He once said he would protect me for a lifetime

I grew up with Jason.

He took care of every little thing, treating me like I was made of glass.

People would ask about our relationship, and he’d just smile and say I was his pet project.

After he turned down my confession for the third time, he brought home the dazzling Melanie and told me to call her “Auntie.”

“We’re getting married, sweetie. Be a good girl and don’t upset your auntie.”

“…Okay.”

I moved out of Jason’s house, treated him like an elder, started dating, and tried to build a new life.

But he wasn’t having it.

I first met Melanie on the morning of my twenty-second birthday.

She walked out of Jason’s bedroom wearing his shirt, with suggestive marks on her neck and legs.

Jason followed, casually put his arm around her, and kissed her.

They looked like the perfect couple.

I stared at them, stunned.

Since I moved in with Jason, he’d been devoted to me. No other woman had ever come close, let alone been brought home.

It seemed he’d finally fallen for someone else.

My heart ached with a mix of emotions. I tried to sneak back to my room, but it was too late.

Melanie smiled and held out her hand. “You must be the little girl Jason raised. Hi, Chloe, I’m Melanie, Jason’s girlfriend.”

“Hi.”

I forced a smile, shook her hand, and watched as she playfully complained to Jason, “It’s all your fault for being so rough last night! Now I have nothing to wear and I’m embarrassing myself in front of Chloe!”

Jason chuckled and pinched her waist. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Chloe won’t make fun of you, right, Chloe?”

His familiar tone stung. I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that he suddenly had a girlfriend.

I mumbled a response and excused myself to go wash up.

When I went downstairs for breakfast, Melanie was sitting in my usual seat, using my bowl and chopsticks.

That seat was closest to Jason. He’d always insisted I sit there.

The bowls and chopsticks were a custom set, one for him and one for me. He never let anyone else use them.

But Melanie was the future lady of the house. Compared to her, I was the outsider.

“Chloe, don’t just stand there, come and eat,” Melanie said warmly.

I thanked her and sat down, picking at my food.

Jason spent the entire meal doting on Melanie, completely oblivious to my discomfort, or maybe he noticed and just didn’t care.

After breakfast, Jason and Melanie were going out.

I stood up, wanting to ask if he’d forgotten my birthday.

But Jason smiled at me. “Sweetie, your auntie and I are going on a date. It wouldn’t be convenient to bring a third wheel.”

“…I didn’t mean to intrude. Have a nice date, Uncle Jason and Auntie Melanie.”

I stammered, unable to bring myself to say, “It’s my birthday today.”

The car engine roared, and I was left alone in the house.

I sat at the dining table, fiddling with my clothes, feeling as lost as the day Jason first brought me home.

When I was five, thirteen-year-old Jason took me to his family’s house.

His reason was absurd: he liked having pets, but he couldn’t keep any of them alive.

That day, he saw me and had a sudden thought: he could keep a human as a pet.

The Jason family was one of the wealthiest families around. My parents were eager to get in their good graces. As soon as the Jasons expressed their interest, my parents practically shoved me out the door.

I thought I wouldn’t adapt.

But surprisingly, there was no brother to hit me, bite me, or steal my things. There were no parents who favored him over me.

There was only Jason, who spoiled me like a princess.

When I was little, he braided my hair, bought me dresses and shoes, and fed me.

When a kid pushed me and scraped my knee, that kid was forced to transfer schools the next day. I never saw him again.

As I got older, Jason drove me to and from school, cooked for me, and picked out my clothes.

He attended my parent-teacher conferences and packed my bags for trips.

When I was sick, no matter how busy he was, he’d stay by my side.

He always cheered me on at my competitions and performances.

Once, after I finished dancing at a New Year’s Eve party, a boy whistled and commented on how white my skin was and how long my legs were. When Jason came to give me flowers, he glanced at the boy with a smile.

That same day, the boy was beaten up and hospitalized, his mouth stuffed with broken glass.

His parents knelt before Jason, begging him to spare their son.

Jason noticed me watching and came over to ruffle my hair. “It’s late, sweetie. Time for bed.”

I nodded and went back to my room. I never found out what happened to that family.

Everyone said Jason seemed approachable but was distant to everyone except me.

I thought so too.

So when I turned eighteen and realized I had feelings for Jason, I confessed to him directly.

He sighed and patted my head. “Sweetie, you’re too young. You can’t tell the difference between love and dependence.”

I confessed again when I was twenty, and then twenty-one.

He let me kiss him, but he didn’t kiss back. He just pushed me away and asked, “Can’t we just stay like this forever, sweetie?”

After being rejected three times, I felt embarrassed and hurt, but never scared or heartbroken.

Because Jason had always been special to me.

I thought we’d eventually be together.

But seeing Melanie this morning felt like a slap in the face.

I went to school in a daze.

It was the first time Jason hadn’t driven me.

Some girls in my class were chatting. One said her childhood friend had gotten a girlfriend, and now she had to keep her distance so the girlfriend wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

I thought about walking in on Melanie and Jason this morning, and my chest tightened.

[Uncle Jason, I need to prepare for exams, so I’ll be staying at school for a while.]

I’d never stayed at school overnight before.

Jason had always been strict. When I mentioned it once, he got so angry that I never brought it up again.

But this time, he didn’t reply for days.

A week later, Jason and Melanie came to school to find me.

They were so attractive that they turned heads wherever they went.

Jason wore a black overcoat over a silver-gray suit. Even the crooked scarf I knitted for him couldn’t diminish his elegance and handsomeness.

We’d never been apart for so long.

I traced his features with my eyes, then quickly looked away when I saw Melanie beside him, ashamed of my feelings.

Melanie walked over, looking apologetic. “Chloe, are you upset because Jason and I went on a trip and didn’t take you with us? I’m sorry, we should have.”

So Jason hadn’t replied to my messages for a week because he was on a trip with his girlfriend?

My heart ached, but I hid my feelings. “I’m not mad.”

Melanie sighed in relief. “That’s good. Jason cares about you so much, and I wouldn’t want there to be any awkwardness between you because of me. Let’s go home. We can have dinner together tonight.”

I didn’t want to be a third wheel.

But Jason chuckled. “I knew my sweetie was the most understanding. Let’s go. Your auntie and I bought you a lot of presents. They’re in the car.”

He never allowed anyone to refuse him, not even me.

The words of refusal died on my lips. “Okay.”

We went home, where the housekeeper had already prepared dinner.

The table was full of spicy dishes that I couldn’t eat.

Melanie looked up at me, surprised. “Chloe, don’t you like the food?”

Jason looked at me too, his expression indifferent.

“No.” I didn’t want to ruin the mood, so I finished the small plate Melanie had given me.

By the end of the meal, my stomach was cramping.

I excused myself to get some medicine. Jason followed.

“Stomach ache? Such a delicate little thing.”

He handed me a glass of water and some pills, his smile gentle and exasperated.

So he remembered that spicy food upset my stomach. Then why wasn’t there a single dish I could eat on the table?

I took the water and pills, hesitating. “Thank you, Uncle Jason. You and Miss Melanie…”

“She’s going to be your aunt soon. You should call her Auntie Melanie.”

“…Okay.”

“What were you going to say, sweetie?”

“Nothing. Just that you and Auntie look good together.”

I wanted to ask him when he met Melanie, and when he fell in love with her.

Had he gone back on his promise that even if we couldn’t be lovers, we could be family, and he would still treat me the same?

But I didn’t ask.

No one was obligated to be good to anyone. He was just withdrawing his kindness, and I had no right to complain.

Jason smiled.

His smile was as beautiful as ever, but I didn’t dare stare at him anymore.

Melanie called out to him for a towel, and he turned to leave.

I watched as his bedroom door closed, swallowed the pills with water, and thought how bitter the medicine tasted today.

At the end of the month, Jason and Melanie took me to a charity gala.

When the chandelier fell, I was standing directly beneath it, while Melanie was near the edge.

But Jason rushed over and pulled her away, shielding her with his body.

I stood there frozen. As the huge crystal chandelier crashed down on me, all I saw was Jason’s pale face, and all I heard were screams.