After collecting the necklace without any issues, Selena hadn't yet exited the shopping center when her phone began to ring. It was Mrs. Tan, and as Selena answered the call, she noticed a message from Tara waiting. She quickly replied to Tara's message before speaking, "Hello, Mrs. Tan. I've got the necklace and am just about to head back."
Mrs. Tan paused briefly before asking, "Is the necklace pretty?"
Unsure why she was asking, Selena nevertheless replied earnestly, "Yes, it's beautiful."
"Good," Mrs. Tan continued, her voice calm and measured. "It's for you, Selena. A thank-you gift for all the care you've shown Tara."
As the words hit her, Selena felt something inside her snap. A ringing filled her ears, and a wave of dizziness made her stagger slightly.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A concerned security guard near the entrance took hold of her arm.
Dazed, Selena glanced at her reflection in the glass door. She wanted to thank the security guard, but the words refused to come. She simply nodded, brushing off the concern, and made her way back to the car, gripping her bag. Her phone screen still displayed the ongoing call, and though Mrs. Tan hadn't yet ended it, Selena broke the silence with a trembling voice.
"Today is Tara's birthday. Did it have to be today?" she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur.
Mrs. Tan's response was calm and unyielding. "I thought today was the perfect day."
A day to see her daughter "return to normal," as she saw it.
"Please, can we at least discuss this when I get back?" Selena hadn't yet started the car; her vision was clouded with unshed tears.
"Selena, this decision has been made. There's no going back. Once the holidays end, you won't be returning to the office. I've arranged for you to work with a new firm—one that better suits your abilities and offers you a higher salary. CM Corporation is prepared to hire you as a deputy director, with an annual salary of $150,000."
The sharp edges of the necklace pendant pressed into her hand as Selena fought to steady herself. Money and influence—she had seen their power before, felt the grip of wealth pull her out of a poor and isolated childhood. Now, this same influence aimed to sever the one thing she held most dear.
Clenching her hands around the painful pendant, Selena took a deep breath, forcing herself to speak clearly, "Mrs. Tan, I've always respected you and been grateful for your help. But I earned my current position through my own qualifications. Don't you think it's a little… disrespectful to just dismiss me?"
"My compensation is more than ten times what you've earned there," Mrs. Tan replied coolly.
Selena felt the familiar frustration rising. She was speaking of respect, but Mrs. Tan was focused on monetary compensation. There would be no common ground here. Selena bit her lip, wiping away her tears with a tissue, and asked, "Did you consider Tara's opinion? And what about our agreement?"
She heard Mrs. Tan laugh softly. "Of course, I remember. But first, I'd like you to coax Tara out of her room. She's locked herself inside and won't come down. How can we have a proper 'agreement' if she refuses to participate?"
Selena's gaze fell on the text message from Tara on her phone, her heart aching as she stared at the photo of them, so close and full of life. She knew this moment might be the last time they would be this way together, so close and so unguarded.
She typed a quick reply: "Come down, please."
Tara's response came immediately.
"Will there be a surprise waiting for me?"
Selena's fingers hovered over the keyboard, at a loss for how to respond. "The other party is typing..." flashed on her screen repeatedly, but nothing ever came through. Selena knew that Tara was stubbornly waiting on the other end, refusing to come down without her.
In her room, Tara had locked herself in, ignoring everything and everyone until she received Selena's answer. She'd even noticed Thomas's car arriving but had ignored it, her mind focused solely on the message from Selena.
Staring at the single word on her screen—Yes—she exhaled sharply, her fingers tightening on her phone for a brief moment before she climbed out of bed and opened her door.
Downstairs, Mrs. Tan's expression softened with relief when she saw Tara emerge. She waved Tara over, "Why did it take you so long to come down? Your brother Thomas has been waiting!"
Tara made her way over, her expression strained, a polite but distant smile just barely visible. She greeted Mrs. Thomas with a respectful but impersonal, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Thomas."
Mrs. Thomas greeted her warmly, squeezing her shoulder as she said, "Goodness, child, you're far too thin! Thomas brought some high-grade Korean ginseng—take one every day to build up your strength."
Thomas stepped forward, presenting her with a sleek, black-and-gold box.
Tara accepted it, the slight smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes. "Thank you." She set the gift on a nearby table crowded with other presents, her disinterest plain as the box vanished amid the others. She ignored the flash of annoyance that crossed Thomas's face.
"Well, Mrs. Thomas," Tara said, "thank you for making the effort to be here for my birthday. I remember you don't drink anything too strong, so I've had our housekeeper bring out my collection of fruit wine. Why don't you enjoy it with my mother while you two catch up?"
Mrs. Tan's smile didn't waver, though her voice cooled ever so slightly. "And where do you plan on going, Tara?"
"I need some air," she replied, "It's a little stifling in here."
Without Selena by her side, she felt suffocated.
Mrs. Thomas laughed, her voice loud and pleasant. "Oh, that's fine, Thomas, why don't you go along with Tara for a stroll?"
She moved to push the two of them together, but Tara took a step forward, avoiding Mrs. Thomas's maneuver with a subtle move that left her plans thwarted.
Thomas offered Tara a small, deferential bow before following her outside. Once they reached the entrance to the garden, Tara stopped, her hand on the gate, but she didn't move any further.
"Why did you stop?" Thomas asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
Tara didn't answer, so Thomas reached out and gave her arm a gentle tug.
She pulled back immediately, her irritation clear. "I'm waiting for my girlfriend. She promised me a surprise."
Thomas laughed, a dry, mocking sound that instantly grated on her nerves.
"What's so funny?" she snapped, catching the derision behind his laughter.
Shrugging, Thomas looked away. "Don't get the wrong idea. I just thought... before I leave, I should let you know that she's not coming. You're here for a marriage arrangement, after all. Your mother assured us everything was already in place."
"Which means," he added, "that your 'girlfriend' won't be showing up."
Tara clenched her fists. "Are you saying she and my mother have... come to some sort of agreement?"
Thomas raised an eyebrow, feigning sympathy. "I pity you, really. I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone you trusted."
"Impossible!" Tara's voice rose in defiance, sending a nearby flock of sparrows scattering into the darkening sky. "Selena wouldn't leave me!"
Thomas leaned against a column, crossing his arms. "If you really believed that, you wouldn't be waiting out here, would you?"
Tara pulled out her phone, texting Selena, When are you coming home?
Selena replied quickly, Soon.
Tara held up the message. "See? She's already on her way."
Thomas chuckled, "Soon can sometimes mean... never."
"Enough!" Tara's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, her tone laced with anger. "You're only here to cause trouble, aren't you?"
Thomas shrugged. "If you don't believe me, let's wait together." He looked up at the sky. "It's going to snow soon."
Tara stared at the empty street, shivering as the cold wind bit into her. Her fingers had grown numb, yet she stayed put, waiting with a stubborn hope that Selena would appear. But each message she sent vanished into the void without a response.
The hours crawled by, and when night finally claimed the sky, delicate snowflakes began to fall.
Click. Thomas opened a black umbrella above her, shielding her from the falling snow. "Come on," he urged softly. "Let's go back inside."
Tara's eyes turned icy as she pushed the umbrella away, "Leave."
Thomas shivered, pulling the umbrella back over his head. "Fine, I'll go in. I just hope you get what you're waiting for."
As he stepped away, he muttered, "You know, life isn't all about love. Your parents won't be here forever. Maybe it's time to shoulder the responsibilities they've carried for you."
Thomas turned back once, shaking his head as he watched Tara stare at the road. Her lashes had gathered snowflakes, and the glistening frost gave her a heartbreakingly fragile look. Sighing, he turned and left her to her vigil.
Not long after, Mrs. Tan came out, her fur coat gleaming under the porch light. She frowned at Tara, brushing the snow from her shoulder. "Look at you, standing out here in the cold, making a scene. There are guests inside—don't embarrass yourself."
"Where's Selena?" Tara's voice was hollow.
"I've given her compensation for her time here," Mrs. Tan replied evenly. "She's an adult—she'll make the right choice."
Tara's eyes grew cold, "Then let her say it to my face. Hiding isn't her style."
Mrs. Tan lifted her chin, her tone hardening. "You're an adult now too, Tara. Show some dignity."
"Dignity?" Tara let out a bitter laugh. The irony stung—dignity wasn't something she felt she had.
Inside, guests chatted and laughed. Tara sat numbly, tasting nothing, her heart somewhere far from the party. As the last guest departed, she walked to the door with her mother, standing by out of habit.
Thomas approached her for a final farewell, offering his hand. "Goodbye, Tara."
She hesitated, then took it, expression cold. Instead of a handshake, Thomas moved as if to hug her, his hands never touching but giving the appearance of an embrace. She nearly pulled back but didn't, holding her composure for the sake of her parents.
When the last car left, it was nearly midnight. Her parents had gone upstairs to rest, leaving her alone in the grand, empty house. At last, she picked up her phone, dialing Selena's number.
Finally, Selena answered.
Tara's voice cracked, "So, you couldn't wait to leave, huh?"
Under the dim glow of a streetlamp, Selena stood alone in the falling snow, clutching her phone as if to anchor herself.
She had seen it—Tara and Thomas, close, maybe even close enough to consider a life without her.
She struggled to speak, her voice breaking, "I... I'm sorry, Tara. I..."
"Don't say you're sorry," Tara interrupted, her voice raw with pain.
Tara's heart screamed with the words she couldn't say. Please come back, Selena. Just tell me you love me, and I'll forget everything. We'll leave together, we'll be okay.
But silence fell heavy between them.
"Tara," Selena finally whispered, "I'm... I just think maybe... I've been holding you back."
A bitter laugh escaped Tara's lips, a sharp sound in the empty house.
"Selena," she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks, "Thank you for giving me the most unforgettable birthday I've ever had."