The Game They Played, The Life I Lost Chapter 02

The Game They Played, The Life I Lost Chapter 02

Ethan hesitated for a second.

“Tara’s afraid of the dark. Can she even make it back alone?”

My heart lifted. Maybe someone still cared.

But then—

He switched his phone to airplane mode, looking pleased with himself.

“Good thing I set that trap earlier. She won’t be back anytime soon.”

“Don’t worry, Serena. I’m all yours today.”

That small hope shattered.

My sister happily looped her arm through his. “You’re so smart, Ethan.”

“If Tara hadn’t been born, we’d have been childhood sweethearts.”

“She’s the third wheel who ruined everything.”

Watching the way he looked at her—that soft, adoring gaze—I remembered the first time my sister suggested the Invisible Game.

Ethan had refused. Flat out.

Locked in a closet. Left out in the rain.

Every time, he was the one who wiped my tears and promised he’d never play her stupid game.

When did that change? I couldn’t remember.

Before they loaded me into the ambulance, I used the last of my strength.

I submitted the transfer request to London.

After twenty years, I was done with this game.

Done with the game. Done with this family.

I spent three days in the hospital.

Stitches. Dressing changes. Bandages.

I gritted my teeth through all of it, alone.

Not one call from my parents. Not one text.

Meanwhile, Serena’s Instagram wouldn’t stop.

First, she posted a photo of a tiny scratch on her finger. Mom and Dad had skipped work to rush home and take care of her.

Then she posted a bracelet she’d mentioned once. Ethan had gone out of his way to buy it on a business trip.

Below were their adoring comments.

“Our daughter will never suffer. You’ll always be our precious angel.”

“Don’t mention it, Serena. You deserve the best. Anything that makes you happy.”

The transfer confirmation arrived that day.

I read every word.

Then I clicked “Accept.”

On the day I was discharged, I looked at the ugly scar on my leg—puckered and red, like a centipede.

And I went home.

The house was as lively as always.

Serena was on the couch watching TV, Ethan laughing beside her.

Mom and Dad were in the kitchen, busy cutting fruit for her.

I stood in the entryway and quietly closed the door.

No one looked up.

The sound caught Ethan’s attention. His eyes landed on me.

Something flickered across his face. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something.

Serena silenced him with a single look.

I knew the game wasn’t over.

Before, I would’ve cried and begged for them to speak to me.

Now, I just thought the quiet was kind of nice.

So I turned and walked up to the tiny attic room where I’d spent twenty years.

I folded my clothes into a suitcase, one piece at a time.

That’s when Ethan did something rare. He texted me behind Serena’s back.

Ethan: [Does it still hurt?]

I stared at the words and let out a small laugh.

When I called him from that forest, bleeding and freezing, he didn’t ask if I was hurt.

When I was alone in the hospital for three days, he didn’t ask if I was hurt.

Now he remembered? Too late.

A knock at the door. My parents.

“Come eat. Serena’s feeling generous. The game’s over.”

At the dinner table, Serena threw an arm around my shoulder.

“Come on, I was just playing. Don’t be mad.”

That was always her excuse. Say something cruel, then laugh it off.

But after enough times, it still hurt.

I shifted away, avoiding her touch.

Serena reacted like I’d shoved her across the room. Her eyes welled up.

“That hurt…”

Ethan immediately pulled her into his arms.

“Tara! She was trying to be nice. Do you really hate her that much?”

My parents jumped in, fingers pointed at my face.

“You’ve lost your mind! She’s your own sister! How can you be so cruel?”