The Calm After the Storm

"Emma, you've been stubborn since you were little, and I've put up with it for so long.

"Anna won the prize fair and square. You’re accusing her of stealing your design, but where's your proof? Without evidence, you're just making things up."

"Emma, I swear I didn't copy your design.

"You've never liked me, so when would I even have gotten the chance to touch your computer?"

Feeling upset, Anna just crumbled into Walter's arms.

I whipped around to face Matthias.

My computer was always in the study.

He spent a lot of time there too.

Matthias looked away, his guilt clear.

Was it not obvious what was going on?

"Emma, just look at yourself."

Walter towered over me, all high and mighty.

He flung a bracelet at me, and it clattered to the floor by my feet.

"I can't figure out why I ever liked you."

I was about to snap back at him, but then I saw the necklace Anna was wearing.

My whole body shook with anger when I recognized it.

It was the tulip diamond necklace Mom had left for me.

"Matthias, how could you give her Mom's necklace?"

I pointed at Anna, my eyes blazing.

Matthias bit his lip, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Emma..."

Anna was already crying, trying to take off the necklace.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I didn't realize it was from your mom. I'll return it right away."

Her tears kept falling.

Matthias could not stand to see her sad. "Anna, keep it. I gave it to you."

He turned to me. "It's just some jewelry. Anna likes it, so she should have it.

"I'll get you an even nicer one, Emma."

My heart felt like it was being sliced open, and my voice shook as I said, "Mom left that to me, Matthias. You can't just decide what to do with it.

"I'd rather destroy it than let that woman's daughter have it!"

Matthias's face turned red with a mix of shame and anger for just a second. "Emma, you shouldn't be so mean to Anna.”

"She's got nothing to do with our family’s past rivalries.”

Anna was crying, her face in her hands.

Walter stepped up and wrapped his arms around her. "Emma, that's enough!" he said.

"It's just a silly old necklace. Let her have it."

He yanked off the necklace and threw it down hard. "Come on. I'll buy you a new one that’s way nicer and more expensive."

Matthias looked at me and let out a heavy sigh. "Emma, why do you always have to be like this and cause such a fuss?

"Anna's already having a tough time, yet you just can't seem to let her be.

"Can't you try to be a little nicer? You should be more ladylike.”

"Emma, you've won plenty of design competitions before. You'll have other chances to win big.

"Anna really needs this win. It'll help her make a name for herself so the Reagle family accepts her."

He reached out to help me up. "Emma..."

"Go away!" I pushed his hand off and started to laugh.

"Brother." That was the last time I would ever call Matthias that and the last time I would ever look at him for real.

"You'll get what's coming to you," I told him.

Matthias frowned but could not look me in the eye. "Emma, I'll make it up to you," he said.

Then, he ran off after Walter and Anna.

I knelt down, picked up the necklace, and held it close to my heart. I was frozen in place for what felt like forever.

I did not shed even a single tear.

It turned out that when a person felt the most devastated they had ever felt, they would not even be able to cry.

The sun dipped below the horizon.

A blood-red glow swallowed everything.

The television said it would get hotter in the next few days.

It was dry, so we had to be careful about fires.

It was late at night.

I tossed a bunch of old letters into the flames and then grabbed a photo.

Walter and Matthias were standing next to me in the photo, both of them grinning as if it were the best day ever.

Their smiles just seemed silly now.

The photo burned up, and their grins turned to ashes.

The firelight filled my eyes.

As the flames ate the letters, I caught a few words.

My brother had written, "I'll always love and protect my sister. I’ll make sure Emma stays a little princess forever."

Walter had promised, "I'll marry Emma when I'm older, and we'll have two amazing kids—a big brother and a little sister."

They had been so serious when they made those promises.

They said I was more important to them than anything.

Those letters were old and yellow now.

The black writing had faded, just like their silly promises had.

The last of the letters burned, hot against my fingers.

I let it fall onto my dress on the floor.

The fire got bigger, catching the curtains and a wooden box, and smoke poured outside.

I just stood there, my face hot from the blaze around me and tears in my eyes from the smoke.

Walter called me out of the blue.

I did not pick up.

Matthias called right after.

I ignored him too.

I was about to block their numbers when Walter sent me a message on Messenger.

[Emma, remember that Anna is your sister no matter what.]

[I really hope you can be happy for her during the big moments in her life. She wants your blessing too.]

[Tomorrow, I'll pick up some jewelry you like and bring it to you. Try not to be stubborn anymore, okay?]

Matthias sent a message too.

[Emma, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll do better from now on.]

[I'll get another necklace made just like the one Mom gave you. Can you please forgive me?]

I felt like laughing. Finally, I could not hold back the laughter, even though tears were streaming down my face.

I sent two messages back.

To Walter: [She’ll never have my blessing. I hope she and her mom end up in the inferno.]

To Matthias: [Why don't you ask Mom to forgive you instead?]

After sending those, I blocked them and erased all their contact information.

I grabbed my suitcase, took one last look at the memory-filled villa, turned around, and walked away without a backward glance.

I had dealt with everything that mattered. I had nothing left to hold onto now.

Not long after I left, the wind knocked a candle over.

It started as a tiny flame.

However, the dry air made the fire grow bigger and bigger.

Eventually, it swallowed up the whole villa.

The house that had been full of so many memories was now just a pile of ashes.