One Man Band System

After the doctor on duty and the nurse examined Ruby and found absolutely no issues, she was told she could go home after resting for a little bit. Once the medical staff stepped out, Jade asked Mike to step outside for a moment too. Naturally, Mike understood Jade’s hint and was more than happy to wait out in front of the ER. Jade turned to look at Ruby, who seemed to have calmed down but still looked confused and terrified.

"Don’t be scared, you’re completely fine... I’ll tell you everything that happened," Jade said, holding Ruby’s hand.

Ruby turned to look at Jade without saying a word because she desperately wanted to know what had happened to her after she passed out. Without dragging it out, Jade laid out the whole story, from what was about to happen to how Eric busted in to save her before she was rushed to the hospital. She also mentioned that Eric had stopped by the hospital after going to the police station to give his statement.

Hearing Jade’s story, Ruby began to tremble, wrapping her arms around herself. She had truly been right on the edge of a cliff just moments ago, and she didn’t even dare to imagine the worst-case scenario. Seeing her like this, Jade let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest, a look of frustration washing over her face.

"What is wrong with you, bringing a guy like Chad to the apartment and playing nice with him? Are you guys actually dating or what?" Jade asked, annoyed.

Ruby went quiet and hung her head, her hands gripping the sheet covering her lower body so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Jade waited patiently for an answer, but she had absolutely no intention of letting Ruby off the easy way. After sitting in silence for a while, Ruby finally opened her mouth.

"Almost every single day, I saw Chad following Emma, Chloe, Priya, Monica, Heidi, and Laura... I didn’t know which one he was targeting, but he looked like he was plotting something against them... and then... last week... I overheard Chad talking to one of his friends from outside of school near the front gate... they were talking about Eric. I eavesdropped and heard them planning to do something to Eric’s grandfather’s building, the one we went to... so... the next day, I immediately got close to Chad... hoping he would forget about the whole thing... until it finally led to what happened today," Ruby explained slowly.

"Are you serious? If you hear something like that, don’t just try to handle it yourself... talk to me, or Mike... or Caleb... or Avery... instead of cozying up to Chad and causing today’s disaster," Jade scolded, pressing her index finger against the side of Ruby’s lowered head and nudging it slightly.

"Yeah... I’m sorry," Ruby said, keeping her head down.

"You’re the one who almost paid the price. You should have thought things through before acting, and you don’t need to apologize to me. You really messed up," Jade retorted, annoyed.

Ruby went quiet again, but then she slowly turned her head to look at Jade, who was clearly angry but also deeply worried about her. Ruby opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, turning her eyes back to the bedsheet in front of her. Naturally, Jade knew exactly what Ruby was trying to ask, and she shut it down immediately.

"Don’t bother asking for Eric’s phone number, and don’t worry about saying thank you to him. If you want to see Eric and be close with him again like you used to... change your attitude. Learn to live a proper life. Stop begging your dad for everything and learn to stand on your own two feet... get a job, focus on school, and support yourself. You’re 17 now, not 7 anymore. You get what I’m saying?" Jade said, knowing exactly how Ruby’s mind worked.

Ruby turned to look at Jade, seeing the intense, serious look on her cousin’s face—one that was stern but also carried a clear trace of deep worry. Ruby turned her attention back to the bedsheet and nodded. She raised her hand to look at the necklace Eric had given her again, clutching it tight.

"But why would he give me something that looks this valuable?" Ruby asked.

Jade went quiet for a moment, seemingly searching for the right words to explain. Then, she leaned forward, pulling her chair a little closer to look at Ruby from a short distance.

"Eric is Eric... deep down, he’s still the same Eric we’ve always known... but he’s also different now. He’s not the weak Eric who used to spoil the two of us... the one who chose to stay quiet just to keep the peace... even when it was killing him inside... so he gave you that necklace... simply because he’s a good guy. Besides, he already stated his reason, it’s for protection, and nothing more. Do you get what I’m saying?" Jade asked, making sure the point landed.

Ruby nodded, her eyes remaining glued to the diamond-encrusted gold treble clef pendant.

"Did... did he forgive me... for the things I said when Dad kicked him out? Back then... I really thought he was cheating with Melissa... I didn’t know the whole thing was a setup... that video looked so real... not like AI or some edit," Ruby said, filled with regret.

"About that... I don’t know. He said he isn’t ready... so you should just wait until he is. And while you wait... change your attitude, your life, your habits, and everything else that disappointed him," Jade said.

"It’s easy for you to say that now. You were a total mess back then too, weren’t you?" Ruby said softly.

"Yeah... true. I woke up thanks to Eric... and I almost lost the one person who has always been by my side, even though we were long-distance. That’s why I’m trying to change now too," Jade admitted.

Ruby fell silent again, processing Jade’s words. Without her even realizing it, her tears began to drip onto the necklace in her hand. Seeing Ruby cry, Jade’s expression softened. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Ruby. But suddenly, Ruby said something that caught Jade completely off guard.

"Back when... when Vivian first cheated with Jason... I should have told Eric... but instead, I defended Vivian... and back then, I actually thought Jason was better than Eric because Eric was so quiet... I was wrong... I was so, so wrong," Ruby sobbed, pouring out the guilt she had been carrying inside, torturing herself with for so long.

"So... you’ve known about them for a long time?" Jade asked, breaking the hug.

Ruby didn’t answer with words, but she nodded and raised her hand to rub her eyes. Jade sat back down in her chair.

"Why did you protect Vivian and Jason?" Jade asked.

Ruby gripped her necklace, her body trembling slightly. Her tears suddenly stopped, and she turned to look at Jade with a strained, exhausted face.

"Because... I wanted Eric to stay with me... actually... I’ve liked and loved Eric... since we were kids... not as a brother... but I knew I was his little sister... and we could never be together because we’re blood... I didn’t want Eric to be taken by any other girl... I wanted Eric to be mine forever," Ruby said, finally spilling her selfish feelings.

Jade was visibly taken aback, shocked to learn about the feelings Ruby had kept hidden so perfectly behind her spoiled behavior. Before this, she had assumed Ruby was just being clingy and demanding as a little sister.

Ruby went on to explain that she realized her attitude toward Eric changed when he started dating Vivian, back when Eric was 14 and Vivian was 13. That was when she started looking down on Eric, treating him like he was her personal servant. Jade, who had never expected any of this, could only utter a single phrase.

"So... that’s how it is," Jade said, still processing Ruby’s words.

"That’s why... when I saw Eric surrounded by girls here... I was absolutely furious... and that’s also why I kept starting trouble with the six girls around him... but in the end... Eric just hated me even more for it... I’m sorry, Jade. I’m finally letting all of this out today," Ruby said.

"Wait a second... didn’t you have a boyfriend last year? Luke?" Jade asked, thoroughly confused.

Ruby went quiet again, then let out a weak smile and a soft sigh. She lifted her head and brushed her hair back.

"Yeah... only for three months... because I accidentally saw Jason and Melissa getting intimate at home... I got curious and tried it out with Luke. After that, we broke up because we didn’t actually have any feelings for each other besides sex. I was instantly confident about standing by Eric’s side... but then Vivian claimed that Eric had never even touched her and that she was still pure. It pissed me off, and in the end, I actually supported Jason when he wanted to take Vivian away from Eric back then, even telling him Vivian’s weaknesses... I really am terrible," Ruby said, keeping her head down, clearly regretting everything.

Hearing Ruby pour her heart out right in front of her, Jade narrowed her eyes. For the first time, she was truly seeing who Ruby really was and discovering what had actually been inside her heart all along. It was as if she was just getting to know Ruby, even though she had known her since childhood because they grew up together.