I’m Done Warmng Your Cold Heart

On the day the school district posted the disciplinary notices for the AP exams, my mildly autistic younger sister, Chloe, took a three-hour bus ride to my house.

She stood outside my study door for a long time, clutching the notification stamped with Cheating Investigation Pending in red ink, before she finally found the courage to walk in.

"Julian... I was the only one in that testing room. I swear I didnt cheat."

Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she was terrified of bothering anyone.

My husband, Julian Carter, was the Head of the Academic Integrity Board. Nobody knew the rules of single-student testing rooms better than him. Yet, he didnt even look up from his laptop.

"Being alone in the room doesnt prove your innocence, Chloe. If you have a grievance, take it up with the Ethics Committee."

Chloe froze.

Her hand, which had been reaching out to show him the paper, hovered in the air. She didnt know what to do with herself.

Slowly, she folded the letter and stuffed it back into the pocket of her faded denim jacket.

It was a clean jacket. She had ironed it herself just to look presentable for Julian.

My throat tightened.

But as I turned my head, my eyes caught the document open on Julians laptop screen.

*Application for the 'Academic Integrity Star' and Early Decision Ivy League Recommendation for Scarlett Vance.*

Scarlett Vance. She was the younger sister of Serena VanceJulians first love, his "one that got away." She was also the sole witness who had reported my sister for cheating.

There was zero security footage, zero physical evidence. It was just Scarlett's word against Chloe's.

As Chloe bent down to tie her sneakers at the entryway, her knee hit the shoe cabinet with a dull thud.

She quickly waved her hand at me, trying to smile.

"Im fine, Nina. Julian is busy. Don't let me get in the way of his important work."

I stood by the door, my fingernails digging deep into my palms.

This neglected, emotionally exhausting marriageI was completely done with it.

"Nina? Why are you just standing by the door staring into space?"

Julian walked out of the study, holding an empty coffee mug.

"Chloe didn't bring an umbrella. Its pouring outside."

I turned around to grab the umbrella from the entryway rack.

"Shes a grown girl. She can just call an Uber," Julian said smoothly.

His tone was warm and gentle.

It was as if the cold, power-tripping man in the study just minutes ago didn't exist.

"She has autism, Julian. When it rains, she gets too overwhelmed to even speak to strangers. She cant call an Uber."

I quickly slipped on my shoes and ran out into the pouring rain.

By the time I reached the bus stop, the last bus heading to the outer suburbs was already pulling away.

The icy rain pelted my face, freezing me to the bone.

When I got back home, I didnt even take off my soaked coat. I marched straight to the living room medicine cabinet.

Chloe had gotten drenched. She was already physically weak from the stress, and the last time she ran a high fever, she almost had a seizure.

I opened the white first-aid kit.

The three boxes of imported cooling patches and liquid fever reducers that I always kept on the top shelf were gone.

"Don't bother looking, Nina."

Julian walked in from the balcony, just finishing a phone call.

He casually took off his suit jacket and handed it to me.

"Scarlett caught a cold from the rain and was sneezing. She has a delicate immune system, so I stopped by and gave her those meds just in case."

He said it so naturally, as if he were merely telling me what he wanted for dinner.

My hand holding the empty medicine box froze in mid-air.

"Chloe almost had a seizure the last time she had a fever. Those specific meds were prescribed and imported just for her."

I stared at him, my voice cracking.

Julian sighed, walking over to wrap his arms around me.

"Don't be so sensitive all the time, Nina."

"Chloe has autism. Her pain tolerance is much higher than normal people."

"But Scarlett is different. She has a major art exhibition tomorrow. She cant afford to be sick."

"Be a good girl. You can just buy more for Chloe tomorrow."

I took a step back, dodging his touch.

"Those are Chloes emergency meds. You didn't even bother to ask me before giving them all to Scarlett?"

Julian frowned slightly, looking at me with the patronizing patience one might show to a throwing-tantrum child.

"Scarlett is Serenas sister. Serena trusted me to look after her before she moved to Europe."

"I can't just stand by and watch her sickness ruin her future."

"Besides, Chloes disciplinary case isnt finalized yet, and Scarlett is the key witness."

"If you treat Scarlett a little better right now, maybe she'll soften up and drop the cheating accusation against Chloe."

I stared at the handsome, sophisticated man in front of me.

He always found the most noble excuses to justify his cruelest actions.

"Chloe did not cheat," I said, pronouncing every single word clearly.

"She was the only one in that room."

"Scarlett accuses her with zero proof, and you just blindly believe her."

"You'd rather trust an outsider than my sister?"

Julian rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted.

"I am the Head of the Academic Integrity Board. I have to be responsible for all students."

"Scarlett has been an honors student her whole life. She has no reason to frame Chloe."

"And let's be realChloe can barely speak a coherent sentence on normal days. How could she suddenly solve the extra-credit advanced calculus problem at the end of the exam?"

He turned toward the bathroom.

"Is my bath ready? I have an important district board meeting tomorrow morning."

I stood frozen, watching his tall back walk away.

We had been married for three years. To take care of his daily life, I had resigned from my dream job as a senior data analyst.

I thought my sacrifices and patience would buy his respect and care for Chloe.

But instead, he dragged my boundaries through the mud just to please his ex-girlfriend's sister.

"Run the water yourself," I said quietly.

Julian stopped in his tracks and looked back at me, seemingly surprised.

"Nina, stop throwing a tantrum. Go make me some hot ginger soup. I want it after my bath."

He wasn't angry. He just spoke in that usual, commanding tone, absolutely certain that I wouldn't dare refuse him.

I ignored him completely. I pulled out my phone and called Chloes landlady.

"Hi, Mrs. Gable. Could you please check on Chloe for me? If she has a fever, please call me immediately."

After hanging up, I threw Julians suit jacket onto the sofa.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

I walked out to the balcony, staring into the pitch-black, rainy night.

My phone screen lit up. It was a Snapchat message from Scarlett.

"Thanks for the meds, Nina! Julian is such a lifesaver. The cooling patches work like a charm! ??"

Attached was a selfie of her with a cooling patch on her forehead. The background was the luxurious leather interior of the sports car Julian had gifted her.

I didn't reply. I just swiped left on her chat and deleted it.

The rain grew heavier, rattling against the glass.

One by one, I turned off all the lights in the living room.

Julian came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.

"Nina, wheres my soup?"

In the darkness, the only sound was the water dripping from his towel onto the floor.

"I didn't make any," I said from the sofa, my voice flat.

He paused, then switched on the light.

"What is wrong with you today? Are you seriously throwing a fit over a few boxes of cheap medicine?"

"Fine. Tomorrow Ill have my assistant buy ten boxes and send them to Chloe. Satisfied?"

He walked over, towering over me.

"I've had a exhausting day at work. Can you please be a little supportive?"

I looked up into his eyes.

"Julian, do you honestly think this is just about a few boxes of medicine?"

His frown deepened.

"Then what? What else do you want me to do?"

"Go apologize to Chloe? Or humiliate Scarlett?"

"Nina, youre an adult. Stop acting like a prickly teenager."

I looked down, digging my nails into my palms.

I didn't say another word.

Because I realized that no matter what I said, in this man's eyes, I would always be the one who was "unreasonable."

He honestly believed that a few cheap favors could always keep me quiet and obedient.

I stood up, walked past him, and headed to the bedroom.

"Im staying somewhere else for a few days starting tomorrow."

Julian let out a soft, arrogant chuckle behind me.

"Sure. Take a few days to cool off. Just don't forget to pack my daily stomach meds into my organizer before you go."

The next morning, carrying the newly bought medicine and cooling patches, I took a three-hour bus ride to the rundown suburban trailer park where Chloe lived.

When I pushed the door open, the room smelled of damp mold.

Chloe was curled up on her single bed, her forehead burning hot.

Biting back my tears, I gave her the medicine and placed a fresh cooling patch on her forehead.

She was delirious with fever, but her hand was clutching a piece of drawing paper with a death grip.

"Nina... didn't... didn't cheat..." she mumbled.

I gently pried her fingers open and pulled the paper out.

It was a drawing of a sunflower, completely filled with complex numbers and intersecting lines.

To anyone else, it looked like random, chaotic graffiti. But I knew better. This was Chloe's encrypted visual diary.

Because of her autism, she used this unique system to record everything that happened to her daily.

By noon, Chloe's fever finally broke.

She sat up, carefully smoothing out the drawing on the desk, and began adding more numbers with a pencil.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

I went to open it.

Julian was standing outside holding a fruit basket.

Beside him was Scarlett, wearing a designer dress and holding a Starbucks iced latte.

"Nina, I brought Scarlett to see Chloe," Julian said warmly.

He walked right in, putting the fruit basket on a scratched coffee table.

"While you're here, make some homemade lobster bisque for Scarlett. She said she's craving it."

He wasn't here to visit my sick sister.

He was here to order me around.

I stared at his entitled face and didn't move an inch.

"There's no lobster here, and there's no kitchen for that."

Scarlett wandered around the tiny studio, pinching her nose in disgust.

"Julian, this place is so gross and sketchy. The air smells weird."

She walked over to Chloe's desk, her eyes landing on the paper.

"Ooh, what's this?"

She reached out to grab Chloes drawing.

Like a cat getting its tail stepped on, Chloe violently lunged forward to shield the paper.

"Don't... Don't touch it!" Chloes voice shook with terror.

Scarlett gasped, taking a step back and looking at Julian with pouty, tearful eyes.

"Julian, I just wanted to look at it. Why is Chloe being so mean to me?"

Julians face darkened. He walked over and grabbed Chloe by her shoulder.

"Chloe, stop being rude."

Scarlett stared at the drawing, a calculating glint in her eyes.

"Julian, my art exhibition tomorrow is actually missing a piece of modern abstract art."

"This messy drawing actually fits my theme of 'Chaos and Order' perfectly."

She tugged at Julians sleeve, whining.

Without a second thought, Julian reached down and snatched the drawing right out from under Chloes arm.

"Be good, Chloe. It's just a piece of scrap paper."

"Scarlett needs this for her portfolio to get into her dream college. Think of the bigger picture."

"I'll buy you a strawberry cake later."

Chloe panicked. Lacking the words to express her distress, she desperately reached out to grab it back.

"Give it back! It's mine!"

In the struggle, Chloe's wrist slammed hard against the sharp metal edge of the desk.

There was a sickening *thud*.

Chloe pulled her hand back, whimpering.

The fair skin on the back of her hand instantly swelled up, a dark purple bruise forming at a terrifying speed.

She didn't cry out loud. She just bit her lip raw, tears welling up in her eyes.

I rushed over, shielding Chloe behind my back.

"Julian, give the drawing back. Now." I glared at the paper in his hand.

Julian handed the drawing to Scarlett and looked at me coldly.

"Nina, is this how you raise your sister?"

"Scarlett is just borrowing it. She'll return it."

"A childs scribble helping Scarlett win an award is a blessing for Chloe."

"Do you really have to make everyone miserable over such a trivial thing?"

Scarlett held the drawing, a smug smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't be so stingy, Nina."

"Once I win the prize, maybe I'll buy Chloe a nice dinner."

Looking at Chloe's bruised hand, the last bit of warmth in my heart turned into absolute ice.

"Get out."

I pointed at the door.

Julians expression turned icy.

"Nina, look at yourself. Youve become so toxic."

"I brought Scarlett here out of the kindness of my heart, and this is how you treat us?"

"You seriously need to fix your attitude."

He took Scarletts hand.

"Lets go, Scarlett. Let your sister cool her head first."

The door slammed shut.

The room fell into a dead silence.

Looking at the empty desk, Chloe finally let her tears fall.

"Nina... my drawing..."

I knelt down, gently stroking her hair.

"Don't worry, Chloe. I will get it back for you. I promise."

I stood up, pulled out my phone, and opened a hidden data analysis software backup folder.

Julian thought it was just a piece of scrap paper.

He had no idea that the numbers on that paper recorded the exact timestamps and evidence of Scarlett destroying Chloes AP exam prep sheets.

I watched the data codes flashing on my screen.

All the pain and humiliation I had suffered during this marriage transformed into a freezing, calculated calm.

I wasn't going to yell anymore.