Two Thousand Kilometers South, Away From Everyone I Loved Chapter 03

Two Thousand Kilometers South, Away From Everyone I Loved Chapter 03

The celebration banquet was set for the weekend. The city’s most upscale hotel, the entire ballroom reserved.

The welcome sign at the entrance read, in enormous red letters: “Congratulations to Anna Brown on Her Admission to the Northwestern Preparatory Program.” My name was squeezed into the very bottom corner. The font was so small it was barely legible.

Relatives streamed in continuously. Mom and Dad stood at the door greeting guests, their faces glowing with pride.

“My, my—Anna is such a credit to the family. Northwestern’s prep program is so hard to get into.” “She couldn’t have done it without Lucas tutoring her.”

My aunt came over, holding Anna’s hand and praising her endlessly. Then she turned her head, spotted me sitting in the corner, and gave me a perfunctory smile. “Stella’s done well too. When you’re both in the Midwest, you must take good care of your sister.”

I stared at the glass of water in front of me and said nothing.

The banquet began. The host stood on stage with the microphone, passionate and booming. Anna, wearing that designer dress Lucas had bought, was invited onto the stage.

“Thank you, Mom and Dad. Thank you, Leo. And most of all, thank you, Lucas.” She blushed, looking toward Lucas at the head table. “If Lucas hadn’t kept encouraging me, I never would have made it through senior year.”

Thunderous applause erupted below. Everyone’s eyes drifted between the two of them with suggestive undertones.

Lucas sat at the head table, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. I sat at the farthest table on the edge. The people at my table were all distant relatives who barely kept in touch. They cracked peanuts as they whispered under their breath.

“The Brown family is so strange—the older daughter got into the actual university and they throw no banquet, but for the younger one’s prep school, they go this big?” “You don’t understand. The younger one is pretty and sweet-tongued. Who knows how well she’ll marry in the future.” “I think that Shaw boy has his eye on the younger one.”

I picked up a bite of coleslaw with my fork and put it in my mouth. It was so salty.

A hotel server wheeled out a three-tier cake. Lucas walked onto the stage and took the cake knife. Holding Anna’s hand, they cut the first piece of cake together.

Then, carrying that slice, he walked straight up to me.

“Stella, Anna said this first piece has to go to you. She knows you’ve been unhappy these past few days.” He looked down at me from his height. “Eat it. Everyone’s watching today. Don’t make Anna lose face.”

I looked at the plate, at that slice covered in cream. Anna stood on stage, watching me with eager, expectant eyes. I didn’t touch the fork.

“I don’t like sweets.”

Lucas’s expression instantly darkened. “Are you determined to cause a scene today?”

Just then, Anna came running over, holding up her skirt.

“Stella, are you still mad that I took the tablet Lucas gave you?” Her eyes reddened with urgency as she reached out to pull at me. “I really didn’t mean it. I’ll give it back to you, okay?”

She moved too aggressively. Her elbow slammed into the edge of the table. That plate of cake tipped over instantly and landed with precision right on my only white dress.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, Stella!” Anna screamed, covering her mouth and stepping back.

Leo immediately rushed over and shoved me aside, pulling Anna protectively into his arms. “Anna was being nice bringing you cake, and you pushed her?”

I was shoved off balance and stumbled a step. My lower back slammed into the back of a chair. A dull ache bloomed.

I steadied myself. I looked at my brother’s furious face, and at Lucas’s look of utter disapproval.

“I didn’t push her.”

“Still lying!” Leo pointed at the stain on my dress. “It’s just a dress that got a little dirty. Anna didn’t do it on purpose.”

Mom also hurried over and glared fiercely at me. “On such a happy day, are you determined to bring bad luck?”

I lowered my head and looked at the red stain on my dress that would never wash out. Suddenly, it all felt so pointless. Profoundly, utterly pointless.

I didn’t go to the bathroom. Instead, I picked up my canvas bag draped over the back of the chair.

“I’m not bringing bad luck. I’m leaving.”