Your Love Is But a Dream

Chapter 1

"I'm going abroad to further my studies like you suggested, Aunt Katrina," said Clara Salford.

Katrina Caldwell's face brightened upon hearing that. It was as though she had been relieved of a heavy burden. "That's great, Clara! I'm glad you've finally thought it through.

"I'll help you with the admissions process and apply for a student visa at once. You'd best seize the time you have left this last month to say goodbye to your friends. After all, you won't be able to hang out with them again."

Just then, a hesitant expression crept onto Katrina's face. "Shall I tell Wren on your behalf?"

Clara balled her fists and shook her head. "I can tell him myself, Aunt Katrina."

"Alright, then. You can decide what to do." Katrina felt it wasn't her place to say anything more, so she nodded before leaving the living room.

Clara's palms were red when she unclenched her fists. Then, she silently stood, headed upstairs, and opened the door to her bedroom. Upon switching on the lights, it illuminated the wall full of pictures.

She approached the wall, her gaze settling on the centermost photo of two people.

The two stood in the bright spring daylight under lush, blossoming trees. The young man had bushy brows, and his head hung low as he smiled at the girl with a flowy white dress beside him. Those were Wren and Clara when they were 20 and 15 years old, respectively. Clara reached up to touch the photo. She couldn't help but smile, yet tears silently welled in her eyes. Her vision soon blurred. Even so, the memories between her and Wren were crystal clear in her mind.

Alas, nothing was exempt from change. She and Wren could never go back to how they used to be.

Wren Zachman was Clara's older brother, but only in name. They weren't biologically related since he was Katrina's stepson. Katrina had been looking after him since his mother passed away.

Clara loved following the older and handsome Wren around as a little girl.

When Clara was seven years old, her parents died in a car accident. She was the only survivor. However, that caused the Salford family to see her as a scourge of bad luck. They saw her as the main culprit behind her parents' deaths.

Her grandmother kicked her out of the family during winter. It left her kneeling in the snow and nearly freezing to death.

got there in time to save

how Wren suppressed his rage as he

said, "If you, Salfords, refuse to care for her, I'll do it myself! Clara will be a Zachman from now on. She'll have nothing more to

warmly held Clara's hand and spoke with an

He practically raised Clara alone. With time, his proud love and care

every time he protected her. She couldn't avoid falling in love with Wren, who had kept her company and defended her as she grew

couldn't hold back the love

"Today's your birthday, Clarey. I'll grant your

to make Clara tiptoe and kiss Wren. Yet, to her

what you're doing, Clara? I'm your

related. You're

equal love! Don't ever bring up such things again!" "Why can't I?" Clara stubbornly met Wren's eyes. "I love you! I know what my

he looked at Clara and snarled frostily, "You've lost your mind, Clara. You should calm down and think carefully about what you're doing. I want you to move out of my home if you dare say

on bad terms that day. Since then, there seemed to

stopped coming home every day. Clara struggled to see him once

of Wren,

to

day, she overheard someone talking to Wren. They asked, "Why

bring her up? What a total buzzkill," Wren

stiffened. She could see the annoyance on Wren's face through the slight crack of the opened door. Her smile

refused to give up and summoned the courage to enter the room with her gift. "Happy

he saw her. "Why

to Wren. "I designed this for

held the hand of a woman beside him. With a face full of smiles, he announced, "Ivy and

Ivy and Wren get together? Clara forced her tears back but no longer repressed her intense feelings. She looked at Wren's back, still refusing to accept defeat. "Are you joking, Wren? You're only getting engaged with someone random because you want me to give up on

to stare at her coldly. His tone was sarcastic. "You're overthinking things. Ivy and I have long been seeing each other. You should address her

took in the cheers and congratulations from all around her, feeling dizzy like tumbling in a tornado. She didn't