Chapter twenty six
RUBY
Growing up, I've always been the one who gets pushed aside. The one who always remains hidden and proper, without any scandals that could ruin a public image.
Being the daughter of a powerful family, I grew up hyper-intelligent, perceptive, and utterly invisible in my own life.
And in the way, there's always been my older brother.
I've always been overlooked for him and dismissed emotionally by my parents.
There was immense pressure on me to be perfect, just like him.
Rui Zhang. He has trophies. Medals. Belt promotions that he got faster than anyone. He was always our family's prodigy. And I hated it. Every time I looked at the walls in our home, there he was. First place in everything, Rui Zhang.
Rui got everything he wanted, and the worst part is that he reveled in it. He put the standards up so high that I was slowly crumbling underneath them and felt myself getting swayed further and further from meeting him up there.
Since we were young, I knew that while we were both smart, he was always smarter.
When I had to put in a little more work into studying, he didn't even need to open the books to get the highest grade.
And when I got the same grade with a ninety eight percent instead of a hundred, it was not good enough.
Both of us were on the taekwondo team. He got the respect from peers and instructors, won championship titles, got invitations to world competitions, received scholarships or travel opportunities for top athletes, won Spirit Awards for great attitude or perseverance,
and eventually even got the Leadership Award for helping others or mentoring younger generations.
Meanwhile, I won a fair share of trophies myself, but never got the same amount of attention for my skills and hard work.
Eventually, I stopped settling in his shadow. That was a long time ago. It's clear to me that nothing and nobody could ever make my parents prouder, so I quit the taekwondo team and focused on my studies instead.
Slowly and surely, my patience was thinning out. When is it going to be my turn to have something I want? When will this agony end?
"Ruby, wait," I hear a voice behind me as I jog up the stairs, not troubled by the So Kates on my feet.
I pick up the pace and get to the top of the stairs and down the hallway in the upper section of the place where the accommodation rooms are.
I rented one for the evening, so I rush inside it—but right as I want to slam it shut, Kyle's foot stops me from doing so.
He pushes the door open, making me give up and step back. I cross my arms and turn around, walking towards the window. My nerves are still high, and I'm nothing short of being agitated. I just can't shake it.
"Ruby," he says again, and I hear him closing the door behind him. I spin around again, interrupting him from saying his next words.
"Why did you tell them?" I ask, my eyes piercing into his. Kyle simply sighs, seeming exhausted. I watch as he leans on the wall, smothering his hands over his face, and I know why that is. I spiked his drink earlier, unnoticeably.
I didn't plan for everyone to find out so abruptly that me and Kyle have actually met before. Despite that, my plan still worked. I broke up the entire friend group, and nobody will come looking for Kyle now, since they have their own things to deal with.
"I couldn't hide it anymore. It felt like a punishment when I didn't tell Elias. I've been bottling it up for too long and it's been bothering me that he didn't know." He winces suddenly, a little off balance, and steadies himself on the wall. It's kicking in.
"You okay?" I ask, taking the opportunity to pour some water into a glass and secretly add a touch of liquid from a small vial. I bring the glass to him, watching as he empties it fully. It doesn't take long for him to groan and stumble, and I help him to the bed.
"Lay down for a moment. Just rest," I murmur and caress his soft hair, looking at his angelic face.
I still remember years ago, when I met him.
I remember the way he held me and made love to me.
His kisses still linger in my mind, and it's been impossible for me to forget him.
Kyle saw me as a person, and not an accessory back then.
It's clear that he didn't fall for me, but that kindness lit a fire inside my chest so wide that I knew when he became the symbol of a life I couldn't have.
He's honest, simple, and emotionally sincere.
Someone I could easily build a dream life with.
He didn't want anything to do with me and told me that morning after that he doesn't want anything more. Despite being polite, he still rejected me, and I never got over it. My heart is still wounded from it all.
The months after that were horrible. I knew his name but I never knew how to find him. Where to find him. Until the the opportunity for me to get closer to him came along. I saw it, and I took it without an ounce of hesitation.
By marrying Elias, I knew it would get me an instant invitation to his close circle of friends, and I couldn't let that go. I couldn't resist because being close to Kyle, despite not as close as I'd prefer, was enough.
Until now.
I remain seated beside him, and when his eyes close, I watch him for a moment longer. He might be feeling discomfort right now, but when he sleeps it off, it'll be alright.
I lay down beside him, placing my head on his chest and wrapping my arm around his torso.
It's so nice like this. So warm.
I wish it would never end.