Chapter 13 Alone on New Year’s Eve
+8 Pearls
New Year’s Eve filled the streets with its usual buzz. It was the most significant and cherished holiday of the year, a time when the air buzzed with celebrations, family gatherings, and fireworks. Everywhere she looked, bright lights adorned the streets, and the sounds of firecrackers echoed in the air. It was a night made for joy and unity.
Meanwhile, in the afternoon, Joe informed Lilith that she would be spending her New Year’s Eve dinner by herself.
Without hesitation or protest, Lilith accepted the news with quiet acceptance.
Winifred, the maid who had always cared for her, had taken time off a few days earlier to be with her family for the holidays In her place, the Joneses had hired a temporary maid who was familiar with Lilith’s preferences and routines. The woman had prepared an extravagant meal for Lilith, something that could only be described as lavish.
However, when Lilith went downstairs for a drink, she immediately stopped the maid’s preparations. There was no way she could possibly eat all the food alone–let alone if five more people joined her.
The new maid, though, was incredibly determined. She seemed to think she could only show off her cooking abilities if she prepared a feast.
After some gentle persuasion, Lilith finally convinced her to scale the meal down to something more reasonable. The maid quickly adapted, efficiently arranging the dishes on the table and adding a rich, nourishing soup she’d been simmering for hours. She carefully placed fruits and arranged everything just so.
Lilith sat at the long table, feeling the emptiness of the space as she began to eat.
The room was well–lit and expansive, but she was alone. The maid had quietly slipped away after finishing the meal, probably to wait until Lilith had finished she could clean up afterward.
So
Outside, the continuous pop of firecrackers was replaced by the distant roar of fireworks shooting into the night sky. Against the vastness of the sky, their brilliance seemed even more intense.
As Lilith ate, a strange thought lingered in her mind. Why does it seem like my family dislikes me even more in this new life? Moving to a new home is one thing–it doesn’t matter where I live, after all.
But now, even the New Year’s Eve
Liner has been taken from i
Could it be because of the time I went to Dad to ask about changing schools, or when I spoke to Mom? Was that the turning point?
In a wealthy and powerful family, a child who wasn’t wanted, who was seen as easily replaceable, would naturally face isolation and rejection if they failed to live up to the family’s expectations.
Even though she could understand why things had turned out this way, Lilith didn’t believe she’d done anything wrong. She didn’t feel regret.
Since changing classes and leaving behind the old environment, she had found new friends, like Liana.
Though their lives seemed simple, almost as if they were characters in a video game destined for the same dull existence, they were still moving along, caught up in the flow of life. But so what?
At least she was happy now.
The more she reflected on it, the more certain she became that her decision had been the right one. Lilith even found herself eating faster, driven by newfound resolve.
When she finished, the maid still hadn’t returned, so Lilith decided to clean the table herself..
As soon as Lilith set her dishes down, the maid entered through the door, moving quickly and efficiently as she cleaned up. Once she finished, she smiled warmly and asked if Lilith needed anything else. Lilith shook her head.
With sincere eyes, the maid reminded Lilith to call her if anything came up, to which Lilith nodded in acknowledgment.
When Lilith headed upstairs, the distant crackle of fireworks still echoed in the air. She briefly considered asking Joe later if there were any leftover fireworks around the villa that she could use.
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9:27 PM
Chapter 13 Alone on New Year’s Eve
If not, she could always buy some herself, though she wasn’t sure if the nearby stores would still be open.
+8 Pearls
While lost in these minor thoughts, a sudden loud burst of fireworks from downstairs startled Lilith. She rushed to open the window, and the sky above lit up with a brilliant display of fireworks, bursting in vivid patterns of gold and silver, their light sparkling like precious metal fragments scattering through the night.
Lilith watched, spellbound by the beauty of it all, her mind wandering. She lost track of time until the display finally faded into the night.
As she glanced down, she saw Winona’s half–profile, her face composed and cool in the soft, flickering light.
A few minutes later, Joe brought several large boxes of fireworks and sparklers of various sizes.
But Winona barely seemed to notice, her attention drifting away as she gave them a quick, uninterested glance before returning her gaze downward.
Lilith couldn’t help but wonder how Winona, once so full of life and carefree as a child, had changed so drastically. Now, she seemed like a stranger–distant and filled with a quiet sadness, as if she were a grown–up hiding her burdens and secrets.
A pang of sorrow stirred within Lilith as she looked at her sister, the one she loved the most.
But in that moment, a thought crossed her mind–maybe she didn’t have the right to pity anyone anymore.
Winona was two years younger than Lilith. In the past life, she had skipped grades in both middle and high school and eventually joined Lilith in preparing for the college entrance exams.
When the results were released, their scores were as different as night and day. Lilith, making a rash decision, ended up at a mediocre university, while Winona went to a prestigious one in the same city. It was a school Lilith could only dream of attending. Although not far, it felt like an entirely different world.
Lilith had run into Winona a few times when she went out with her roommates, but in the crowd, no one would have guessed the two were sisters.
Then, in their sophomore year, Winona had gone abroad. Lilith remembered that year vividly–she had fallen terribly ill, feverish and delirious for days, with a dry throat and a hoarse voice, hearing only fragments of conversation around her. Words like “life” and “death” floated in and out of her consciousness.
During that time, Lilith had felt utterly miserable. She had woken from her feverish haze with a slow, foggy mind, her eyes dry and painful from the fever. Her body had ached with every movement, as if she had been hit by a truck.
For reasons unknown to her, whenever she got sick, her sleep was filled with nightmares. They grew darker and more disturbing with each night, offering no relief.
She remembered having pleasant dreams as a child, but they were fleeting and quickly forgotten. As she grew older, those dreams became fragmented and twisted, and the people in them watched from a distance, indifferent to her struggles.
It was around this time that Lilith had stumbled upon a news article about someone she knew. The article featured a photo of that man with a girl, shot from the back–one looked poised and graceful, the other elegant and glowing. Although the photos were blurry and the lighting dim, it was clear that both of them were attractive. Under the soft glow of the full moon, they seemed like the perfect match.
The article’s title and content were vague, hinting at the tender emotions shared between the young couple in the shadows, destined for a happy ending like a romance novel or fairy tale.
Lilith closed the page and lay back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. They’re happy, she thought. That’s good.
Maybe happiness was something rare, something meant for the brilliant, the intelligent, and the beautiful. People like her- ordinary and forgettable–would have to wait their turn.
And if the happiness ran out, all that would be left was pain, neglect, and sickness.
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