Jealousy | Wen Junhui [EDITING]

Chapter 43

I woke up feeling groggy and unmotivated to get up. I turned to my right and saw Winter asleep on the pull out mattress below my bed, with her hair casually tangled up. She looked a great deal better - the swelling bruise on her face had gradually diminished, leaving a less painful-looking blue mark. I picked myself up slowly due to the sharp pain that pierced my muscles whenever I moved. The mirror reflected my miserable appearance though much less treacherously than the day before.

I decided to check on Caleb as well, to make sure that he did not sneak out or do anything stupid. I knocked forcibly on his door and asked him if he was there. I waited for an answer but only silence was what I received. At first I felt as if I didn't care whether he would open the door or not, so I left to cook breakfast; when I came back he still didn't budge. That was when I decided to go in without invitation. Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked.

"I swear if you snuck-" I started to ramble, but stopped as soon as I saw him sitting on his bed.

Caleb was hunched over, with his elbows resting on his thighs. His hair covered most of his face as he looked down in a depressed state.

"Get up, I made breakfast." I edged closer to my brother.

He still didn't budge.

"Or you can starve or whatever."

I slithered out of his dim room and helped myself to some toasty biscuits and butter. After four or five bites I grew full as my appetite deteriorated. In fact I felt like throwing up the few bites that served as my breakfast. Everything was twisted in my upside down world, and it all started with that single flicker of fire. With my swirling emotions in a frightful tempest, I clenched my fists out of habit and crumpled my biscuit. The chunks rained down from my hand, wasting a perfectly good breakfast.

With the remaining squashed biscuit, I flung it away from my touch and held back a sob. Though I could control and sometimes manipulate my feelings (from practising a form of self-hypnosis and strong self-motivation), the fact that I cared so much about my brother made it hard for me to cover up my sorrow and anger and not care about the situation.

"Tori..." Winter spoke.

I whipped my head in her direction then turned back to my clenched fists. Winter slipped next to me and rubbed my back, gently leading me into her arms.

"Bloody jerk..." she seethed.

Winter teared up when I cried into her shoulders; we sympathised with each other in melancholy sighs. A tragic serendipity; though the traumatizing events cursed us both, we still found solace in each others' flickering warmth. I quietly professed myself guilty of participating in the sadistic play, but I was so full of pride that it was easier to pin the blame on the main actor.

"Tori... There's something I need to talk to you about," Winter enfeebled.

I looked at her with full attention, beckoning her to go on.

"Were you going to tell me? A-about Hyungwon and... Ash?"

My jaws constricted, leaving me unable to utter a response.

"After all this time, he was engaged to her? A-and they left me in the dark, while I still like him."

"Winter..." I breathed. "I'm sorry I didn't realize how much it affected you. You had the right to know, but it wasn't in my place to tell you about Hyungwon and Ash's relationship. I'm sorry it hurts..."

Winter nodded and stayed quiet.

"How did you know...? Did Hyungwon tell you?" I asked.

Winter gulped and stayed unresponsive.