Forbidden Love, Removing My Tattoo

When I was eighteen, my mother remarried and brought me into my stepfather's cold, grand estate.

That was the day I fell for the boy standing behind him, a young man who looked as pure and unreachable as the moonlight.

I followed him for five years, acting like a shadow he couldn't shake. All I ever got in return was his icy glare and a sharp rebuke. "Elara, remember your place. I am your brother."

I foolishly believed he was just protecting our family's reputation.

But then his biological sister returned. It only took three months for him to shield her from the world and firmly declare his intent to marry her.

That was the moment I realized there was no forbidden line we couldn't cross. There was only the bitter truth of being unloved.

At that moment, my heart finally turned to ash.

I lay on the cold, sterile table while the tattoo artist gave me a final, sympathetic warning.

"Sweetheart, this ink is right on your collarbone. You used to cherish it so much. Are you absolutely sure you want it gone?"

I closed my eyes and gave a silent, firm nod.

Years ago, I had Sterling's name etched there to prove my devotion. I wanted the whole world to see that I belonged to him.

Looking back, I was a pathetic fool.

The laser felt like a branding iron against my skin, but the sting was nothing compared to the news of Sterling and Delilah's wedding.

After the session, I pulled on a high-necked sweater to hide the raw, red scars that had yet to heal.

When I walked into the house, Sterling was on the sofa with his arms around Delilah, whispering about wedding plans.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and tried to rush past them, not wanting to witness their intimacy.

But Delilah's sugary voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Elara! Sterling and I picked our date for next weekend. Will you be my bridesmaid?"

I saw the triumphant glint dancing in her eyes.

I kept my head down and spoke softly. "No. I have things to do that day."

Delilah's face fell, and she let out a wounded whimper.

"I just wanted you to witness my happiness. Why are you always so cold to me?"

Sterling stroked her hair protectively. When he looked at my turtleneck, his expression shifted from concern to mockery.

"So, you've finally learned some shame? Good. Keep that disgusting tattoo hidden."

Then, his voice turned sharp and commanding, leaving no room for argument.

"You're her sister. Being her bridesmaid is your duty. Maybe it'll finally help you wash that filthy obsession out of your head."

I felt like I was pinned to the floor by his gaze.

In the past, Sterling's word was law to me. I would have done anything he asked.

But this time, I couldn't.

I shook my head and repeated my words. "I really have plans."

Sterling sneered at me. "Plans? Give me a break. You've spent five years following me around like a stray dog. What could you possibly have to do?"

He was right. I had wasted five years of my life.

But this time, I was telling the truth. My flight to start my new life abroad was scheduled for the morning of their wedding.

I bit my tongue and kept my secret.

Sterling had treated me like a plague for years, but he still played the role of the responsible older brother. If he knew I was leaving, he wouldn't let me go.

I simply gave a small nod.

"I'll be at the wedding. But find someone else for the bridal party."

I turned to head upstairs, but Sterling called out to me again. His voice was flat, as if he were discussing the weather rather than destroying my world.

"Since Delilah and I are getting married, we're taking your room for the master suite. You can move your things to the basement guest room tonight."

I froze, my hand trembling on the banister.

My skin is hyper-sensitive to dampness and cold. I get painful rashes if I stay in a basement for too long.

Sterling knew this. That's why, when I was eighteen, he gave me his own sun-drenched room and moved himself. I had lived in that warmth for years.

But now, it was time to give it back to the rightful owner.

I took a breath and whispered, "Okay."

I didn't stay to see the flicker of confusion on his face. I went straight to my room and started packing.

The room was a shrine to him, filled with photos of us. I used to believe that one day, my love would finally reach him.

Now, I just looked at those pictures and felt a hollow ache in my chest.

I was halfway through a box when Delilah sauntered in.

She sat on my bed with an air of ownership and picked up a framed photo. My eyes weren't on her face, though. They were on the gold chain around her wrist.

It was a bracelet with the word "Love" engraved on it.

I had begged Sterling for that same bracelet years ago because it symbolized eternal devotion. He had told me no.

Suddenly, Delilah let out a staged gasp and pulled a thick stack of envelopes from under my pillow.

I tried to grab them, but Sterling walked into the room at that exact moment.

Delilah threw herself into his arms, scattering the letters across the floor like autumn leaves. She giggled, pointing at them. "Sterling, look! Someone's been writing you secret love letters."

Sterling didn't even look at the papers. He just stared at me with pure disgust.

"Elara, haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Your pathetic little heart is a joke. I don't want to see this trash in my house ever again."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails drew blood. I felt like I had been stripped naked and doused in freezing water.

All I could do was stammer out an apology as he walked away.

Once they were gone, I sank to the floor. I gathered every single letterDthe raw pieces of my soul I had poured onto paper for five years.

I didn't cry. I just took the letters and the photos and shoved them deep into the trash can.

Goodbye, Sterling.

This time, I'm truly done with you.

A few days later, I held my passport in my hands. To my surprise, a stray tear escaped and blurred the ink.

Only five days left until I was free.

That was when my phone rang. It was one of Sterling's friends, his voice tight with panic.

"Elara, you have to get down here. Your brother is drunk and insisting on driving. We can't stop him!"

I didn't think twice. I grabbed my keys and raced to the bar where they were hanging out.

But as soon as I pushed open the heavy oak doors, the room erupted in laughter.

"Told you! One call and the puppy comes running!" one of the guys shouted.

I stood there, realizing I had been played for a fool again.

I turned to leave without a word, but a rough hand grabbed my wrist. One of Sterling's buddies leaned in, his breath stinking of bourbon.

"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Why waste your time on Sterling? Come hang out with a real man."

His hand started to wander, but Sterling suddenly lunged forward and shoved him back.

Sterling's face was red with fury. "She's my sister. Back off."

For a split second, I saw the ghost of the boy who used to protect me from everyone.

The guy rolled his eyes. "Relax, man. It's not like she's actually your blood."

Delilah stepped forward and took Sterling's hand, her voice dripping with poison. "He's right, babe. I'm already getting married. It's time we found Elara a boyfriend so she stops staring at things that don't belong to her."

Sterling looked at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then, he slowly let go of the guy's collar.

Delilah pulled him back to their booth.

The guy's hand landed on my waist again, squeezing hard. "See? Your brother doesn't care anymore."

I stared past him at Sterling. He was sitting in the shadows, lighting a cigarette, acting like I didn't exist.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. I couldn't recognize him anymore. This wasn't the boy who used to fight my battles.

The guy's hand moved lower, sliding toward my thigh.

I didn't scream. I didn't beg. I reached for a heavy glass bottle on the table and smashed it over the guy's head without blinking.

The glass shattered, and shards sliced across my own cheek, leaving thin trails of blood.

Sterling finally stood up, his face twisted in annoyance as he looked at the mess on the floor.

He looked at the blood on my face and sighed. "Elara, you went too far."

I never thought the day would come when my protector would stand on the side of my harasser.

I started laughing. It was a jagged, broken sound that turned into tears.

"What do you want from me?"

I picked up another bottle and smashed it against my own forehead. Blood poured down my face, blinding me, but I kept my eyes on him.

"Do you want me to pay him back in blood? Is that enough for you, brother?"

I had spent years refusing to call him that.

But now, standing there drenched in my own blood, I said it with a smile that didn't reach my eyes.

Sterling's face went pale. He took a step toward me, his chest heaving, but the world went black before he could reach me.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed.

Sterling was sitting by my side, holding a bowl of warm soup. He looked exhausted and genuinely pained.

"Elara, I didn't mean it like that. Promise me you won't be so impulsive again."

His voice was so tender, just like it was years ago when he rescued me from those bullies in high school.

He used to stroke my hair and tell me, "If anyone touches you, tell me. No one gets to hurt my sister."

I stared at him, numbly eating the soup he blew on to cool.

For a brief, flickering moment, my dead heart gave a tiny thud.

My wounds were mostly healed by the day before my flight.

Sterling was busy with wedding rehearsals, so he wasn't around. But Delilah was.

She leaned against my doorframe, her eyes full of spite.

"You've got some moves, sister. I'll give you that."

I ignored her. I had never liked her, even when we were kids.

When our parents divorced, our mother wanted to take her, but Delilah stayed with our rich father because she looked down on Mom's lack of money.

She was the one who started rumors about me in school. She was the one who told our abusive father where we were hiding, forcing us to flee.

She even caused our mother's death by stressing her out during a high-risk pregnancy.

Suddenly, she clapped her hands. The guy from the bar walked into my room.

"Enjoy your gift, Elara," she hissed.

The man pinned me to the bed. "You stuck-up bitch. Let's see how tough you are now."

I fought like a cornered animal. I managed to kick him hard enough to scramble away and run into the hallway.

I was gasping for air when I saw Delilah at the top of the stairs. I lost it.

I grabbed her by the collar and screamed, "Why? Why do you hate me so much?"

She didn't answer. She just gave me a terrifying, twisted smile. The second I let go, she threw herself backward down the stairs.

I looked up and saw Sterling standing at the bottom, his eyes wide with horror and rage.

Delilah lay at his feet, clutching her leg and sobbing.

"Elara, I know you love Sterling, but we're happy! I can't give him up to you! Why would you push me? My leg... it hurts so much!"

Sterling scooped her up, his gaze burning through me.

"Elara, I really underestimated how low you could sink."

I backed away, shaking my head. "I didn't do it. She jumped."

Delilah buried her face in his chest. "Sterling, it hurts... I don't want to hate her, but I can't lose you."

Sterling marched up the stairs and grabbed me by the throat, pinning me against the wall. I could feel the cold tile through my shirt.

"I didn't do it," I gasped.

He didn't listen. He dragged me down the stairs and threw me at Delilah's feet.

"What do you want from her to make this right?" he asked her softly.

Delilah looked at the gold locket around my neck and smirked. "If she gives me that necklace, I'll forgive her."

My heart stopped. That was the only thing I had left of my mother. Sterling knew that.

"No," I sobbed, clutching the metal. "Sterling, please. It's all I have of Mom."

Sterling hesitated for a second, but then Delilah started wailing.

"She was my mother too! Why don't I get to have something of hers?"

I couldn't take the hypocrisy anymore. "You're the reason she's dead!"

[Slap!]

The force of his hand sent me spinning. I touched my burning cheek, unable to believe he had actually hit me.

Sterling's eyes were like flint.

"I spoiled you too much, Elara. Give her the necklace."

"Give it to her, or I'm done being your brother."

I looked at him and saw a stranger. Not a single ounce of trust remained in his eyes.

I let out a broken, hollow laugh. Fine. If this is what it takes to end it, then let it end.

I took off the necklace, threw it at them, and walked away without looking back.

The next morning, I didn't go to the wedding. I spent the hours erasing every trace of my existence from that house.

I left three things on the kitchen island.

A flash drive with the security footage from the hospital and the hallway.

My mother's true medical report.

And a final note.

"Sterling, I hope we never meet again."

I grabbed my suitcase and took one last look at the place I had called home for five years.

Goodbye, Sterling. For good.