I got back from my business trip, dragging my suitcase behind me and carrying gifts for my family.
I slid my key into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn.
I thought the lock was broken.
I was just about to knock when an iMessage from my sister, Allison, popped up on my screen.
*Mom, don’t forget to buy a few pink throw pillows for my new room.*
I hadn’t even had time to reply before she unsent the message.
I stood there, phone in hand, my finger hovering over the keyboard.
They had moved. And no one had told me.
A second later, Mom called.
“Chloe, things have been such a whirlwind with the move. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you.”
“The new house is in Wellesley. I’ll send you the address. We’re—”
My brother, Tyler, cut her off.
His voice was distant, but his words came through perfectly clear.
“Why tell her? There’s no room for her here anyway.”
Then he reminded Mom, “The room with the best light is for Allie.”
“Don’t go giving her the wrong idea.”
My breath hitched.
“Right,” I managed to say. “Well, as long as you all like the new house.”
My phone screen had already gone dark.
Only then did I realize Mom had hung up before I’d even finished speaking.
Fighting back tears, I opened a rideshare app and put in the address for my boyfriend, Kieran Whitaker.
He was the only person I felt I could still trust.
Ever since we were kids, Allison had been the center of everyone’s world.
Standing beside her, I often felt like an invisible piece of furniture.
But Kieran had told me that in his heart, I would always come first.
While I waited for the car, I opened Instagram and saw a post he’d just uploaded.
*When a pretty girl wants a princess room, your only job is to haul paint cans for her.*
The photo showed a freshly painted, pale pink wall.
Plush pillows were piled beside it, their price tags still attached.
The man who swore I would always come first was decorating Allison’s room.
I canceled the ride, opened my work email, and accepted the position of Deputy Managing Director at the Dublin branch.
The company had already arranged my work permit, but because I’d turned them down before, everything had been put on hold.
They all thought they could live without me.
Fine. Starting today, I was on my own side.
The Unsent Appeal Chapter 07 “She’s just a regular employee.” The polite smile vanished from the executive’s face. “Mrs. Sinclair, this is a Fortune 500 company.” “We don’t have ‘regular employees’ here.” “When Chloe first joined us, her résumé wasn’t particularly impressive.” “But she never turned down a last-minute business
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The Unsent Appeal Chapter 06 I could only eat whatever was made at home. If I ever voiced an opinion, my parents would say I was a picky eater and not nearly as easygoing as Allison. Eventually, I learned to finish every food I disliked and stopped saying what I liked altogether.
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The Unsent Appeal Chapter 05 My parents were both worried and angry. “She ended her lease without a word. Does she even think of us as her parents?” “We criticize her a little, and now she runs off where no one can find her?” Tyler leaned against the wall in the hallway.
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The Unsent Appeal Chapter 04 My parents must have felt they’d gone too far the night before, and they probably didn’t want me holding a grudge against Allison, either. Early the next morning, they put together a full breakfast spread and called me. In the past, I would have picked up right away.
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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
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The Unsent Appeal Chapter 02 Allison looped her arm through Mom’s. “I don’t like that wardrobe.” “It’s from the old house. It doesn’t match this place at all.” “Can we go order a new one?” Mom’s face lit up, her smile deepening the lines around her eyes. “Of course. We
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The Unsent Appeal Chapter 01 I got back from my business trip, dragging my suitcase behind me and carrying gifts for my family. I slid my key into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn. I thought the lock was broken. I was just about to knock when an iMessage from my sister,
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