Amidst the chaos, someone shoved me off the hospital bed. A sharp, searing pain shot through my body, threatening to drag me into unconsciousness. With only a thin sheet covering my wounds, an aggressive female anchor sneered and yanked it away, exposing my battered body to the cameras. The others lunged forward, eager to capture every humiliating detail.

I was nothing more than a spectacle, an object on display, my dignity torn to shreds before a live audience. Biting down hard on my lip, I tasted blood, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony clawing at my soul. Tears streamed down my face as the voices around me grew louder.

"Tsk, tsk, disgusting. She deserves this."

"A woman like this might as well just die!"

"Fans, take a good look—this is what happens when you live shamelessly. A warning to all girls out there: stay pure."

Their taunts sliced through me like knives, each word a fresh wound. My entire body trembled, my sobs uncontrollable, but the cruelty only fueled their frenzy. One of the anchors, emboldened by the flood of donations pouring into her livestream, smirked and leaned in closer.

"Ms. Jain, our viewers are curious—were you always this promiscuous? How about sharing your contact information? Seems like quite a few fans are... interested."

The live chat was filled with a single word, repeated over and over: slut.

Looking at the pitiful wreck I had become, I realized that even death had abandoned me. My only instinct was to curl up, twisting my broken limbs to shield myself from their prying eyes. Their laughter rang in my ears, relentless, suffocating. Then, a roar shattered the torment.

"Who the hell are you people?! Get out!"

My brother stormed into the room, fists flying as he drove the anchors away. Chris rushed to my side, gently lifting me back onto the bed and pulling the blanket over me, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"This is my fault," he murmured, his voice thick with guilt. "If I had stayed with you, none of this would have happened."

Beside him, my brother raised a trembling hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

"Nindy, cry if you need to. This is all my fault. I swear I'll make them pay for this. Those heartless bastards will regret ever laying a hand on you! Don't worry, none of what they recorded will ever see the light of day."

The sincerity in his voice was flawless, his act impeccable. But the more they pretended to care, the deeper my disgust grew. They had orchestrated every step of this nightmare. Why would they stop now? As expected, within hours, the livestream footage had been clipped, edited and spread across every corner of the internet. The entire world now knew me as the depraved, thrill-seeking heiress of the Jain Family.

My name was forever tarnished, my dignity obliterated. For Bella, my own brother and the childhood friend who once swore to protect me had personally thrown me into the flames and left me to burn. The realization hit me like a dagger to the heart, my breath hitching in my throat. Panic surged through my chest, choking me, until my vision blurred and I gasped for air.

Chris bolted out of the room, returning moments later with the team of specialists who had been standing idly outside. They surrounded me, conducting their assessments in grave silence, until finally, one of them spoke.

"The situation is dire. Because the optimal window for surgery was missed, the infection has spread. The damage to the lower body is severe—both the bladder and uterus are compromised. Urinary incontinence is almost inevitable and the chances of pregnancy are nearly nonexistent."

He hesitated before continuing, his voice heavy. "As for her limbs, the tendons and nerves have been severely damaged. The probability of a full recovery is less than ten percent. You need to be prepared for the worst."

My brother lunged forward, seizing the specialist by the collar, his eyes wild with desperation.

"You were brought here to save her, not spout nonsense! I don’t care how much it costs—just do the damn surgery!"

His grip trembled as he turned back to me, his body wracked with sobs. He cradled me in his arms, his tears wetting my hair. "I'm so sorry, Nindy... I'm so sorry..."

Chris was so overwhelmed by the entire ordeal that he fainted. Watching their impeccable performance yet again, I simply lowered my gaze, my heart devoid of any emotion.

When I woke up, I felt a hand tightly holding mine. Chris was resting his head on the hospital bed, his face weary from exhaustion. At the faintest movement of my fingers, he jolted awake, his expression instantly lighting up with relief and joy.

"Nindy, you're finally awake! How do you feel? Where does it hurt? I'll call the doctor right away!"

His concern, though seemingly genuine, only made me sick to my stomach. After destroying my body and shattering my spirit, he now had the audacity to feign affection? Who was he trying to convince?

I forced a weak smile and whispered, "You've stayed up all night. It must have been exhausting for you. You should go back and rest. The nurses will take care of me."

He hesitated, still playing his role. "But the nurses might be careless. What if they hurt you?"

Your presence is what hurts me the most.

"Go home, Chris. I'm fine."

Faced with my unwavering insistence, he had no choice but to leave, albeit reluctantly.

An hour later, my phone buzzed. A message from Bella.

I opened it to find a photo and a video. The timestamp confirmed that while I was undergoing surgery, she was on stage, accepting an award that should have been mine.

In the picture, my brother and Chris stood by her side, both beaming as they held up the championship trophy together. They looked like a perfect little family, basking in their victory—while I, the true outsider, was left behind, discarded and forgotten.

My breath hitched. Just minutes earlier, Chris had been at my bedside, whispering sweet nothings of concern. Yet here he was, celebrating in a grand hotel, laughing and drinking as if nothing had happened.

I clicked on the video. A nine-layer pink strawberry cake stood in the center of the room—Bella’s favorite color and fruit and the one I despised the most. She giggled as she smeared frosting onto their faces. Instead of getting angry, they chuckled fondly, affectionately calling her their "little troublemaker."

What caught my eye next made my fingers tighten around the phone. Chris wore a ring on his hand. A ring that was identical to the one on Bella’s finger.

She hadn’t written a single word to provoke me, yet her message was clear as day. Nothing hurts more than watching someone steal what was once yours.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and was about to lock my phone when another notification appeared in the small three-person group chat I shared with my brother and Chris.

[Ferry: "Chris, you must treat Bella well. Back when I lost everything, it was Bella who jumped into the sea to save me. Whatever she wants, even if it’s the stars in the sky, I will make sure she has them."]

A second later, the message was withdrawn. My fingers trembled as I clutched the phone, my chest tightening with an unbearable ache. A tidal wave of pain surged forward, threatening to drown me in its depths.

That day, the person who saved my brother had been me. When did the truth become her Bella’s?

Tears slipped silently down my cheeks, soaking the hospital quilt. I had lost everything—my dignity, my reputation, my dreams. And now, even my past was being rewritten, stolen by the very people I had once loved. In my darkest despair, a thought surfaced. A phone call from a month ago.

My mentor, Professor Karl, had once offered me a place in a top-secret national project for painting artifact restoration. Back then, I had hesitated. Now, there was nothing left for me here.

With a deep breath, I dialed his number.

"Professor Karl," I said, my voice steady. "I’ve decided to accept your offer. I’ll join the project."

His delight was evident. "Truly? That’s wonderful news! Your talent is unparalleled, Nindy. But I must remind you—this is a top-secret project. Once you enter, all traces of your existence will be erased from the world. Are you certain you want this?"

"I’m certain. I’ll book my flight and be there in three days."

Just as I ended the call, my brother entered the room, his expression unreadable. "I thought I heard you mention a plane ticket. Where are you going?"\

I met his gaze calmly, my lips curving into an indifferent smile. "Nowhere important," I said, finding a convenient excuse to dismiss his question.

After all, there was no need for him to know. Soon, I would vanish from their world entirely.

"No, my best friend was just asking if I wanted to book a plane ticket with her for a trip once I’ve recovered," I said, my voice calm and unbothered.

My brother let out a quiet sigh of relief, but a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. He hesitated for a moment before asking in a forced casual tone, "Just now, in our little group chat... did you see anything?"

I shook my head, feigning ignorance, acting as if I had seen nothing at all.

My brother fell silent for a few seconds, his expression conflicted. He looked at me as if he wanted to say something but struggled to find the right words. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Nindy, Chris is planning to get engaged to our family the day after tomorrow and the bride is..."

I waved my hand dismissively before he could finish. "I know. It’s Bella. You don’t have to worry about me throwing a fit. I’ve always seen Chris as my brother."

As soon as I finished speaking, Chris appeared in the doorway. His brows furrowed slightly and for a brief moment, a flicker of something—loss, perhaps—flashed in his eyes.

My brother, however, looked immensely relieved. "At first, I was afraid you’d make a scene, but you’re more understanding than I expected. That’s my sister. Don’t worry, I’ll find you a better boyfriend in the future."

Later? What later? By the third day, Chris and Bella were trying on wedding attire. My brother was so excited that he insisted I come along to witness their so-called happiness.

The moment Bella walked into the boutique, she drew envious gazes from everyone around her. She looked like the brightest star in the night sky, the very image of elegance and grace.

My brother pushed my wheelchair forward, positioning me among the crowd so that I could applaud their joy. Bella approached me, a look of feigned surprise crossing her delicate features. "Oh Nindy, how did you end up looking like this? When I saw your live broadcast, I almost threw up… Actually, I was just wondering—were you born to be so... filthy?"

Her sickeningly innocent words drew murmurs from the surrounding crowd. Their eyes filled with judgment, whispers of disdain spreading like wildfire. I ignored her provocation, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

She turned to my brother, lowering her voice just enough for me to hear, "Brother, I feel guilty. It’s my fault Nindy ended up like this. Can I take her outside for a little walk?"

"You don’t have to blame yourself," my brother reassured her, glancing at me with a subtle warning in his eyes. "None of this is your fault. No one would dare blame you."

Without waiting for my response, Bella grabbed the handles of my wheelchair and wheeled me outside to a secluded spot near a small pool behind the bridal store.

The moment we were alone, the sweetness on her face melted into something cruel and twisted. "Nindy, the honor that should’ve been yours—brother and Chris willingly gave it to me. Doesn’t that make you furious?"

I let out a cold chuckle. "Unlike you, I’m not shameless enough to steal what isn’t mine. You plagiarized someone else’s work and yet you still have the audacity to stand here and act so high and mighty. If I were you, I’d throw myself into this pool and end it already."

Her expression darkened instantly and she looked like a lioness ready to tear me apart. She suddenly kicked my already injured leg. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, stealing the breath from my lungs.

"Hurts, doesn’t it? But no matter how much pain you’re in now, it’s nothing compared to what those beggars did to you!" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.

"Nindy, why did you have to come back to the Jain Family? Why couldn’t you just disappear and let me have everything?! You should’ve died!"

I exhaled slowly, suppressing the burning pain in my leg. "Don’t worry. I have no interest in taking anything from you. Once I leave, you’ll still be the beloved daughter of the Jain Family, just like before."

Her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "I don’t believe you! Not unless you spend the rest of your life rotting away in a prison cell!"

Before I could react, she suddenly pulled out a blade from somewhere and slashed her palm, letting the blood spill freely.

"Blood! Ms. Jain is hurt!" someone screamed in alarm.

From inside the boutique, my brother and Chris paled with panic and rushed outside. Their faces were full of worry and distress as they hurried to her side.

In their blind concern, they knocked over my wheelchair, sending me crashing onto the hard ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my battered body, but they didn’t even spare me a glance.

Bella seized the moment, pressing the blood-streaked blade into my hand. My fingers instinctively clenched around it and in the next second, fresh crimson stained my own hand as well.

By the time my brother and Chris turned their attention to me, it was already too late. The scene before them was exactly what Bella had orchestrated—a helpless, wretched girl clutching a bloodied blade, while she stood before them, trembling and injured. The perfect victim. She looked up at them, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and whispered, "Brother, Chris… She… She tried to hurt me..."

A cold, suffocating silence fell over the air. And just like that, I knew— This time, they wouldn’t hesitate to believe her.