Chapter 3
-----
Several years later...
Since that accident, the Watson family had officially adopted Yvette as their daughter.
From that very day, Aaron and Yvette became siblings. Aaron was overjoyed to finally have the little sister he had always wished for. He often spoiled her without restraint.
However, Yvette perceived that affection differently.
Now that she had grown into a teenager, the warmth between siblings had, in her heart, transformed into something else-something deeper. Love, not as family, but as a woman for a man.
Like right now.
Yvette rested her chin on both hands, staring at Aaron, who was focused on studying in his room.
Aaron had grown into a handsome and charismatic young man. At twenty years old, he stood tall at 180 cm, his presence striking.
Yvette, too, had blossomed into a beautiful young girl.
"Aaron~" Yvette called softly.
"Hmm," Aaron responded briefly without taking his eyes off his laptop. He was busy working on his college assignment.
Yvette smiled.
Her gaze lingered on his face.
"I love you," she confessed.
It was something Aaron had heard dozens-even hundreds-of times since they were children.
Aaron looked at her fondly.
"I love you too, my dear little sister," he said, gently stroking her long, silky hair.
Yvette pouted.
"Not that kind of love," she protested.
Aaron frowned slightly.
Yvette smiled, then suddenly grabbed both of his hands, holding them tightly. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.
Aaron fell silent for a moment.
"Will you... become my husband someday?" Yvette asked softly, though her voice was still clear enough for him to hear.
Aaron smiled.
"Of course I will," he answered casually, returning his focus to his work.
Yvette's face lit up with excitement. "Really?!"
"Yeah. I'd do anything for my beautiful little sister," Aaron replied.
"Yay!!!" Yvette cheered happily.
Aaron simply shook his head lightly.
She'll forget about it soon enough, he thought, assuming her words were nothing more than childish nonsense during puberty.
Several years later...
Yvette had just stepped out of the campus gates with her classmates. She was now nineteen years old.
One of her close friends, Gabriella, nudged her with her chin.
"Hey, your brother's here!"
Yvette looked ahead and saw a man in casual clothes standing beside a car.
Aaron.
He almost always came to pick her up.
"My husband, not my brother," Yvette corrected with a smile as she ran toward him, waving back at him.
But her steps suddenly halted midway.
A beautiful woman in a dress stepped out of the car.
A stranger Yvette had never seen before.
Who is she?
The question echoed in Yvette's mind.
The woman even waved at her.
And stood beside Aaron.
Why is she standing next to Aaron?
"Yvette, don't stop in the middle of the road," Aaron called out.
Yvette remained frozen.
A car honked loudly at her.
Honk!!!
She quickly moved aside.
"Hey! Do you think this road belongs to your ancestors?!" the driver snapped angrily.
Yvette still looked dazed.
"Yvette, are you okay?" Aaron asked worriedly. He took her backpack and placed an arm around her shoulders, guiding her into the car.
She sat in the back seat.
Not in the front, beside Aaron like usual.
Instead, that woman sat there.
"Aaron, who is she?" Yvette asked bluntly.
The woman turned around.
"Hi, I'm Belinda-Aaron's girlfriend."
"WHAT?!" Yvette's face turned pale with shock and disbelief.
Aaron could clearly read the displeasure in her expression.
"Break up with her!" Yvette ordered.
Belinda looked confused.
-----
Thud!
Yvette threw her bag onto the living room sofa carelessly.
"What's gotten into you, Yvette?!" Aaron protested, annoyed by her earlier behavior.
Back at the car, Yvette had forced Belinda to get out. Feeling bad, Aaron had ended up driving Belinda home instead. He had originally intended to introduce her properly to Yvette.
"What's gotten into me? You're the one cheating!"
"Cheating?"
"Yes, cheating! You promised you'd become my husband someday!"
Aaron fell silent.
He rubbed his temples slowly, not expecting his careless words from years ago to come back and haunt him.
"I love you, Aaron!" Yvette's tears began to fall.
"Yvette... what you feel is just sibling affection. Nothing more," Aaron explained gently, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
He didn't want his little sister to be hurt because of him.
Yvette brushed his hand away.
"No. This is love between a man and a woman. Not siblings."
"What's going on here?" Lily asked as she entered, seeing the two of them arguing.
"Mom~" Yvette cried, immediately hugging her.
"What happened, Aaron? What's wrong with Yvette?" Lily asked, confused.
Aaron scratched his head, frustrated.
"Explain," Lily demanded.
Even though Yvette was adopted, the Watson family loved her deeply-sometimes even more than Aaron.
"Mom, make Aaron break up with that awful girlfriend and accept my love," Yvette pleaded like a child asking for a toy.
Lily gently stroked Yvette's hair.
"Alright, I'll scold him first. You go back to your room. You haven't had lunch yet, right?" Lily said.
"Okay, Mom," Yvette replied before leaving without even glancing at Aaron.
A few minutes later...
"Just accept Yvette as your future partner," Lily said.
"Mom..."
"What's wrong with that, Aaron? You're not blood-related. The family would stay whole."
"That's not the issue, Mom."
"Then what is? Yvette has liked you for a long time. She's beautiful, cheerful, and kind to us. What more do you want?"
"It's impossible, Mom. I've always seen her as my little sister. I care about her as a brother would. I can't feel anything beyond that."
Unbeknownst to them, Yvette stood upstairs, secretly listening.
Tears streamed down her face.
"So... I've been loving him alone all this time," she whispered as she sank to the floor.
"What should I do? I don't want the person who has always loved me and protected me... to belong to someone else, God."
"Fine... if Aaron can't love me, then I'll make him love me starting now. I'll prove that my love is greater than hers."
Yvette's resolve hardened.
She didn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation.
"OH MY GOD, AARON?!" Lily gasped in shock, covering her mouth.
To be continued...
