The Daughter They Never Chose

I bought three window AC units for my family with my very first paycheck.

But when I pushed the front door open after a grueling shift, my bedroom still felt like an absolute oven.

Instead of the cool breeze I had paid for, there was nothing but a massive, heavy watermelon sitting on my mattress.

My mom patted the thick green rind, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

"I moved the AC units into Zack's and Serena's rooms. There was an extra one, so we put it in Serena's art studio. You can just sleep with this cold watermelon tonight, Chloe. It'll cool you down just fine."

My mouth opened, but the tight, suffocating pain in my chest choked back any words.

She had completely forgotten.

Only last month, I had been rushed to the ER with severe heatstroke.

When I was discharged, the doctor explicitly warned that I couldn't be exposed to extreme heat again.

I turned my head toward the art studio at the end of the hallway.

The crisp, cool air was practically leaking through the crack of the door.

My dad was adjusting the easel light for my sister, Serena.

My brother, Zack, was holding a plate of freshly sliced cold watermelon, feeding it to her piece by piece.

And Luke, my boyfriend of three years, was holding the remote, carefully adjusting the AC vent for her.

"Let's angle the airflow upward, Serena. We don't want you catching a cold before your big exhibit."

I wiped the dripping sweat from my forehead, looked at the ridiculous watermelon on my bed, and suddenly, the urge to fight just evaporated.

I pulled out my phone and replied to the text from my manager:

"You mentioned that transferring to the San Francisco branch would fast-track my promotion to a permanent role. I accept."

Having survived twenty-two suffocating summers in this house, I was finally ready to give myself a spring that would never end.

I locked my phone, slipped it into my pocket, and walked toward the kitchen to grab a glass of cold water.

Just then, the art studio door clicked open.

Luke walked out, holding Serena's empty glass.

Seeing me standing in the hallway, he paused.

"Chloe, you're home."

"Yeah," I mumbled, brushing past him to reach for the pitcher.

Luke followed me into the kitchen, setting the glass down on the marble countertop.

"Your mom told you about the AC units, right?"

"Serena is prepping for that major digital art exhibition. Her studio can't get too warm, or her tablet overheats and her hand gets too sweaty to draw properly. It affects her flow."

"So you gave her the AC I bought."

I raised my glass and took a tiny sip.

"It's just for a few days," Luke tried to explain.

He reached out to touch my sweaty forehead, but I tilted my head, dodging his hand.

His hand froze in mid-air before he awkwardly shoved it into his pocket.

"Your room does get a lot of sun, but if we put the outdoor unit outside your window, it would face Serena's bedroom. The noise would keep her up. She's a light sleeper, Chloe. You know that."

Of course I knew.

The entire family knew Serena was a light sleeper, had a sensitive stomach, and couldn't handle being too hot or too cold.

That was why she got the master bedroom, while I was tucked away in the suffocating corner room.

"Yeah, I know," I said, putting my glass down.

Luke let out a sigh of relief, a small smile finally appearing on his face.

"I knew you'd understand. You're always the mature one."

He reached out to ruffle my hair.

"Tomorrow's the weekend. I'll take you to Target to get a cooling gel mattress pad, and we'll buy a nice, quiet tower fan to make up for it."

"No need." I took a step back, escaping his touch.

Luke's hand froze again.

"Chloe, don't be petty."

His tone hardened slightly.

"This exhibition is a massive deal for Serena's career. As her sister, is it really that hard to show some support?"

"I am supporting her."

"I said no to the fan because I really don't need it."

Luke stared at me for a few seconds, trying to find any sign of silent resentment on my face.

But my expression was completely blank.

"I'm covered in sweat. I'm going to take a shower." I turned and walked out.

Behind me, the heavy thud of his glass slamming onto the counter echoed through the kitchen.

I walked back into my oven of a bedroom.

The giant watermelon still sat on my bed, its skin glistening with condensation.

I pulled open the bottom drawer of my desk.

Inside sat a sky-blue handheld fan.

Carved into the plastic handle were five letters: Chloe.

During our sophomore year of college, the dorm AC broke during a heatwave. Luke had run through five different blocks in the blazing heat just to find this for me.

I traced the carved letters with my thumb.

My fingertips turned white.

I held the fan, about to put it back in the drawer, when my door was suddenly kicked open.

Zack barged in, holding a plate of watermelon.

The heavy wooden door slammed right into my elbow.

Crack.

The sky-blue fan slipped from my fingers, hitting the hardwood floor.

The plastic casing shattered into pieces, and the tiny fan blade popped out, rolling uselessly under the bed.

Zack glanced down at the mess.

Without a shred of remorse, he stepped right on the broken plastic, crushing it further.

He dumped the plate onto my desk.

"Chloe, Serena said you had a long day at work, so she wanted me to bring you some watermelon."

There were only three soggy, pale green rinds left on the plate, with barely any red flesh on them.

"Thanks." I didn't look at the plate, keeping my eyes fixed on my laptop screen.

Zack glanced at the shattered fan, then at the giant watermelon on my bed, and cleared his throat.

"Look, about the AC... don't take it personally." He scratched his head. "I'll get my bonus next month. I'll buy you another one."

"Sure." I closed the tab on my screen.

Zack blinked, caught off guard.

He probably expected me to decline, just like I always did, sacrificing my own comfort just to get a hollow compliment about how "selfless" I was.

But this time, I just accepted it.

"You're... not mad?" he asked, sounding unsure.

"No." I stood up. "I'm just tired. I want to sleep."

Zack smiled, clearly relieved.

"I knew it. You've always been the reasonable one." He patted my shoulder. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's the weekend, I'll take you out for some good food."

"Okay." I nodded quietly.

He turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

The suffocating heat immediately rushed back to wrap around me.

I picked up the leftover watermelon rinds from my desk and dumped them straight into the trash can.

The red juice dripped onto the broken fan pieces. It looked almost like blood.

I didn't bother cleaning it. I just pulled out my suitcase and started packing my clothes.

I didn't need to wait for next month.

Because by next Wednesday, I wouldn't be in this house anymore.

The next morning was Saturday.

Early in the morning, the hallway was buzzing with noise.

My mom was frantically looking for Serena's designer dress, and my dad was busy polishing his shoes.

"Chloe, hurry up and get dressed! Luke booked a private room at that fancy French place downtown. We're celebrating the smooth prep for Serena's gallery show!"

My mom knocked sharply on my door.

I pulled it open, only to see her holding a delicate silk shawl that belonged to me.

It was a special gift from my college mentor, who had brought it back from Paris. I had kept it wrapped in tissue paper, never once wearing it.

"Serena said the restaurant's AC might be chilly, so she's borrowing this shawl."

Without even waiting for my reply, my mom draped the silk over Serena's shoulders.

"Fine," I said, turning toward the bathroom.

By the time I finished getting ready, Luke's car was already waiting downstairs.

The family walked down, laughing and chatting.

I trailed behind, watching Zack eagerly open the passenger door for Serena.

Just as I reached for the rear door, Luke rolled down his window.

"Chloe, can you sit in the back?" he said, his hands resting casually on the steering wheel. His tone made it sound like the most natural request in the world.

My hand froze on the handle.

The front passenger seat already had Serena's custom orthopedic pillow resting on it.

"Serena's feeling a bit dizzy today. If she sits in the back, her motion sickness might flare up," Luke explained.

"Sure." I pulled my hand back, opened the back door, and slid in next to Zack.

The car's AC was blasting.

Serena wrapped my silk shawl tighter around herself, turning to smile sweetly at Luke.

I leaned back against the seat, watching his tender profile in the rearview mirror.

I remembered when I used to get motion sickness.

Luke would always just tell me to suck it up because we were almost there.

It turned out he wasn't incapable of taking care of someone.

He just didn't want to take care of me.

At the restaurant, the hostess led us to a private booth.

Luke pulled out the chair right next to his.

Serena slid into it naturally.

"Chloe's boyfriend is so incredibly attentive! We can definitely rest easy knowing she's in good hands," Serena teased with a playful giggle.

I didn't say a word, walking straight to the empty chair in the far corner.

When the menus were handed out, everyone took turns ordering.

My mom ordered a table full of expensive seafoodall of Serena's favorites.

"Chloe, what do you want?" my dad asked casually.

"I'll have the lamb chops," I said, looking at the menu.

"Oh, absolutely not. Serena is highly allergic to lamb," my mom immediately cut in.

"Okay," I said, closing the menu and handing it back to the waiter.

Under the table, Luke gently nudged my knee with his.

I pulled my legs back, avoiding his touch entirely.

He turned his head to look at me, lowering his voice.

"I'll take you out for your favorite tacos tonight. Just the two of us, okay?"

"No, thank you." I kept my eyes on my water glass.

"What is your problem now?" His voice carried a sharp edge of irritation.

"Everyone is happy today. Stop ruining the vibe with that long face."

Looking at his furrowed brows, memories from not too long ago flooded my mind.

Before I brought Luke home to meet my family, I had been terrified.

I was terrified he would be like everyone else, unconditionally choosing my sister, who had spent her entire life stealing the spotlight.

I had cried as I told him my fears.

He had laughed softly, calling me a silly girl, and promised he would always, without exception, stand by my side.

He gave me the courage to bring him into my life.

And then, he took that balloon of courage and popped it with his own hands.

The food arrived quickly.

Serena suddenly looked across the table at me.

"Chloe, about that illustration project for Luke's company... I still have a few final drafts to finish up."

"Are you free this weekend? Could you help me finish the line art?"

Instantly, all eyes at the table locked onto me.

Whenever she took on freelance gigs she couldn't handle, she would dump the grueling prep work onto me.

The credit went to her, the paycheck went to her.

"I'm busy."

I kept eating, not even looking up.

The table went dead silent.

"Chloe!"

My mom's face darkened.

"You're just lounging around the house anyway. What's wrong with helping your sister out?"

"It's my weekend," I said, swallowing the bitterness in my throat. "And I have my own work. I need to put in overtime."

"Your stupid little internship?" Zack sneered.

"Serena's project is a major campaign for Luke's company. If she messes this up, can you even afford to pay for the damages?"

I put down my fork and looked at Luke.

He was the project manager for this campaign.

Luke avoided my gaze, taking a slow sip of his water.

"Chloe, the deadline is really tight."

"You draw fast. Help Serena out a bit. Consider it a personal favor to me."

Looking at him, a sudden wave of dark humor washed over me.

This man was supposed to be my boyfriend.

Yet here he was, asking me to help another woman as a "favor."

"I said, I'm busy."

I grabbed a napkin and wiped my mouth.

Serena's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"It's fine, Luke. If Chloe doesn't want to help, I'll just pull an all-nighter. I can finish it."

"With your health? You can't pull an all-nighter!" Zack snapped, turning to glare at me.

"Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you? Is this still about the stupid AC yesterday?"

"Fine. Put the AC back in my room, and I'll help her draw." For the first time in my life, I spoke my mind.

The air in the room turned ice-cold.

"You think you're so tough now that you have a job? How dare you hold a grudge against your own family!"

My dad slammed his palm onto the table.

"I'm full. Enjoy your dinner." I stood up, walked out of the private room, and wiped away the tear that slipped down my cheek.

As soon as I stepped out of the restaurant, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was an email from the HR department in San Francisco.

They were reminding me to fill out the onboarding paperwork and send it back by next Tuesday.

I pulled up the keyboard and typed:

"Received. I will submit everything shortly."

I looked back at the closed doors of the restaurant.

No one had run out after me.

Instead, a text from Luke popped up:

[You were incredibly immature today. Your parents are furious, and Serena was crying. I'll set up another dinner later so you can properly apologize to them.]

I didn't reply.

I deleted our entire chat history. Three years of messages, gone in a second.

There wouldn't be a next time.

And the apology he wanted? He would be waiting for eternity.

On Monday morning, I emailed my signed transfer agreement back to HR in San Francisco.

By Monday afternoon, I was packing my desk when my phone started vibrating.

It was Luke.

"Chloe, where are you right now?"

His voice was hoarse, thick with a panic he couldn't hide.

"At the office."

I wrapped a picture frame in bubble wrap and put it in a box.

It used to hold a photo of the two of us.

Just a minute ago, I had shredded the photo along with some old files.

"Get home as soon as you can. Something terrible happened."

"The final illustrations Serena submitted... the client's legal team flagged them for blatant plagiarism."

I didn't stop packing, tearing off a strip of tape to seal the box.

"Oh," I said dryly.

"The client's legal team sent a formal cease-and-desist. They're demanding massive damages and a public apology."

Luke's voice grew heavier.

"I have to go. Just get home right after work."

The line went dead.

I looked at the black screen, slipped my phone into my pocket, and carried my box toward the elevator.

When I opened the front door to the house, the living room lights were off.

Only the dim orange glow of the streetlights filtered in through the balcony.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Serena sat in the middle of the couch, burying her face in her hands, weeping softly.

My mom was rubbing her back, while my dad sat with a grim scowl.

Zack was pacing back and forth, looking highly agitated.

Luke sat in an armchair, a half-burned cigarette dangling between his fingers. His face was pale.

The moment she saw me, my mom stood up and rushed over.

"Finally! You're back!"

She grabbed my wrist, her grip so tight it pinched my skin.

"Your sister is in deep trouble. You have to take the fall for her!"

I yanked my hand back, setting my bag down on the entryway table.

"Take the fall? How?" I looked at her.

"Luke said that if someone steps forward and claims those specific illustrations were just personal practice drafts leaked by a freelancer, the company can shift the blame away from Serena."

"Your sister is a famous artist. Her reputation cannot be ruined by a plagiarism scandal!"

"And?"

Looking at their desperate faces, my heart felt colder than ice.

Zack stopped pacing and glared at me.

"So you're going to sign the confession!"

His tone was entirely matter-of-fact.

"You're just an intern anyway. The worst they can do is fire you. Once the drama blows over, you can just find another job."

I turned my eyes to Luke.

He kept his head down, watching his cigarette ash drop onto the rug.

"Is this your idea too?"

I asked him.

Luke looked up, his eyes darting away guiltily before hardening.

"Chloe, the client just wants a scapegoat. If you sign the liability waiver, I'll compensate you under the table. I'll even pull some strings to get you a new job."

I stared at the man I had loved for three years.

To save his precious Serena's career, he was completely willing to throw my entire professional future under the bus.

"If I sign that, my reputation in this industry will be permanently ruined," I stated, my voice dead calm.

"Who cares about your stupid reputation!" Zack snapped, losing his patience. "Your pathetic little salary is barely worth keeping anyway. Do you have any sense of family loyalty?"

"Chloe, your sister has always been fragile. She can't handle this kind of blow," my dad added, his voice heavy. "We raised you, we paid for your life. It's time for you to pull your weight for this family."

I stood there, watching this absurd theater.

I couldn't even feel the pain anymore. It had gone completely numb.

When people start talking to you about "family loyalty," it usually means they've already decided you're the one who needs to be sacrificed.

I let out a soft, mocking laugh, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"And what if I refuse?"

I didn't stay to watch their ugly reactions.

I walked straight into my room and locked the door.

Outside, they pounded on the wood, shouting curses and accusations. I put on my noise-canceling headphones, blocking them out completely.

I spent the night in that sweltering, airless room.

The physical toll of my previous heatstroke chose that exact night to flare up again.

My head spun so badly I could barely stand.

My throat felt bone-dry and cracked. I finally unlocked my door, intending to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.

The moment I stepped into the living room, I saw Serena, her eyes swollen like plums, clinging to my mom.

"Mom, forget it. Stop forcing Chloe."

"I'll take the blame. It doesn't matter if my career is over or if I go to jail... just pretend you never had me as a daughter."

"Don't say that!"

My mom squeezed her tight, her eyes turning into daggers as she glared at me.

"As long as I have a breath in my body, I will not let anyone ruin you!"

My dad slammed his fist on the table.

"Chloe Miller, if you don't sign that paper today, pack your bags and get the hell out of this house!"

Zack rushed over, slapping the water glass right out of my hand.

Smash.

The glass shattered, sending sharp shards flying across the floor.

"If you don't help Serena, you aren't leaving this house to go to work today!"

"Why should Serena's career be ruined while you get to act like nothing happened?"

"If she can't draw, you don't get to work either. That's only fair!"

I gripped the doorframe, looking at my brother.

It was laughably absurd.

For twenty-two years, no one in this house had ever used the word "fair" when it came to me and Serena.

I had cried and demanded fairness once.

My mom had simply looked at me and said:

She had only planned on having two kidsZack and Serena. A perfect pair.

But then I was an accident.

My existence ruined her perfect family aesthetic.

So I had no right to ask for fairness.

Yet now, they were demanding "fairness" from me.

I laughed out loud.

But tears slipped down my cheeks anyway.

My dry lips split, letting a metallic taste of blood seep into my mouth.

Luke was gently pressing an ice pack against Serena's swollen eyes. He didn't even look at my pale, trembling face.

"Chloe, think carefully."

"If you don't sign, not only are you not leaving this house today, but I will make sure you are completely blacklisted from this industry."

"But if you sign, we can go back to how things were. I'll even find a position for you in another company."

I lowered my eyes, hiding my trembling hands behind my back.

I swallowed the blood in my mouth, forcing myself to look defeated and broken.

"Fine. I'll sign."

My voice came out hoarse and cracked.

"But I need to go to the office first. I have to submit a formal leave of absence, and then I'll meet you at Starry Media."

Hearing me finally break, the tension in the room instantly vanished.

My mom let out a cold sniff.

"Good to know you still have a shred of conscience."

Zack stepped back, letting me pass.

"See? If you had just been this reasonable from the start, we wouldn't have had all this drama."

I turned back to my room.

I caught a glimpse of the rotting watermelon sitting in the hot corner of my room.

I grabbed my backpack and walked out the door.

An Uber was already waiting for me downstairs.

On the way, Luke sent me a Snapchat:

[Carter, the Legal Director of Starry Media, is here. When you get to the conference room, don't say anything stupid. Just sign the paperwork, and I'll take you to that nice French place tonight. I'll even order a brand-new, silent AC unit for your room.]

But now, the French dinners...

The AC units...

The family, the boyfriendI didn't need any of it anymore.

When the Uber arrived at the high-rise, I didn't go up.

I pulled a thick manila envelope from my backpack.

I handed twenty dollars to a courier in the lobby and asked him to deliver it directly to the top floor.

The recipient: Carter, Legal Director of Starry Media.

Then, I got back into the Uber.

"Change of destination, please. To the airport."

As the car merged into traffic, I opened Luke's chat.

[The package you wanted has been delivered.]

I tapped send, and without a second of hesitation, blocked his number.

Then, I left the family Snapchat group.

From this moment on, I was running toward a spring that belonged entirely to me.