Butterfly Lovers

In my final year of high school, my parents died, leaving me nothing but a crumbling brick house.

And yet, I somehow got myself a younger brother.

He was a second-year student at our school, at the top of his grade. But no one respected him. Even when he was bullied, the teachers turned a blind eye.

Why? Because even if others didn't beat him, his drunken father did it every day, while his cowardly mother never dared to fight back.

I dragged him home with all my strength, patched up his wounds, and kept him with me for several days.

Later, when his mother was beaten to death, I called the police and had his father arrested.

"Hey," I told him, "from now on, live with me. I don't have any family left. Call me sister, and I'll put you through school."

He dreamed of getting into a prestigious university. So I dropped out, set up a street stall, sold my own blood, and even took illegal jobs just to support him.

When he graduated, he said he wanted to start a business. I gave him every cent of my savings.

And then one day, I watched him stand beneath the dazzling lights, a radiant girl at his side, holding a trophy for a youth entrepreneurship award.

I looked down at the cancer diagnosis in my hands.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

In the end, I had raised him into someone I could no longer reach.

It was time for me to leave the stage.

When I rose to leave the hall, Ginny called out to me from behind.

Sean walked at her side. As they drew near, she slipped her arm naturally through his, her smile bright as she held out the trophy in her hands.

"Cass, this trophy should be yours. You're the reason he's achieved so much today."

I glanced at Sean. His expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever, but he gave a small nod.

"Take it," he said.

Inside, tears were already flooding my heart, yet I forced a smile as I accepted it.

'Let it be a keepsake for however many days I still have left. Perhaps, when the time comes, I'll place it in my urn and carry it with me to show my parents,' I thought.

"Look," I would tell them. "See how capable I was? I raised a successful businessman. Not only is he handsome, he's found himself a beautiful, gentle girlfriend…"

Before my tears could spill, I turned away and left.

Back home, I let my eyes roam across the small house. I had rented it the year Sean was admitted to university. Every corner held several years of memories.

That night, after packing my belongings, I made a pot of my secret hangover soup and sat waiting at the dining table in the living room.

When the clock hand swept past midnight, I finally heard the door open.

It was Ginny who helped him inside.

"Cass," she said quickly, "a few clients insisted on more drinks at the celebration tonight. I couldn't stop them. You won't blame me, will you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Help him into the bedroom. Get him changed into his pajamas."

Her face flushed red, and her eyes dropped as she bit her lip. "That wouldn't be proper… We're not even together yet. Sean never really pays me any attention."

"Don't worry," I said. "You'll be together someday. The way he smiles at you… it's more than I've seen from him in the past ten years."

The two of us helped him together, and Ginny spooned the soup into his mouth one sip at a time.

Soon, he stirred, mumbling in a haze, "Cass… shut down your noodle shop. I'll… buy you… a house… You rest…"

Before he could finish, he slipped back into deep sleep.

Ginny let out a sigh. "Cass, the company's just getting on its feet. Funds are tight…"

"I know," I replied. "I won't let him buy me a house. Your business matters more."

Then I turned, walked into the living room, and pulled my suitcase upright. "Ginny, I'll be away for a while. Tell him… goodbye for me."

With that, I pushed open the door and left without looking back.