A Love That Never Was

pulative sister, Jetta. On the day I was set to receive the prestigious Harrison Award, my

men who did it used Jetta's keycard and sneered that she

or, I made one last desperat

ore hanging up. "This is Jetta's big day

hing but a mess, and left a voicem

I saw the love in Hayden's eyes-not for me, but for Jetta. To th

r their neglect from my journal. But they've overlooked the one thing that will expose it

pte

oor of my cherished laboratory, a silent scream trapped in a throat that no longer existed. This wasn't ho

Footsteps, soft but deliberate, echoed on the flagstone. It was my mother, Beverly,

holes up in a literal dungeon on Jetta's big day?" Her voice, a

y seeing. She didn't notice the overturned chair, the scattered research notes, or the dark, growing stai

shed heels clicking impatiently. "Honestly, Jetta was so w

ently extinguished, her name was the first on their lips. My spirit felt a

e, darling, it's Mom. Where are you? The party starts in an hour, and Grandfather Crane is asking for Jetta. Don't you dare miss it. It's her residency graduation, a monumental day for the family. Try to make an effort, just for once. And please, do

th a sigh, she began to poke through my things. She picked up a framed photo of me with my research team, scoffed, and set it down face-firs

pausing at a stark number

ould she? She had no way of knowing that "99" wasn't a code, but a tally. Ninety-nine times I had felt their neglect. Ninety-nine moments of being dismissed, overloo

l onto a pile with other discarded papers. It landed with a soft thump, almost lost amidst the

a voice note from Hayden, my fiancé. His voice, usually so s

ow important this day is for her, for the family. Don't make a scene. Just come, okay? For her. We'll talk later abou

Hayden, the man I had promised to spend my life with, was

ity." She didn't even bother to close the lab door. The house grew quieter, but not truly silent. I coul

ather, was already holding court. He adjusted his perfe

ays trying to steal the spotlight." He turned to Camden, my older brother. "Go check on her, Camden. T

c, Dad. You know Cheslie. Always needs attention." He rolled his eyes, a

lways does." He had a way of speaking, a certainty in his pronouncements, that made it

ted between Camden and Kyle. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice a delicate whisper, barely audible over the music. "Is Cheslie still upset

aster manipulator. She knew exactly what to say, how to play the part. S

al vision: "You ruined everything, you witch. Enjoy your solitude." Instead, she typed something else, her lips curving into a practiced frown. "Cheslie, please, I hope you're okay. I

'll be fine. She's just being difficult, as usual. You always have such a big heart, worrying about her when it's your special day." Beverly stroked Jett

, a moment of their genuine regard. A single fleeting glance that said, "We see you, Cheslie. We va

rs, my grants, my groundbreaking research-they were all "academic pursuits," "less practical" than a surgeon's immediate impact. Kyle would praise Jetta for following in his footsteps, f

s family was to make myself small, to retreat into my work, where my worth was determined by data and discovery, not by the fickle affections of my bloodline. I had even, on several occasions, deliberately

ltimate attention-seeking stunt