldly.

"Nina, is this how you raise your sister?"

"Scarlett is just borrowing it. She'll return it."

"A child’s scribble helping Scarlett win an award is a blessing for Chloe."

"Do you really have to make everyone miserable over such a trivial thing?"

Scarlett held the drawing, a smug smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't be so stingy, Nina."

"Once I win the prize, maybe I'll buy Chloe a nice dinner."

Looking at Chloe's bruised hand, the last bit of warmth in my heart turned into absolute ice.

"Get out."

I pointed at the door.

Julian’s expression turned icy.

"Nina, look at yourself. You’ve become so toxic."

"I brought Scarlett here out of the kindness of my heart, and this is how you treat us?"

"You seriously need to fix your attitude."

He took Scarlett’s hand.

"Let’s go, Scarlett. Let your sister cool her head first."

The door slammed shut.

The room fell into a dead silence.

Looking at the empty desk, Chloe finally let her tears fall.

"Nina... my drawing..."

I knelt down, gently stroking her hair.

"Don't worry, Chloe. I will get it back for you. I promise."

I stood up, pulled out my phone, and opened a hidden data analysis software backup folder.

Julian thought it was just a piece of scrap paper.

He had no idea that the numbers on that paper recorded the exact timestamps and evidence of Scarlett destroying Chloe’s AP exam prep sheets.

I watched the data codes flashing on my screen.

All the pain and humiliation I had suffered during this marriage transformed into a freezing, calculated calm.

I wasn't going to yell anymore.