I’m Done Letting My Sister Take It All Chapter 01
My sister, Katherine Guzman, fell ill, but she refused to take her medicine, insisting she wanted a Bakewell tart from Yorkshire.
When my fiancé, Earl Christopher Hinchcliffe, heard about it, he immediately sent people to fetch one overnight.
Later, I came down with a persistent cough that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Craving something sweet, I begged him to buy me some honey.
He did bring back a jar, but he took it straight to Katherine. As for me, all I got was a single hard candy. “Too much sugar is bad for your teeth, Clare. This will help just as well.”
Seeing my distress, my brother, Matthew Guzman, shook his head. “If it weren’t for Kate talking him into it, Lord Hinchcliffe would’ve called off the engagement long ago. You’re robust, Clare. You don’t actually need the honey. Stop making a fuss.”
But I was the one who had known Christopher first.
He used to adore my lively, spirited nature.
So why did I now need Katherine’s persuasion just to keep this engagement intact?
As I thought back on everything, the difference in how he treated us became painfully clear. Anything Katherine wanted, Christopher always found a way to get for her. But whenever I wanted something, it somehow slipped his mind.
Even my parents believed I was unimaginably lucky to secure this engagement. When they saw that I had failed to win his heart, they actually told me to let Katherine have him instead.
I simply nodded. “Alright.”
***
Mom looked at me, guilt flickering in her eyes.
“Clare… I know Lord Hinchcliffe is supposed to be your fiancé. But he and Kate have grown close, and their feelings for each other are stronger.
“Love can’t be forced. Lord Hinchcliffe may still feel grateful to you for helping him in the past. But what happens when that gratitude fades one day?”
I sat quietly in my chair, the words “grown close” echoing in my mind.
When had it started? When had they grown so close?
I replayed the memories in my head carefully and realized—it must have begun the day I returned home.
Back then, Katherine had just come back from a garden party at the royal palace. Dressed in a flowing white gown, she looked graceful and ethereal. Christopher stood beneath the veranda. As he watched her approach, he looked dazed, as if captivated.
He had even turned to me and asked, “Clare, how come you’re nothing like Kate?”
At the time, I hadn’t understood the meaning behind those words.
I had simply lifted my chin proudly and replied, “Of course! She’s the most beautiful girl in the world.”
From that day on, Christopher started visiting more often, using the excuse of discussing studies with Matthew to get close to Katherine.
Katherine was exceptionally gifted in literature. Though she and Matthew were twins, Matthew was far less talented in that regard. As for me, I’d never cared much for books; all I ever loved was climbing trees in the woods.
So whenever the three of them gathered to read or discuss poetry, I would inevitably doze off nearby.
Once, while I was drifting off, Christopher drew a turtle on my face. When I woke up, I found the three of them laughing out loud.
“You’re just like a turtle, Clare—clumsy, slow, and terribly fond of sleep,” Christopher teased, tapping my forehead with a grin.
Embarrassment flushed through me, and a bitter ache rose in my chest.
Katherine quickly wiped the ink off with her handkerchief and shot Christopher a playful glare. “A girl’s face is delicate. Don’t tease Clare like that again.”
As Christopher begged for forgiveness, my mood instantly brightened again. “If you ever dare bully me again, I’ll have Kate stand up for me!”
Things like that happened again and again in the days that followed.
Then, last month, Katherine fell ill. She refused to take her medicine, insisting she wanted a Bakewell tart from Yorkshire.
Christopher immediately sent people to fetch it overnight. When the pastry arrived, he tucked it inside his coat, keeping it warm against his chest.
As I walked into the front hall, I saw him rushing past me, carefully cradling the tart as he hurried toward Katherine’s room.
I called out his name, but he didn’t even hear me. I could only watch as he presented the pastry to Katherine as though she were royalty.
“Kate, your Bakewell tart is here,” he cooed. “Now, please take your medicine. How will you recover if you refuse your pills?”
Mom sighed fondly from the bedside. “You naughty girl. How could you ask Lord Hinchcliffe to send someone all the way to Yorkshire overnight? Now that it’s here, take your medicine already.”
Matthew added with a chuckle, “Christopher spoils you far too much. He sent word in the middle of the night and paid a small fortune just to have the bakers at Bluemoon Bakery make this one tart for you.”
Katherine took a delicate bite, wrinkling her nose playfully. “Christopher, don’t try to fool me. If this isn’t from Bluemoon Bakery, I’d know the difference.”
Christopher quickly assured her, “If it isn’t, I’ll send someone to fetch another one at once.”
Only then did Katherine continue eating in satisfaction. When only two pieces remained, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh dear, I completely forgot. Did Clare get any?”
Mom waved her hand dismissively. “It’s already late. Clare’s definitely asleep. No need to wake her for sweets.”
“Indeed,” Matthew chimed in. “It’s not like she’s never had a tart before.”
Christopher added gently, “I’ll bring her some cake tomorrow instead.”
Standing outside the door, I felt a lump rise in my throat. But after thinking about it, cake sounded nice too.
So I quietly returned to my room, thinking Christopher would bring me cake in the morning.
But the next morning, instead of cake, he brought an amulet from the church.
My heart warmed at the sight of it. A blessed amulet was way more meaningful than cake.
Yet the moment I reached out for it, he pulled it back and held it against his chest. “Clare, stop it. This is for Kate. She’s been sick for quite a while, so I bought this for her recovery.”
A dull heaviness settled in my chest. “Then what about me?”
Christopher paused, looking puzzled. “What do you mean? You are perfectly healthy, Clare. Why would you need an amulet?”
Later, when Christopher came again with two kites and asked where Katherine was, the stark disparity in how he treated us finally struck me with painful clarity.
In my fury, I blocked his path, refusing to let him see her.
“Christopher, I’m your fiancée, aren’t I? So why do you keep running around trying to win over another woman?”
The words had barely left my mouth when Matthew slapped me across the face.
“Clarice! How dare you call her ‘another woman’!” he roared. “Kate is your sister! Since when did you become this jealous?
“You spent five years in the mountains accompanying the Queen Dowager, didn’t you? Weren’t you supposed to learn patience and composure? How did you end up like this instead?”
Dad stepped into the room, his face dark with anger.
“How could you envy your own sister?” he barked. “Go to the basement. Stay there until you have properly reflected on your mistake.”
Wiping my tears away, I turned and rushed out.