Chapter 4

The moment the door closed, my straight spine bent.

I slid down against the door to the floor. My mind seemed to be thinking about everything and nothing at all. The world became hazy before my eyes, as if separated from me by a layer.

Only my hand unconsciously gripped the freshly scabbed wound on my arm.

I had cut it with a small knife a few days ago.

Starting a year ago, the thought of leaving this world became increasingly intense.

With Fiona here, maybe even if I died, it wouldn't affect those people in the slightest.

But I was still struggling to stay alive.

Every time I thought about ending it all, those warm moments from childhood would flood in, making the hand holding the knife lose a bit of its strength.

I opened my phone. The contact list was nearly empty.

Ever since Fiona came to our house, I had been forcibly bound to her. I got into New York University; Fiona didn't, so my mother donated two buildings to get her in.

After graduation, I started working at the Summers company, and immediately Fiona was placed in my department.

Under Fiona's performance, in everyone's eyes, I was the arrogant young lady with a terrible temper. No one wanted to get close to me.

She, on the other hand, was the poor little thing I bullied, easily winning everyone's favor—not to mention she spent the Summers family's money giving plenty of benefits to her so-called "friends."

I couldn't even find a single outlet to pour out my pain.

Those feelings of resentment, anger, numbness, and suffering crashed around inside my body, as if trying to destroy me from within.

And I was completely helpless.

I curled up into a ball on the soft carpet.

After a long while, I couldn't help but shed a tear.

Dad, you lied to me. My tears aren't pearls at all. No one cares about the tears I shed.

I wanted to get up right now and go before that group of people who once loved me but now loved Fiona, and shout: "Tell me! What exactly do you want me to do?"

But in the end, I just curled myself into an even tighter ball.

Sleep, Aurora.

Everything will be better after sleep.

Close your eyes, and this painful day will end.

I didn't sleep well. My eyeballs kept jumping beneath my eyelids, my breathing quick and shallow, as if I were being tormented.

But when dawn approached, my breathing finally steadied.

It wasn't until noisy sounds erupted outside my door that I groggily woke up.

The door was being pounded loudly. I lifted my aching body from the floor and opened the door.

Outside stood Julian with his cold voice: "Why haven't you gotten ready yet? Today is Fiona's engagement party. You're not planning to throw another princess tantrum and refuse to go, are you?"

My head still hurt. I had no energy to answer Julian's question.

Perhaps seeing how pale I looked, Julian's voice softened slightly: "What's wrong with you?"

I stepped back, my voice flat: "Nothing."

Julian looked at me, as if angered by my coldness. His eyes filled with disappointment: "Aurora, you weren't like this before. You used to—"

"I'm sick of hearing that line. If you have nothing to say, go keep your dear sister company. If you keep wasting time, I really will miss the engagement party."

With that, I closed the door in Julian's shocked gaze.

Warm water streamed over my body. I was still thinking—engagement party? Fiona's engagement to whom?