On the twentieth day of Bella Sterling's silent treatment, she posted an Instagram story holding hands with the school's star quarterback, fingers interlaced. I silently changed my college application from our hometown university to one in Seattle, thousands of miles away. At a party, her friend teased, "Leo, if you don't start groveling, Bella's really going to date someone else." I whispered a small apology. Bella smirked. "Whatever. Go back and pack your bags. We're heading to campus together tomorrow for orientation." I mumbled an agreement. Bella didn't know I had already bought a train ticket to Seattle for tonight. 1 I am the son of the Sterling family's housekeeper. When I was seven, I moved into the small room on the first floor of their estate. My job was to take care of Bella Sterling's every need. For ten whole years, she became a mission carved into my bones. I was obedient and docile. Mrs. Sterling often praised me. But Bella hated me. The first time we met, she stood on the grand staircase in a white princess dress, looking like a porcelain doll. I wore dusty jeans with holes in the knees, staring blankly at everything. The disgust in her eyes was unmistakable. Mrs. Sterling introduced me. "This is Leo Hart, Mrs. Hart's son. His father ran off, and they have nowhere to go, so they're staying with us." She turned and went upstairs without a word. Mrs. Sterling told me my job was to look after Bella. My mom also warned me that the Sterling family was special and it wasn't easy for us to stay. "Speak less, do more, and never make Bella angry." I knew Bella didn't like me, so to survive here, I tried to make myself invisible. Every day, I quietly organized her clothes and cleaned her room. For the first three months, Bella didn't say a word to me. That year, she got sick. Mrs. Sterling was in a bad mood and traveling abroad. The family doctor prescribed medicine, but she still coughed all night. I remembered the pear and peppercorn soup my grandma used to make me. When I brought it to her, Bella looked at it with utter disdain. "Leo Hart, are you trying to poison me with some weird country remedy?" I said timidly, "It's not poison. This pear soup is good for coughing." Bella looked annoyed. "If it doesn't work, will you get the hell out of my house?" I froze, standing aside, afraid to breathe. Bella scoffed and drank it. The next morning, her cough was better. 2 Before elementary school registration, my mom found me a boarding school. It was far away, meaning I could only come back on weekends. I was relieved. Away from the Sterling house, my mom wouldn't be in a difficult position, and I wouldn't have to face Bella's moods. But while I was packing, my mom ran to me, out of breath. Mrs. Sterling wanted me to go to the same private elementary school as Bella. So I could take care of her at school. I whispered, "Can I not go?" My mom grabbed my shoulders. "Leo, are you stupid? Bella's school is the best in the city. People would kill to get in." I looked down and said nothing. 3 From then on, I became Bella's shadow. I followed Bella from elementary school through high school. Getting her lunch, carrying her backpack, doing her homework. Everyone knew I was the tail she couldn't shake. In middle school, she made a bunch of friends. I was the tail lagging far behind the group. Always monitoring Bella's mood, Bella's needs. Her friends said I was her loyal admirer. If Bella told me to go North, I wouldn't dare go South. The only constant was Bella's disdain for me. In ninth grade, Bella went out and stained her favorite dress. She dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night to hand-wash it. I was wearing only boxers, blushing furiously. Bella scoffed unnaturally, "With a body like that, who'd want to look?" Teenage insecurity quietly took root. Junior year of high school, the academic pressure was immense. I was drowning in practice exams day and night. On a whim, Bella wanted to eat my cooking. She made me cook dinner every night and pack it for her lunch the next day. I would finish my homework, cook for her until midnight, and wake up early to wait for her to go to school. At noon, I would heat the food and bring it to her. Her friend hugged her and said, "Nice, Bella. Your little house-husband cooks for you." Bella's face turned cold instantly. She tossed the food I heated to her desk mate like it was garbage. I said nothing, waited for them to finish, washed the lunch box, and went back to my practice exams. That year, I hit a growth spurt. My gym shorts became too tight. But I couldn't skip class. I wasn't Bella. During gym, she rested on the other side of the court, and the teacher said nothing. When I ran, my tight shorts attracted whistles. I slowed down involuntarily. Chloe Vance from the next class passed by and handed me her uniform jacket. It caused a stir. I had seen her at the opening ceremony. Her family's business was famous. She was gentle, polite, and top of the class in both looks and grades. "Wear it. You still have half a mile to run." I hesitated but took it. Later, a rumor spread that I was shameless, trying to seduce Chloe by wearing her jacket. In the front row, Bella kicked her desk hard. Bang. Everyone shut up. That night, Bella didn't wait for me. She said since I was so capable, I should ask Chloe to drive me home. I sighed and took out change for the bus. Unexpectedly, Chloe was on the bus too. She was quietly listening to vocabulary tapes and waved at me. I sat next to her. Chloe took off her headphones. I knew the jacket incident caused her trouble too, so I whispered an apology. Chloe smiled indifferently. "Leo, ignore the rumors. Just focus on studying. "College entrance exams are in two and a half years. Have you thought about where you want to go?" Chloe had a pure, beautiful look, completely different from Bella's cold arrogance. I was stunned. Which university did I want to go to? I had never thought about it. I only thought about how to improve my scores. I didn't have money for cram school. My mom borrowed Bella's notes for me. I had to admit Bella was smarter than me. She understood things instantly. I needed repeated practice to understand. Her notes were very helpful. My mom told me to apply to wherever Bella applied. Her family had money and resources; her choice wouldn't be wrong. I didn't know which university Bella would choose. Chloe smiled faintly. "Think about it. The school you really want to go to." When I got home, my mom said Bella wouldn't be back for dinner. She asked where she went. I shook my head and said I didn't know. Bella came back in the early hours of the morning. Her expression was cold, and there was some blood on her hand. She glanced at me indifferently and went upstairs. I whispered asking if she needed medicine. Bella didn't answer and went upstairs. I continued researching different universities online. This was the first time. I clearly felt that I could leave Bella and have a place I truly wanted to go. Later, I asked my mom uneasily if she ever thought about leaving the Sterling family. After all, we couldn't live here forever. She was a bit lost too, saying she had been working for the Sterlings since divorcing my dad. Although Bella had a weird temper sometimes, Mrs. Sterling was easy to get along with. Over the years, I never saw Bella's father in the villa. I only knew from fragments of information that Bella's family company was huge, and her father was busy. Her parents had a loveless marriage of convenience. After she was born, her father got a girlfriend. Mrs. Sterling raised Bella, but she traveled often besides working, leaving my mom to look after the house. My mom said she planned to work until I graduated college, then take the money to start a small business. I asked if she considered leaving after I graduated high school. She silently patted my head and said nothing. 4 After the jacket incident, Bella tortured me every night in different ways. Fetching water, organizing her desk. Changing sheets, hand-washing new clothes. I could only be thankful that my room was far from my mom's, so she wouldn't worry. If Bella didn't sleep, I couldn't sleep. I had to keep moving in front of her. A few times, I fell asleep from exhaustion. I woke up on the sofa in Bella's room. By the time I got up, Bella was gone. I took the bus back and forth, which took longer, but I felt lighter. I wished I could offend Bella completely so she would ignore me forever. Currently impossible, of course. I could only use studying as an excuse to stop spending time pleasing her. A week later, Bella had an aerobics competition. Usually, I would buy drinks and prepare her clothes. This time I didn't go. I memorized vocabulary in the classroom. My mom called, saying Bella was in a bad mood. Mrs. Sterling asked me to take care of her and ordered boba tea to the basketball court for me to pick up. I took the boba and sat on the sidelines. Some classmates were laughing and discussing. "See? I told you he couldn't resist. Bella ignores him, and he panics." "A simp has to know his place. He pretended for a few days but couldn't hold it." I said nothing. On the court, Bella moved gracefully, drawing cheers. After finishing, she gave me a deep look, signaling me to distribute the boba. I gave it to the others first. The last cup was for Bella. She leaned back on her hands, looking at me with a nasty gaze. I handed her the boba, facing everyone's mockery. I whispered, "Bella, your boba." Bella didn't look at me, her tone casual. "Bring it here. I sprained my hand. It hurts." I put the straw in and handed it to her. Bella lowered her head and took two sips. Her friends whistled at her. She smiled indifferently. I really didn't understand why she did this. Until I turned around and saw Chloe sitting opposite us. Was she competing with Chloe? Both had good family backgrounds. Both were top tier in looks and grades. Comparison was inevitable. I didn't expect Bella, who never paid attention to others, to start noticing Chloe. I didn't think too much and, following Bella's instructions, held the boba to her lips. At least if Bella was in a good mood, she wouldn't torment me, and I could sleep.
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