Chapter 3

John stared intently at me. "Do you really have to do this?"

My mom, who had been so concerned for me, suddenly lost all her emotions. She looked at me with a troubled and guilty expression.

"So many years have passed. Maria didn't do it on purpose. Perhaps this was your destiny. Olivia, please forgive her. She has life too."

I looked at them quietly. Actually, I had many grievances. I wanted to tell them about the most painful year, when they kicked me because I disobeyed them and from then on, I lost my legs and could never stand again. And several unborn children were lost through extremely harmful methods. That's why I lost the ability to be a mother, that's why I was no longer fertile.

But seeing how calmly they could excuse the trigger and ignoring all my suffering, I was speechless.

I smiled, tears falling. "I'm not angry. It's my worthless fate. I shouldn't have come back. I should have died there, never disturbing your family's happiness again."

John, his eyes red, slapped me. "What nonsense are you spouting? Your mom and dad suffered so much searching for you, how can you say such heartless things? If it weren't for Maria all these years, they would have been depressed long ago!"

I touched my burning cheek. Looking at my parents, who remained unmoved even after I was hit, busy pulling Maria down from the balcony.

I scoffed. "Thank you for the slap, it woke me from my sweet dream."

I moved my wheelchair outside. Gradually, faint sobs came from the ward. I knew they weren't crying for me. It's okay, I didn’t need anyone to cry for me anymore.

I came back home. I took out the old bag I'd brought with me when I was brought back. Looking around, I realized I could take very little with me.

In the closet were the pretty short skirts that Maria and I wore as sisters. Unfortunately, I couldn't wear them because of my amputation. On the bedside table was a family photo just like Maria's. The difference was, I wasn't in it.

And there's the pile of birthday gifts from every year on my desk. Each one was picked out for me by John and Maria. But none of them were my favorite things.

I still remember what they said when they excitedly presented the gifts to me, "We haven't known what you like all these years, but you two are like sisters, so you should like the same things."

I smiled, stroking a pile of unopened astronomy books. At sixteen, I said I wanted to be the world's best painter. John went to great lengths to get me two rare, masterpiece paintings.

After the college entrance exam results came out, knowing my academic scores were secure enough for a top art school, he even commissioned me to have the same art supplies as those of famous painters.

I thought that even though we were seven years apart, our shared aspirations wouldn't change. But now, he said that the wall in his bedroom where he always kept the double portrait of me was now hung with an astronomical chart of constellations that Maria and I had taken photos of. Like me, it was all in the past.

I stepped out of the indoor elevator, carrying my bag. The nannies and maids gathered outside the kitchen door, preparing meals for Maria.

"If you ask me, Mr. Walter still loves Miss Olivia more. Every time she's injured, he's the one who takes care of her personally. After that, we did everything for her. That day, he saw the rotting wound and vomited, saying he'd never seen such disgusting rotting flesh."

I froze, then it felt like a windowpane had been shattered, a cold wind blowing into my heart.