I opened the closet, ready to tell Avery she was overthinking things. Inside the six-meter-long wardrobe, there were only a few scattered pieces of my clothes hanging in the corner. After organizing them, Avery simply locked the bedroom door from the outside, knocking as a brief acknowledgment before leaving.
“Dennis, just stay in there until evening. The villa’s already been exposed, so to avoid being photographed at home, just bear with it,” she said, then left.
From downstairs, I could occasionally hear Avery and Bryan laughing and joking around. As it approached noon, Avery began to busy herself in the kitchen.
Before long, I heard Bryan’s voice. “Avery, there’s still someone upstairs. The food you’re making for the three of us might not be enough.”
Avery’s reply came back in her usual calm tone, “It’s fine. He’ll just have to deal with it for now.”
“No worries, I’ll just order some takeout for him later,” Bryan said with a chuckle.
“He’s got some superpower—won’t feel hungry even if he doesn’t eat all day.”
Bryan’s laughter grew louder.
“Really? I’d like to see that. Avery, I don’t have that special ability, so you can’t let me go hungry,” he teased.
After a moment of playful banter, Avery’s soft voice replied sweetly, “I know, I wouldn’t let my baby go hungry. Look, all these dishes today are your favorites....”
I leaned against the bedroom door, listening to the faint sounds of affection coming from downstairs.
It felt like someone had a tight grip on my chest, a dull ache spreading through me.
Back then, when Avery was just a tiny, unknown actress barely scraping by in the industry, I was by her side every day, running from one audition to the next, too busy to even sit down for a meal.
More importantly, I truly had no money in my pocket. At that time, I had fallen out with my family over Avery, so I’d often joke with her about having some superpower that meant I never got hungry. Avery cried many times because of that line, but now, it seems she just uses it as a weapon to mock me.
Now it doesn’t matter what kind of ‘image’ we were portraying—love was just gone...
I stayed in the upstairs room until the early hours, my stomach cramping from hunger. I started pounding on the door, worried something might happen to me. Avery eventually came upstairs and opened the door for me.
She saw me drenched in sweat, my brow furrowed with pain. “Dennis, did you not think to open a window in the room? You don’t like using cologne, but you sweat so much it’s really noticeable, you know?”
The memory of the overpowering scent of men’s cologne on Avery from the night before hit me like a wave, and I couldn’t stop myself from gagging. Avery flinched slightly, her face twisting in irritation.
Without missing a beat, she stepped back and headed downstairs, muttering under her breath, “Dennis, you’re insufferable. Just pack your things and go already. You’re nothing but a nuisance.”
As her footsteps faded, I heard her voice change, now light and teasing. “See, Bryan? I told you he’s got some kind of superpower—he’s still alive.”
Downstairs, Bryan was lounging on the couch with Avery practically draped over him, her head resting against his chest. He had one arm wrapped tightly around her while the other lazily reached for a slice of fruit. When he spotted me, he didn’t bother to stand. Instead, he tightened his hold on Avery and let out a chuckle.
“Superman brother,” he said with a mocking grin, “let’s leave it at that. Take care out there—and, oh, try not to get caught by the paparazzi.”
Avery snuggled closer into him, her voice syrupy as she said, “You’re the best, Bryan.”
He didn’t look at me again. His focus was back on the movie, his fingers idly brushing Avery’s arm as if I wasn’t even there.
I couldn’t stand another second in that house. I slipped on my shoes, yanked the door open, and left without a word.
Once outside, I leaned heavily against the closed door, exhaling a long, weary sigh.
The air felt fresher out here, but it didn’t stop the bitterness that lingered in my chest.
