Twenty days into our cold war, Silas posted a photo on his Instagram story—his fingers tightly intertwined with the prom queen’s. I didn't say a word. I simply logged into my student portal and changed my college commitment to a university a thousand miles away in Seattle. At a party, his friends started teasing him. "Hazel, if you don't apologize soon, Silas is really going to get together with someone else." I lowered my head and softly murmured, "I'm sorry." Silas scoffed, the corners of his lips curling in disdain. "Whatever. Go back and pack my bags. We're flying out to Los Angeles for college orientation tomorrow." I gave a vague nod of agreement. Silas didn't know that I had already bought a one-way bus ticket to Seattle for tonight. 01 I was the daughter of the Montgomery family's live-in housekeeper. When I was seven, I moved into a tiny annex room on the first floor of their massive estate. My sole responsibility was taking care of Silas's daily needs. For ten entire years, serving him became a duty carved into my bones. I was docile and obedient. Silas's mother often praised me. But Silas absolutely loathed me. The first time we met, he was standing on the grand staircase, dressed in a crisp white polo and tailored shorts, looking as flawless as a porcelain doll in a display window. I was wearing a faded, oversized, torn sundress, staring blankly at my new surroundings. The disgust in his eyes was impossible to hide. Mrs. Montgomery introduced me to him. She told him I was Maria's daughter, Hazel. My father had run off, and we had nowhere else to go, so we came to seek refuge. He didn't say a single word. He just turned around and walked upstairs. Mrs. Montgomery told my mom that from now on, I would be in charge of keeping Silas company. My mom pulled me aside and warned me. The Montgomery family was incredibly powerful. It wasn't easy for us to secure a place here. I had to speak less, do more, and under no circumstances was I to make Silas angry. I knew Silas didn't like me. To ensure we could stay, I tried my hardest to be invisible. Every day, I quietly organized his clothes and cleaned his room. For the first three months I was there, Silas didn't speak a single word to me. That winter, he got terribly sick. Mrs. Montgomery was in a bad mood at the time and was vacationing in Europe. The family doctor came and prescribed medicine, but by midnight, Silas was still coughing uncontrollably. I remembered a hot honey, lemon, and ginger tea my grandmother used to make for me. When I brewed a mug and brought it up to his room, Silas looked at it with pure revulsion. "Hazel, are you trying to poison me? What kind of disgusting hillbilly remedy is this?" I shrank back timidly. "It's not poison. It really helps soothe your throat and stops the coughing." Silas looked annoyed. "If I drink this and I don't get better, are you going to get the hell out of my house?" I froze, standing off to the side, too scared to even breathe. Silas let out a cold scoff, took the mug, and drank it. When he woke up the next morning, his cough was significantly better. 02 Before middle school started, my mom found a public boarding school for me. It was in a somewhat remote district, meaning I would only have to come back to the estate on weekends. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Leaving my mom at the Montgomery house wasn't ideal, but at least I wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around Silas every single day. While I was packing my bags and waiting for the bus, my mom ran over, panting heavily. She told me Mrs. Montgomery wanted me to attend Silas's elite private prep school instead. She wanted me to be there to take care of Silas during school hours. I softly murmured, "Do I have to go?" My mom gripped my shoulders tightly. "Hazel, are you crazy? Silas's school is the best in the state. People would kill to get in there." I lowered my eyes and didn't say another word. 03 From then on, I became Silas's shadow. I followed him from middle school straight through to high school. I fetched his lunch, carried his gym bag, and did his homework. Everyone knew I was the tail he couldn't shake off. By junior high, he had a massive clique of rich friends. I was just the tail trailing far behind them. I had to constantly monitor his mood and anticipate his needs. His friends always joked that I was his most loyal, pathetic admirer. If Silas told me to go North, I wouldn't dare take a single step South. The only thing that never changed was Silas's disdain for me. During freshman year, Silas went out to a party and got a stain on his favorite limited-edition jacket. He dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night and ordered me to hand-wash it in the laundry room. I was only wearing a thin spaghetti-strap nightgown. My face burned beet red in embarrassment. Silas looked away unnaturally and mocked me, "With a body that flat, who even wants to look at you?" The ignorant insecurities of a teenage girl quietly took root in me. By sophomore year, the academic pressure was crushing. I spent day and night grinding through practice SATs. But Silas had a sudden whim. He wanted to eat home-cooked meals made by me. He ordered me to prep it every night and bring it to school for him to eat at lunch. By the time I finished my practice tests and cooked his meal, it was past midnight. And I still had to wake up early to wait for him to go to school. At lunch, I warmed up the food and placed it in front of him. His friend threw an arm around him and laughed. "Damn, Silas. Your little housewife even packs your lunch." Silas's expression instantly turned to ice. Looking at the food with disgust, he tossed it onto his desk-mate's lap. I didn't say a word. I quietly waited for the other guy to finish eating, washed the container, and went back to studying. That year, my body finally began to develop. I started dreading running the mile in P.E. class. But I couldn't get out of it. I wasn't Silas. During P.E., he was almost always on the other side of the campus playing basketball, and the teachers never reprimanded him. When I ran, there were always guys whistling at me. I involuntarily slowed my pace, wrapping my arms around myself. Oliver Hayes, a guy from the next class over, was walking by. Without a word, he took off his varsity jacket and handed it to me. It caused a massive uproar. I had seen him at the school assembly. I heard his family's corporation was incredibly famous. He was gentle, polite, and top of our class in both looks and academics. "Put it on," he said. "You still have two laps to go." I hesitated, but eventually took it. Later, some malicious rumor spread around the school. People said I had no shame, that I was trying to seduce Oliver by wearing his jacket. Sitting in the back row of our classroom, Silas suddenly kicked his desk over. Crash! The whole class instantly shut up. That night, Silas didn't wait for me after school. He told me that since I was so capable, I should just have Oliver drive me home. I sighed, took out some loose change, and went to the bus stop. To my surprise, Oliver was there too. He was quietly listening to an audiobook. When he saw me, he waved. I sat next to him, and he took off his headphones. I knew the jacket incident had caused him trouble too, so I softly apologized. Oliver just smiled like it was nothing. "Hazel, just ignore the rumors. Focus on your studies. "College applications are only two years away. Have you thought about where you want to go?" Oliver had a very warm, comforting kind of handsome face. It was the complete opposite of Silas's sharp, aggressive features. For a moment, I was stunned. Where did I want to go to college? I had never even thought about it. My only focus had been on pushing my grades higher and higher. I couldn't afford tutoring. My mom had swallowed her pride and begged to borrow Silas's notes for me. I had to admit, Silas was smarter than me. He only needed to look at a problem once to understand it. I had to repeatedly practice and dissect the steps just to keep up. Having his notes was a massive help. My mom told me that when the time came, I should just apply to whatever college Silas chose. His family had money and connections. Whatever path they chose for him wouldn't be wrong. I didn't know what college Silas wanted to attend. Oliver smiled gently. "Think about it. Think about where you truly want to go." When I got home, my mom told me Silas wasn't coming back for dinner. She asked me where he went. I shook my head and said I didn't know. When Silas finally came home, it was past midnight. He looked exhausted, and his knuckles were bruised and stained with blood. He walked in, shot me a cold glance, and went straight upstairs. I softly asked if he needed me to bandage his hands. He didn't answer. I opened my laptop and started researching different universities across the country. This was the first time. The first time I clearly realized that I could leave Silas. I could have a place I truly wanted to go. Later, feeling anxious, I asked my mom if she had ever thought about leaving the Montgomery estate. After all, we couldn't live in the servant's quarters forever. My mom looked lost. She said that ever since the divorce, she had lived her entire life working for this family. Even though Silas had a terrible temper sometimes, Mrs. Montgomery was relatively easy to deal with. In all my years living here, I had never once seen Silas's father in the mansion. I only pieced things together from fragmented gossip. His father's company was a massive empire. He was always "busy." His parents had a terrible relationship. It was a business marriage. After Silas was born, his father practically lived with his mistress. Mrs. Montgomery raised Silas. Aside from managing the household, she traveled constantly, leaving my mom to watch over things. My mom said she planned to keep working here until I graduated college, then she'd take her savings and start a small business somewhere. I quietly asked if she would consider us leaving as soon as I graduated high school. My mom silently stroked my hair and didn't answer. 04 Ever since the varsity jacket incident, Silas found a new way to torment me every single night. If he wasn't demanding ice water, he was making me reorganize his desk. Or changing his bedsheets, or ironing his new clothes. I was just thankful that I had stopped sleeping in the same room as my mom, so she didn't have to see it and worry. If Silas didn't sleep, I couldn't sleep. I had to constantly hover in front of him, doing chores. A few times, exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I just fell asleep right there. I'd wake up curled on the sofa in his room. By the time I woke up, Silas had already left for school. I'd take the public bus by myself. It took longer, but my heart felt lighter. I wished I could completely offend Silas so he'd never want to see my face again. But I knew that wasn't realistic right now. I could only use my practice exams as an excuse to stop spending time trying to please him. A week later, Silas had a huge basketball game. Normally, I would have bought him Gatorade and had a fresh towel ready. This time, I didn't go. I sat in the empty classroom, memorizing vocabulary. My mom called. She said Silas was in a terrible mood. Mrs. Montgomery told her to make sure I took care of him. She had ordered some iced coffees to the court and told me to bring them to him. I carried the tray of coffees to the edge of the bleachers. A group of his classmates were snickering. "I told you so. She couldn't hold back. Silas ignores her for two days and she panics." "A simp should know her place as a simp. She tried to act tough, but she still came crawling back." I didn't say a word. On the court, Silas hit a fadeaway jumper, drawing a massive cheer from the crowd. He shot me a deep, piercing look, signaling me to pass out the drinks. I handed them to the other players first. I took the last cup and walked up to him. He leaned back on his hands, looking at me with cruel, malicious eyes. I stood in the glaring sun, holding out the cup, enduring the mockery of everyone around us. I murmured, "Silas, your coffee." Silas didn't even look at me. His voice was lazy. "Feed it to me. I tweaked my wrist. It hurts." I unwrapped the straw, placed it in the cup, and held it up to him. Silas leaned down and took two sips. His friends whistled and hollered. He just smiled carelessly. I honestly didn't understand what he was trying to prove. Until I turned my head and saw Oliver sitting in the opposite bleachers. Was he... competing with Oliver? They both came from elite backgrounds. They were both incredibly good-looking and at the top of the class. It was inevitable they'd be compared. I just never expected that Silas, who never paid attention to anyone, had started caring about Oliver. I didn't overthink it. Following Silas's orders, I held the straw up to his lips again. At least if Silas was in a good mood, he wouldn't make my life miserable, and I might actually get a good night's sleep. 05 Two months before graduation, it was Silas's eighteenth birthday. He rented out a VIP room at a club and invited his friends. It was loud, chaotic, and everyone was having a great time. Halfway through the night, Silas took a phone call. He completely lost it, smashing a row of expensive bottles against the wall. The room went dead silent; no one dared to breathe. His friends realized something was seriously wrong. They tried to comfort him, but he screamed at them, so they all awkwardly shuffled out of the room. I sat there, anxious, silently trying to blend in with the crowd and slip out the door, terrified of being his punching bag. Just as I reached the doorway. "Hazel, get your ass over here," Silas snapped coldly. I jumped, terrified, and walked over to him. He sneered. "What are you so scared of? Do I eat people?" I quickly shook my head. "Where's my gift? You showed up to my birthday empty-handed?" "I... I bought one. But when I saw how expensive everyone else's gifts were, I didn't want to take it out." I pulled a fountain pen out of my pocket. I had bought it from a convenience store on the way here. It cost 60 dollars. Compared to the Rolexes and designer sneakers his friends gave him, it was nothing. Silas let out a cold laugh. "You're unbelievable. Two years ago, you got me socks. "Last year, sneakers. This year, I was fully expecting you to buy me underwear. And you get me this?" My face burned with shame. I had actually planned my gifts. Two years ago, socks. Last year, gloves. But because he mocked the socks so brutally, I saved up all year to buy him those sneakers. This year, I was saving every penny for my college tuition. I couldn't afford to spend money on him. So I just bought the pen. The cashier had even tied a little pink ribbon on the box. I apologized quietly. "I'm sorry. I know it's disappointing." "The things you do that disappoint me aren't limited to just one or two," Silas mocked, surprisingly calm. Then he curled his finger. "Come here." I slowly shuffled one step forward. Silas reached out, wrapped a strong arm around my waist, and pulled his head against my stomach. His body ran incredibly hot. I tried to push away, but he tightened his grip. I lost my balance and fell onto his lap. Silas was much stronger than me. He buried his face in the crook of my neck. Wherever his lips brushed against my skin, it felt like burning embers. I was so shocked I stuttered, "S-Silas..." He seemed to freeze in a daze for a second, then bit down hard on my neck. A sharp, stinging pain shot through my entire body. I was trapped in his grip, completely unable to struggle, and eventually just endured the pain and gave up. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled back, his expression returning to normal. He spoke slowly. "Hazel, if you tell anyone about this, you're dead." I was anxious and angry, rubbing the bite mark on my neck. Silas's expression betrayed absolutely nothing. Before we went back to the estate, he told me he was applying to Los Angeles University (LAU). The bite mark meant I had to wear a scarf to school every day. My mom almost noticed. She had recently found out from Mrs. Montgomery that Silas was applying to LAU, and she told me to follow him there. She even started asking Silas about the different majors at LAU. Silas patiently broke them down for her. He was a completely different person around adults than he was with me. He probably just saw that I was easy to bully. Mrs. Montgomery also said it was best if we applied to the same school so we could look out for each other. They had a mansion in LA, not far from the campus. She mentioned that Silas had remotely overseen the renovations for it two years ago. When the time came, I could move in there too. I just nodded obediently every time. As for where I actually went, I knew Silas couldn't care less. There was no need to reveal my true plans. Time slowly ticked by amidst the grueling stress of practice exams. Thankfully, Silas's mood was relatively stable this year. He didn't go out of his way to make my life a living hell over nothing. I had more time to study. The crushing anxiety only finally dissipated after we took our final exams. 06 After finals, my mom and I celebrated my eighteenth birthday in my little annex room. A tiny, simple cake, and my mother's warm wishes. And the quiet joy of knowing I would soon be leaving. A long-lost sense of relief. That night, as usual, I brought a plate of fruit up to Silas's room. His lights were off, and soft music was playing. The moment I walked in, the door locked behind me. Silas was leaning lazily against the doorframe. He was tall and lean. When he leaned close, radiating the intense, vibrant energy of a teenage boy, I subconsciously stepped back. He grabbed my wrist from behind, pulled me toward the center of the room, and chuckled, calling me a coward. Only then did I see it in the dim light. On his table was a slice of cake, and an incredibly expensive designer dress. "For you." I felt completely out of my element. "Thank you. But I can't wear this." "Then keep it. LAU has a huge freshman gala. You can wear it then." I didn't say anything. My test scores were actually 16 points lower than Silas's. But Mrs. Montgomery said my score was more than enough to get into LAU with their connections. My mom was over the moon. I asked Mrs. Montgomery if I could get a summer job during the break. She didn't stop me. Silas was in a surprisingly good mood and didn't object either. I stopped following Silas around. During my shift at a cafe, I ran into Oliver. He had forgotten his wallet and phone in his car. I bought him an iced coffee. He sat with me and broke down the different majors and career prospects at Seattle University. We were sitting at a table outside the cafe. And Silas, who was out with his friends, walked right into us. The mockery in his eyes was crystal clear. He coldly ordered me to come over. My face burned with humiliation. I thanked Oliver and followed Silas to his G-Wagon. In the car, Silas asked me, "You're that desperate to follow Oliver around?" I tried to explain. "No. He forgot his wallet, and it was hot, so I bought him a coffee." Silas's face instantly darkened. "Hazel, do you think I'm a complete idiot? "Someone with Oliver's brain forgets his phone and wallet when he leaves the house?" I murmured, "Whether he brought his wallet or not doesn't matter. I bought him the coffee with my own hard-earned money." Silas's eyes instantly filled with pure venom. "You've known me for ten years, and you buy me a 60-dollar pen. "You've known Oliver for what, a few months? And you buy him a 20-dollar coffee?" I was completely speechless. My mind was racing—how did he know the pen cost 60 dollars?! So embarrassing. I tried to change the subject. "Anyway, buying a friend a coffee isn't a crime, right?" Silas shifted in his seat, his brow furrowing as he let out a very soft, derisive scoff. "You're calling Oliver a friend?" I didn't answer. Honestly, we barely counted as acquaintances. To him, we were just alumni. But I didn't understand why Silas had to be so incredibly angry about it. Knowing I couldn't win the argument, I lowered my eyes and stayed silent. I leaned my head against the window, closed my eyes, and prayed the drive would end quickly. Silas laughed, a cold, harsh sound. "Fine. Great. Hazel, get the hell out of my car right now." The sun had already set. My heart was pounding. But I was more afraid of making him angrier, so I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and scrambled out. Thankfully, the walk back to the estate was only about thirty minutes. That night, Silas posted a photo on his Instagram story—his hand tightly holding a girl's hand. His best friend immediately commented: [Ooh, the prom queen?] I remembered that the prom queen had always been obsessed with Silas. We had graduated. It wasn't surprising they were finally together. From that night on, Silas completely ignored my existence. Whether I asked him what he wanted for dinner. Or told him where I organized his clean laundry. Or asked if he wanted fruit. He treated me like thin air. It was actually incredibly peaceful. The day before we had to lock in our college commitments, Silas walked right past my door without calling my name. He had my mom relay a message, telling me which specific major to select. My mom eagerly agreed and yelled down the hall, asking if I heard. I guiltily replied that I did. My door was open. Of course I could hear him. Childish... I silently logged into the portal and changed my final commitment to Seattle University.
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