The Unsent Appeal Chapter 03
I washed my face and walked out of the bathroom.
I did my best to keep my voice steady.
“Where are my things?”
“Did you not bring my boxes when you moved?”
Mom froze for a second.
“There’s no room for you here. Why would we move your things?”
She paused, then added, “Kieran took those boxes.”
“He said he could keep them at his apartment for now.”
I called Kieran and told him I was on my way to get my things.
“Don’t come yet,” he said.
“Allison’s getting ready for a job hunt. I’m helping her polish her résumé.”
Allison again.
When I was looking for my first job out of college, I’d asked him to look over my résumé, too.
He’d said he was too tired from working overtime and told me to just look up templates online.
Now he was handling even bigger projects, but he still had time to go through my sister’s résumé line by line.
“Aren’t you busy?” I asked.
“You said that project has been keeping you at the office until midnight every day.”
Kieran sighed.
His voice was gentle, indulgent.
“What can I do?”
“The beauty queen says she wants to experience the working world, so of course I have to help her get ready.”
“I came straight here to work on her résumé after helping her set up her room.”
My throat felt tight.
I’d always admired Kieran for becoming a manager at a top consulting firm, and I’d sworn I would catch up to him.
So I worked hard, took on the projects no one else wanted, and fought my way to where I was now.
I thought I had finally earned a place beside him.
But Allison didn’t have to do a thing to get his time and his patience.
“The last few years have been hard on me, too.”
My voice started to shake. “You’ve never encouraged me like this.”
“You’ve never done this for me.”
His tone stayed soft, but his answer was brutal.
“Chloe, some people walk into a room and everyone just…notices them.”
“Allison’s like that.”
“It’s only natural that she gets more opportunities.”
He let out a quiet laugh.
“You’re not like her.”
“She’s the spotlight.”
“You’re more like wallpaper.”
My scalp prickled. My fingers went cold.
He was right. Allison had been the center of attention since the day she was born.
She didn’t have to work for it. People just handed her opportunities.
No matter how hard I tried, I was still just part of the background.
But Kieran hadn’t always talked like this.
He used to say, “Don’t worry about how other people see you.”
“What you do is what matters.”
“To me, you’re the best.”
Now I understood. My only value had ever been as a backdrop for Allison.
I hung up.
Allison walked over and pointed toward the stairs.
“Chlo, even if you don’t come back often, I still think you should have somewhere to sleep.”
“The attic is the only room left.”
“You can clear it out.”
“It’s small, but at least it’ll be yours.”
I was about to say I didn’t need it.
But the words caught in my throat.
Maybe, this time, she was actually trying to help me.
I carried the boxes and old furniture piece by piece into the storage area, going up and down the stairs again and again.
Even though I knew I would be leaving soon, I still wanted to belong in this family.
When the room was nearly cleared out, Mom shouted from behind me.
“Chloe Sinclair! What do you think you’re doing?”
I jumped. The box in my hands fell, spilling old decorations across the floor.
“Allison said this room could be mine.”
Mom rushed up and shoved me aside.
My foot missed the step, and I pitched forward toward the staircase.
I grabbed the railing just in time, saving myself from a bad fall.
“These are all Allie’s things!”
“Who said you could touch them?”
“You’re an adult. How can you still be so careless with other people’s things?”
Once I steadied myself, I pointed at Allison.
“She told me to move them.”
“She said this room was mine.”
Allison immediately threw up her hands.
“I never said that.”
“I just said you could tidy up the attic.”
“I never said you could move in here.”
I stared at her, stunned by the bald-faced lie.
Then I remembered I’d accidentally turned on my phone’s voice memo app. I took it out and played back what she had said.
“*…at least it’ll be yours.*”
I thought that once Mom heard the proof, she would have to admit Allison had lied.
Instead, she looked at me with disgust.
“Allie was being perfectly clear.”
“She just didn’t want you to feel bad while you were cleaning.”
“When did she ever say you could throw her things out?”
I didn’t cry.
Once you stop expecting anything, a strange calm settles in.
Mom pointed downstairs.
“Your sense of boundaries has gotten worse and worse.”
“Get out.”
“Come back when you’ve learned how to respect your family.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t look at her again.
I picked up my passport and my carry-on bag and walked right past her.
The company had already booked my flight to Dublin out of Logan that night.
The relocation company would collect the rest of my things from Kieran’s apartment.
I called a car and went straight to the airport.
This time, I was leaving for good.
And I wasn’t coming back.