The silver whip wounds from that beating kept me bedridden for two whole days.

Until my phone buzzed with a message from the staff, informing me that the paperwork for purchasing the forest was complete. That isolated forest was now mine!

I was overjoyed and immediately called the number.

The person on the other end confirmed with me repeatedly. "Miss Ember, are you certain you want to move to the forest in three days?"

I had never been more sure of anything. "Yes, I'm certain."

The staff member replied, "Very well, Miss Ember. We'll escort you to the forest in three days as scheduled."

Just as I hung up, Grayson suddenly pushed open the door.

"Move to what forest?"

I put away my phone and changed the subject. "It's nothing, Uncle. Did you need something?"

He didn't press further, simply answering, "Your competition entry won an award. The organizers invited you to the ceremony the day after tomorrow."

If Grayson hadn't mentioned it, I would have nearly forgotten. I was quite skilled at painting and had qualified for the finals of a prestigious national competition a month ago. I never expected to actually win.

On the day of the ceremony, Victoria insisted that the whole family accompany me to the event.

"Ember, you're my sister! Of course we have to witness your moment of glory!"

But then her tone shifted, and she sighed with apparent regret.

"I wish I could win an award too, but my health has been so poor that I haven't had time to learn painting."

"But that's okay—you winning is just like me winning!"

I didn't respond, but I had an ominous feeling in my heart.

The awards ceremony began, and finally came the moment to announce the gold medal winner.

I sat in the audience, sweating nervously.

This award was important to me—it was recognition of my work and validation from industry peers.

The host took out the winner's list, suddenly looking confused. But after a moment, he recovered and announced:

"Let's congratulate our gold medal winner—Victoria Blackwood!"

The audience erupted in confusion. No one had heard this name before, and people whispered quietly.

"Who is Victoria Blackwood? Some industry newcomer?"

"I have no idea. I distinctly heard the gold medal should go to Ember Blackwood for her painting 'Sunset'!"

I sat frozen for a long time before snapping back to reality. Just as I was about to stand and question the organizers, Finn yanked me back down.

"Enough. I contacted the organizers an hour ago to make the switch and put Victoria on stage."

"Victoria enjoys the feeling of glory. From now on, all your work will be published under Victoria's name."

I turned around in disbelief. Father and Mother looked proudly at Victoria on stage, then glanced at me dismissively. "Don't compete with your sister. It's just one award."

Grayson's gaze was intense, all his attention focused on the radiant Victoria on stage. He completely failed to notice my pale face.

In that moment, I felt ice-cold all over.

Once again, Victoria had stolen what belonged to me.

And the accomplices were all of them.

Amid the applause, Victoria thanked everyone—everyone except me.

Back at the Blackwood house, I went to my room and gathered all my artwork.

Along with the stuffed animals I'd saved three months of allowance to buy, the handmade dolls I'd carved alone in my room, and my worn-out clothes and dresses.

Then I took all these things to the living room and dumped them in front of Victoria.

Victoria jumped in surprise. "Ember, what are you doing?"

I pointed at the pile on the ground, my voice calm. "Didn't they tell me to give you all my artwork? Well, here's not just my work, but everything I own. It's all yours."

After speaking, I looked around at everyone, thinking bitterly to myself:

And Dad, Mom, brother, Uncle—I don't want them anymore either. She can have them all!

In my room, I skipped dinner and locked myself in, packing my final belongings.

Father and Mother assumed I was just throwing a tantrum, complaining outside my door.

"Her temper's getting worse and worse. It's just a few paintings—does she really need to give her sister attitude?"

"Exactly! I think she's getting too big for her britches!"

Amid all the criticism, Grayson gently knocked on my door.

"Ember, stop being angry. Come out and eat something, okay?"

I turned toward the door, feeling awful inside, but my eyes were dry.

I'd already shed too many tears—now I couldn't even cry anymore.

Outside, Finn irritably pulled Grayson away. "Uncle, don't bother with her. She just likes making a scene. Let's see how many meals she can skip."

I laughed.

One meal.

Because I was leaving tomorrow.

The next day, I got up extra early, but to my surprise, the Blackwood family was already gone.

Checking my phone, I discovered they'd left at dawn to pray to the Moon Goddess at the Sacred Grove.

They say the shrine there is very powerful, but you have to hike up on foot and hang your prayer tokens before sunrise.

No wonder they left so early—it was all for Victoria's blessing.

On social media, each of them had posted. Every photo and prayer token was about Victoria.

Father: "May Victoria be safe and happy forever!"

Mother: "My precious girl, may all your wishes come true!"

Finn: "May Victoria live a life of peace and joy!"

Grayson didn't post Victoria's photo, just a picture of a prayer token's text:

"Hoping for peace and lasting tranquility!"

In my previous life, Grayson had hung many prayer tokens on that sacred tree.

A man who never believed in gods or spirits, yet he visited that shrine almost every year.

Just because his prayer tokens contained the character for "my love," I always thought the person in his heart was me.

Only before I died did I learn that every prayer token had Victoria's name on the back.

All those years of one-sided emotional investment were nothing but a joke.

Fortunately, heaven gave me a second chance, and I finally woke up completely, refusing to repeat past mistakes.

My phone chimed with a text notification.

"Miss Blackwood, welcome to your forest residence. Please proceed to the airport immediately. Our staff will meet you there. We wish you every day on the forest to be filled with success and peace."

I smiled as I closed my phone, then placed the prepared document severing parental ties on the table.

Before leaving, something occurred to me. I stopped and removed the necklace from around my neck.

This was the family heirloom Grayson had given me when I'd successfully confessed my feelings years ago.

He'd said the person wearing this necklace would be his Luna, the future mistress of the Storm wind pack.

But now, I no longer had any desire to be his Luna.

I placed the heirloom on top of the severance document and left with my luggage.

Just then, my phone started buzzing frantically.

I paused and pulled it out.

The screen showed dozens of missed calls from Father, Mother, Finn, and Grayson.

I opened the group chat to find countless messages tagging me.

"Ember, Victoria accidentally fell down the mountain and her wolf is failing heavily. Get to the hospital right now for an essence transfusion!"

"You have thirty minutes—get to the hospital now!"

"If anything happens to Victoria, I'm holding you responsible!"

I paused for a moment, then expressionlessly exited the group chat and blocked them all one by one.

From now on, I would no longer be Victoria's essence bank, no longer Father and Mother's second daughter, no longer Finn's sister, and definitely no longer Grayson's fiancée.

I was Ember Blackwood, and only Ember Blackwood.

I turned for one last look at this place I'd lived for over twenty years, then dragged my luggage to the waiting car without looking back.

At the hospital, Victoria lay motionless on the bed. Her skin looked almost transparent, drained of all color. Her lips had turned blue. Her eyes stayed closed tight while her forehead creased with pain.

Father paced back and forth by the window. His hands shook as he checked his watch again and again. Mother sat beside the bed, gripping Victoria's cold hand.

"Where is Ember?" Mother whispered.

Finn stood in the corner, his phone pressed to his ear. He had been calling me for the past hour. Each time, the same robotic voice answered: "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

"Still nothing," Finn said, lowering his phone. His jaw clenched with frustration.

Grayson leaned against the wall near the door. His usual calm mask had cracked. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. His fingers drummed nervously against his thigh.

He pulled out his phone and dialed quickly. When someone answered, his voice turned sharp.

"I need someone whose wolf essence matches Victoria's blood type. Get them to the hospital now. I don't care what it costs or who you have to wake up."

The person on the other end said something. Grayson's voice grew colder.

"Then find more donors. Money is no object. Just make it happen fast."

He hung up and moved closer to Victoria's bed. His eyes fixed on her pale face.

"How much longer?" he asked the doctor who was checking her vitals.

"The transfusion should help once we find a compatible donor," the doctor replied. "But her essence levels are dangerously low. Without treatment soon..."

The doctor didn't need to finish. Everyone understood.

Twenty minutes later, medical staff rushed in with bags of wolf essence. The transfusion began immediately. Victoria's heart monitor showed her pulse slowly strengthening.

"She's stabilizing," the doctor announced. "But she needs rest. The transfusion was successful."

Father, Mother, and Finn all sagged with relief. The tension that had gripped the room for hours finally began to lift.

Grayson watched Victoria's peaceful face for another moment. Then he turned toward the door.

"I'm going back to check on Ember," he said quietly. "She should know what happened here."

He drove through the empty streets toward the Blackwood house. Something felt wrong. The silence in the car seemed too heavy. His wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin.

The house looked different when he arrived. All the lights were off. No sounds came from inside. Even the usual scent markers seemed faded.

Grayson pushed open the front door. The silence hit him like a wall.

"Ember?" he called out. His voice echoed through the empty hallway.

No answer.

He walked into the living room and stopped dead. On the coffee table sat a neat pile of papers. Beside them lay the Storm wind pack heirloom – the necklace that had been passed down for generations.

His hands trembled as he picked up the documents. The words swam before his eyes: "Severance of Family Ties." At the bottom, in my familiar handwriting, was my signature.

The papers felt like ice in his hands. He read through them twice, hoping he had misunderstood. But the meaning was clear. I was cutting all ties with the Blackwood family.

The front door burst open. Father, Mother, and Finn rushed in, still breathless from their hurried trip from the hospital.

"Grayson, did you find her?" Mother called out.

They saw his expression and followed his gaze to the table. The documents and necklace told the story without words.

Mother gasped and grabbed the papers from Grayson's hands. Her eyes scanned the text rapidly.

"This can't be real," she whispered. Then her voice rose to a shout. "How dare that ungrateful girl!"

She tore the documents into pieces, scattering them across the floor like confetti.

Father's face turned dark red with anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"She's just having a tantrum," he growled. "Cut ties with the family? Break off her engagement? She's being ridiculous."

He began pacing again, his voice getting louder with each word.

"She's a foolish child who doesn't understand the real world. Where does she think she'll go without us? Without our protection and support?"

Finn snorted and crossed his arms. "She probably thinks this will get our attention. Make us come running after her with apologies."

"Exactly," Father agreed. "She's trying to manipulate us. Well, I won't play her games. She can survive on her own for a few days. When she gets hungry and cold, she'll come crawling back."

Mother nodded firmly. "Let her learn the hard way. Maybe then she'll appreciate everything we've given her."

"Right now, Victoria needs us more," Father continued. "She's the one who's actually hurt. She's the one who deserves our concern."

Finn picked up some of the torn papers. "If anything happens to Victoria because Ember decided to throw this fit, I'll never forgive her."

"None of us will," Father said coldly. "Come on. Let's get back to the hospital where we're actually needed."

The three of them stormed out, their angry voices fading as they got into their car.

Grayson remained alone in the living room. He picked up the necklace and held it in his palm. The metal felt cold against his skin.

Doubt crept into his mind like a slow poison. Was this really just a tantrum? Would I actually come back in a few days?

He tried to convince himself. Of course I would return. We were engaged to be married. I loved him – I had told him so many times. This had to be some kind of emotional outburst.

Yes, that was it. I was upset about Victoria's accident and not thinking clearly. Once I calmed down, I would realize my mistake.

"She'll be back," he said aloud to the empty room.

Back at the hospital, the Blackwood family rushed through the corridors toward Victoria's room.

As they approached Victoria's door, they heard her voice from inside. She was talking to someone on the phone.

Her tone sounded different – stronger, more confident than usual.

"Pretending to fall down that mountain was exhausting," Victoria said with a light laugh. "But it was worth it to finally get rid of Ember."

Father, Mother, and Finn froze outside the door. Grayson's eyes widened in shock.

Victoria continued talking, completely unaware of her audience.

"I've been planning this for years. All those fainting spells, those trips down the stairs. Remember when I deliberately hit the gas instead of the brake? I sent her flying, but she still wouldn't leave."

"But thank goodness it worked this time," Victoria went on cheerfully. "I've finally driven Ember away. No more competition. No more pretending to be weak and helpless."

The phone conversation continued, but the family members couldn't hear any more. Their world had turned upside down in the span of thirty seconds.

All these years, they had believed Victoria was fragile and innocent. They had protected her, worried about her, put her needs first. And now they discovered it was all an elaborate lie.

Father was the first to move. He pushed open the door and marched into the room. Mother and Finn followed close behind, their faces twisted with anger and disbelief.

Victoria looked up and saw them. The phone slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Her face went white as a sheet.

"Mom, Dad, Finn," she stammered. "I... I didn't know you were..."

"Why?" Mother's voice cracked. "Why would you do such horrible things?"

Victoria scrambled out of bed and rushed to them. Tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"Please, let me explain. I was wrong, I know I was wrong."

She grabbed Mother's arm, then Father's hand.

"I was just so scared. You had me first, and I was your only daughter. Then Ember came, and I thought you might love her more than me."

Father jerked his hand away. His voice boomed through the room.

"We only gave birth to Ember for your sake! To help with your condition! How could you think we'd love her more?"

Mother's tears mixed with her anger. "We gave you everything. The best room, the finest clothes, all our attention. Couldn't you see how much we cared for you?"

Finn stepped forward, his face hard as stone. "That car accident. I thought it was real. I saw Ember covered in blood, and I felt so guilty. You let me believe it was my fault for not protecting you better."

Victoria reached for him desperately. "Finn, please, I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt that badly."

"But you did mean it," he said coldly. "You planned it. You wanted to hurt her."

Victoria fell to her knees, sobbing. She grabbed at their clothes, begging.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I swear this is the last time. I'll never do anything like this again."

She looked up at them with streaming eyes. "But you still love me, right? I'm still your daughter."

Her voice grew more desperate. "Mom, Dad, remember when you had those terrible headaches? I made you healing herb every night. Finn, during the earthquake, I pulled you out of that collapsed building. I risked my own life for you."

Finn's expression wavered slightly. Father and Mother looked torn between anger and old affection.

Victoria turned to Grayson, who had been standing silently by the door.

"Uncle Grayson, you love me too, don't you? That day in the garden when I was dancing, you fell for me immediately. Ember was only born to be my essence donor anyway."

Her voice turned bitter. "I know it was wrong to make her give me so much wolf essence over the years. But I couldn't stand watching her steal your love from me."

Grayson stared at Victoria as if seeing her for the first time. This calculating, manipulative woman was nothing like the sweet girl he thought he knew.

Just then, a voice came from the corner of the room. The family housekeeper had been standing there quietly during the entire confrontation.

Now she stepped forward and dropped to her knees on the floor. Tears poured down her weathered face.

"Alpha, Luna," she said in a shaking voice. "I can't keep silent anymore. There's something else you need to know."