Samuel: What about your husband? You will be gone for at least three years. The two of you really need to sit down and talk this through properly.
Samuel cared deeply about her marriage and did not want any work changes to create more tension at home.
Eleanor almost told him the truth that they were heading for divorce, but then she remembered Samuel had gone through his own painful divorce years earlier, so she kept the words inside and simply replied.
Eleanor: Okay, I will handle it.
She set her phone down and noticed the time had already reached nine o'clock. Winslow still had not come home. She sent him a quick message asking where he was. An hour passed before his reply finally arrived, cold and distant.
Winslow: Eating dinner at your parents' place. You coming?
Before she could answer, another message popped up right away, carrying his usual edge of impatience.
Winslow: Never mind, don't bother. If you show up, everyone else will lose their appetite.
Her fingers froze over the keyboard. After a long moment, she gave a quiet, lonely smile.
He was right. To the Hopkins family, she had always been the extra piece that could be removed at any time.
They were the real family now. That house belonged to Winslow and Nicole.
After washing up, she turned off the lights and curled into bed without moving. The terror from the hijacking earlier that day and the heavy blood loss had drained every bit of strength from her body.
Yet because she had finally made her decision, a heavy weight seemed to lift from her chest. That night she slept deeply and peacefully. The next morning, when she arrived at work, she looked surprisingly fresh and full of energy.
The moment she stepped into the office at the terminal building, she saw Nicole moving from desk to desk with a big bag of apple slices, handing them out like treats. "Yesterday's hijacker was so terrifying. Thank goodness the special forces team rescued us. My heart is still racing. Here, everyone, take some snacks to calm your nerves."
The airline was mostly women, and Nicole knew exactly how to play her usual little games.
Free snacks might not cost much, but they worked wonders at buying loyalty.
So whenever she stirred up trouble, there were always plenty of people ready to stand behind her.
When Nicole turned and spotted Eleanor, her eyes narrowed with a meaningful smile. She spoke slowly and deliberately. "Especially my dear sister. Yesterday, she bravely stepped in as my hostage. I am so grateful. Here, take all the rest of these. Consider it my small way of saying thank you."
Eleanor glanced at the bag of apple slices and stayed perfectly still, offering no reaction at all.
Nicole immediately pouted, her eyes turning misty as if she might cry any second. She asked in a pitiful, trembling voice, "Eleanor, you won't even accept my snacks? Are you still angry with me? I didn't want any of that to happen yesterday either. It was Winslow who said you knew self-defense techniques. Please don't stay mad at me."
The moment those words left her mouth, her colleagues exchanged quick glances and jumped right in.
"Some big sister, holding a grudge over one little thing... Isn't it her job to protect her younger sister anyway?"
"Exactly. If the Hopkins family hadn't taken her in back then, who knows where she would be right now, probably still out on the streets."
One comment after another, the familiar attack rolled over her.
Eleanor pressed her lips together tightly. A wave of endless exhaustion rose inside her, and the wound on her forehead began to throb again.
She had always yielded to Nicole on everything, yet Nicole never stopped targeting her. No matter how much she gave in, Nicole remained an endless pit that could never be filled.
In the past, Winslow would have stepped forward and defended her with a few calm words. But now...
The very man she was thinking about walked through the door at that moment, still wearing the same clothes from the day before.
Eleanor's lips formed a straight line. She reminded herself that none of it mattered anymore. She was leaving soon. Whether he came home or who he spent time with had nothing to do with her life now.
"What's everyone talking about? Sounds pretty lively in here."
The second Nicole saw him, her eyes lit up. She immediately put on her most wounded expression and told him how Eleanor had refused both her apology and the little snacks.
Winslow's gaze landed on the bag of apple slices and paused for a brief second.
Eleanor's eyes brightened with a tiny spark of hope.
Everyone else might not know, but Winslow knew better than anyone that she was severely allergic to apples.
Just as she thought he would speak up and mention it, Winslow swept his eyes over her with cool indifference and a hint of disapproval. He said, "After all, you are her older sister. Families should stay on good terms. Don't let other people laugh at us. Just eat them."
Aksara