Finally, Chloe shook her head.
“No.”
“That’s not possible.”
“You would’ve told me.”
I held her gaze without anger.
“We wanted to.”
“The doctors said forcing you to remember the fire could destroy you.”
“So Mom and Dad chose to protect you.”
“And I chose to help them.”
The confusion on her face slowly gave way to panic.
“What fire?”
My father stepped forward, his voice trembling.
“The night our house burned down… you were trapped in your bedroom.”
“We couldn’t reach you.”
“Maya ran back inside.”
My mother covered her face as she struggled to continue.
“She carried you through the flames.”
“You survived because she refused to leave you behind.”
Chloe looked at me again, her eyes filling with tears.
“And… these scars…”
I nodded gently.
“They happened while I was bringing you out.”
“They’ve always been the price of keeping you alive.”
The backyard remained completely silent. Many of our classmates lowered their eyes while others quietly wiped away tears, suddenly remembering every cruel joke, every rumor, and every time they had watched Chloe mock the sister who had sacrificed everything for her.
