They were just two years apart, yet worlds away. After their parents' death, he was expected to be strong - the elder brother, the protector. But instead, he chose silence. A silence rooted in jealousy, guilt, and pride. She was always the bright one, the kind one - the one their parents adored. Even in their absence, her presence was a reminder of everything he thought he couldn't be. So he left. Emotionally. Physically. He abandoned her. She was only a girl then. Alone in a world too cruel for her tender heart, she learned to hide. To smile through the panic, to breathe through the shaking, to live through the pain. For ten long years, she battled the shadows - of trauma, of memories, of loneliness. No one ever asked her how she was. And she never told anyone. Who would listen? Who would understand? And then, he came. Not a saviour. Not a storm. Just... calm. He didn't ask her to speak, but she did. Slowly. He didn't try to fix her, but somehow, she began to heal. With him, there were no expectations. Just laughter, shared silences, stolen glances, and the quiet comfort of being seen. He laughed with her - not at her. He made her laugh again - something she had forgotten how to do. He was the first home she'd felt in years. And he was her brother's best friend. What began as unexpected companionship became something deeper. Something that gave her strength - not to forget the past, but to face it. Because of him, she finally looked her brother in the eye. And for the first time in a decade, he looked back - with pride, with guilt, with tears and apology. This is a story of a broken sibling bond shattered by jealousy. Of a girl who was abandoned in her darkest hour. Of a man who helped her find her light again. And of how love - patient, real, and kind - can change everything. ............................................................................................................. ENJOY FICTIONAL PAGLU 💅🏼