Thirty–four floors. So high.
The people below looked tiny.
Like my world. Trapped in a corner.
Unable to escape or avoid.
6
Willow was Cooper’s younger sister, the
Sinclair family’s golden child.
She was six years younger than me.
After my parents died, I moved in with the
Sinclairs.
I watched her grow up.
Willow was raised well, lively, beautiful, and
innocent.
All the best words could be used to describe
her.
Cooper wasn’t as serious as he is now when
he was younger.
He liked to argue with me.
Willow would always squeeze between us and
make fun of Cooper.
She always said, “If it wasn’t for the
engagement, you’d never have a chance with
Penelope, brother.‘
“Who… Who likes her?”
“Willow, shut up!”
That made both 18–year–old Cooper and me
blush.
All the good times ended during a trip.
A group of young people was together, drinking and laughing. It was supposed to be a happy time.
I had terrible menstrual cramps, so I didn’t join them.
I fell asleep. Willow came running into my
room.
When she saw I was awake, she smiled.
“Penelope, my brother and his friends went to
“Finally, I can catch my breath.”
She lay down on the bed next to me.
She rambled on and on.
I listened until the medicine kicked in, and I fell asleep again.
I woke up choking from the smoke. The fire had already trapped us.
I shook Willow awake.
We tried to get out, but we couldn’t.
Willow had always been frail. She was about
to pass out.
I heard Cooper’s voice.
I gathered all my strength and screamed his
name.
He heard me. I heard footsteps.
I dragged Willow and tried to shield her from the flames as we moved toward the door.
“Willow, wake up. Your brother’s here.”
The fire grew bigger, and a piece of the ceiling fell. I couldn’t dodge it.
I threw myself over Willow to protect her.
Willow suddenly woke up and shoved me
away.
We were separated.
We were separated.
I was on one side of the door, and she was
trapped in the fire.
My eyes were bloodshot. I tried to run in and
save her.
“Don’t come any closer!”
She was trapped under a beam, staring at
- me.
Whenever I moved, she would crawl closer to
the flames.
“Penelope, you have to live.”
The flames started to climb up her legs.
She had been spoiled all her life. She was
terrified, but she bit her lip.
“My brother is really sensitive. He’ll be sad
without you.”
“My brother will praise Willow for saving
Penelope.”
She was still crying.
“Sis, it’s a shame I won’t be able to see you
marry my brother.”
She was afraid that I would die with her, so
she crawled away from me.
I couldn’t reach her.
“Tell Mom, my brother, and my grandparents
not to cry.”
The fire consumed her.
I was devastated.
I woke up in the hospital. Cooper was
standing by the window.
He hadn’t washed his face, and his hands
were burned.
He had risked his life to save me.
He turned, his eyes bloodshot, his throat
choked with pain.
“Why didn’t you protect her?”
Г
“She was only sixteen.”
Tears streamed down his face.
I wanted to tell him that I had saved her.
But I was the one who had survived.
I closed my eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Cooper was silent.
Finally, he said, “It’s not your fault.”
He left.
Taylor and the Sinclair’s housekeeper cared
for me until I was released from the hospital.
L
We got married.
That night, he didn’t come into the bedroom.
He stood on the balcony.
“You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you?”
He smoked the entire night.
So did I.
After that, he started racing, partying, and
getting his name in the tabloids.
Willow, look.
Your brother still blames me.
