Trapped in a sweltering 40-degree sauna room, I overheard my older brothers talking outside.

My second-oldest brother, Sean Lambert, remarked, "This kid is too stubborn. We need to teach her a lesson."

My third-oldest brother, Jacob Lambert, replied, "The temperature has been adjusted. She won't die."

I was locked up alone for 72 hours. It was their way of punishing me because of my stepsister. Yet, they were the ones who used to love me the most.

My father was a business tycoon, my eldest brother, Axel Lambert, was skilled in finance, Sean was a legal expert, and Jacob was a medical prodigy. My mother passed away after fulfilling her mission, leaving these four men to look after me.

They once showered me with love like I was their precious gem, until I turned five. That's when my stepmother and her daughter came into the picture, and I was banished to the housekeeper's room. Their attention shifted entirely to my stepsister. Whenever she cried, my father would bring out the punishment box for me to draw lots.

72 hours passed, but no one came to open the door.

Before I blacked out, a few lines of small text popped up before my eyes: [The minor character is about to die. Once she dies, she can be reunited with her mother.]

In that case, I gave up hope and quietly closed my eyes.

Just when I thought I was finally free, the door was pulled open with a bang. A large hand effortlessly lifted me. My arm was gripped so tightly it hurt, but I did not even have the strength to struggle.

"Come out if you're not dead yet," Sean said coldly as he dragged me out.

My legs were weak, so I could not stand on my feet. I fell to the floor, hitting my forehead, which stung.

However, Sean only looked condescendingly at me. "Quit faking it. Get up and apologize to Cynthia."

He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room.

My head was spinning, and my throat was parched. I stumbled as he dragged me. And yet, he used to be the gentlest to me; even the smallest scrape would make him ache for me.

In the living room, my father held my stepsister, Cynthia, as though she was a precious treasure. Axel and Jacob sat on the couch nearby.

The moment I stepped in, all gazes locked onto me.

My father's eyes were like shards of ice. "Do you understand what you've done?"

Cynthia buried her face in my father's arms, sobbing softly, her body trembling as if she had been deeply wronged.

Axel's voice was icy. "Estelle Lambert, if you continue to rely on our affection to gain attention by hurting Cynthia, don't blame us for sending you away."

I stood there in a daze. My dress was still soaked with sweat, clinging damply to my body as I shivered. Their words stung my ears like needles. I had not done anything wrong.

It was not like this before. If I fell back then, my father would anxiously pick me up, blow on my knee, and say, "Alright, alright. Daddy's here, the pain will fly away."

Sean would magically pull sweet chocolates from his pocket to cheer me up.

Jacob would immediately take out his small first-aid kit, carefully disinfecting and bandaging my wound, his movements as light as a feather.

Even when Axel was busy, he would carry me to his desk, let me play with his pen, and then pat my head.

However, everything changed after our beautiful stepmother, on her deathbed, held our father's hand and tearfully entrusted Cynthia to him.

My father and brothers gave all the good things to Cynthia.

She fell while running, yet she cried and claimed I had tripped her. She broke my doll but held the broken doll in front of my father and said, "Estelle doesn't like me and cut my doll."

Every time they believed her and punished me. Even the draw box that they used to give me rewards became a way to punish me.

I looked at them, my tears finally spilling down in heavy drops. However, I was scared to cry out loud and could only bite my lips hard, retorting in a whisper, "Dad... Brothers... I didn't. I didn't hurt her..."

My father's expression turned grimmer. "Estelle, you still won't admit your mistake. You're only five years old, yet you're already so evil. Cynthia is the only child her mother left. Since she entrusted her to me, I won't let her suffer! Go to your room to reflect. You're not allowed to eat tonight, and you can't come out unless you admit your mistake!"

They forgot that my mother also entrusted me to them before she died. They promised Mom that they would take good care of me. Now, they seemed to be just Cynthia's father and brothers.

My mother was dead. My dad and brothers did not want me anymore.

I turned around and walked away step by step.

My father's gentle voice rang behind me. "Cynthia, don't be afraid. Your brothers and I are here. No one can bully you."

The housekeeper’s room was cold and damp, containing only a small bed and a shabby cabinet. I huddled in the cold corner of the bed, hugging my knees as tears streamed down my face.

Just as I was sobbing uncontrollably, those magical little texts appeared again.

[Oh, it's really heartbreaking to see. Hurry up and finish the story; your mother is waiting for you in the new world.]

[She used up all her points to get this opportunity. Once your life ends here, you can immediately go to her side.]

I forcefully wiped away my tears, sobbing softly, "Really? If I die... I can see my mother?"

[Absolutely! Your mother knew you were suffering and couldn't come back, and she was frantic. She used up all her points to exchange for a reward from the system. Once your life ends here, you can immediately be teleported to her side to enjoy happiness!]

[It's a million times better than suffering in this awful place!]

A huge surge of joy dispelled my grievances. It turned out my mother did not abandon me! She had been finding ways to take me away!

I immediately stopped crying and had only one thought remaining in my mind: I have to find my mother!

The only window in the room was too high for me.

I tried my best to drag the rickety wooden stool to the window and clumsily climbed up. The stool legs creaked, and I stood on tiptoe, barely managing to reach the cold windowsill.

Once I opened the window, a gust of freezing air swept in, sending shivers down my spine. I could not see what lay below, only sensing the great height, yet strangely, I was not afraid at all.

Thinking of seeing my mother soon, I struggled to climb up, closed my eyes, and jumped with all my might.

The wind whistled in my ears, and then I crashed heavily onto something. A sharp pain instantly shot through my body.

"Ah!"

I heard Cynthia's piercing scream and Jacob's panicked shout. "Estelle?"

I had fallen into the bushes in the garden and was remarkably close to Cynthia and Jacob, who were playing on the swings.

Jacob rushed over like an arrow, his face ghastly pale. He knelt beside me, his hands trembling slightly as he checked my arms and legs.

"Did you hurt yourself? Tell me!" Jacob was in a frenzy, completely abandoning his usual composed and brilliant doctor persona.

My arm could not move and was throbbing with pain. My forehead was burning hot too, and I was sure I scraped it.

However, Jacob's anxious face suddenly made me feel a bit relieved. He used to be this nervous about me too.

"Jacob... I... I want to go find Mom..." I whispered.

Jacob's hand froze for a moment as he looked at me with a complex expression. Then, he shouted into the house, "Call an ambulance immediately!"

My father, Axel, and Sean all rushed out upon hearing the noise. Seeing me, their expressions changed.

"What happened?" My father's voice was angry, but his gaze lingered on mine for a moment.

"She... She jumped out of the housekeeper room window."

"She jumped?"

Sean's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Estelle, why are you making a fuss again?"

Axel's face was gloomy. "Is it because you were punished by not being allowed to have dinner? Are you protesting in this way?"

I listened to their statements, feeling disappointed. They still thought it was me making a fuss.

Enduring the pain and using all my might, I responded, "Dad, Brothers, I wasn't making a fuss... I just... I just missed Mom..."

After I said that, my father and brothers suddenly fell silent.

At the hospital, the doctor treated my wound, splinted my arm, and said it was indeed a fracture, so I needed proper care.

Jacob stayed by my side the whole time, his usually calm and brilliant doctor facade replaced by a worried expression. As he bandaged me, the pain was so intense that tears streamed down my face. Instinctively, he reached for candy in his pocket, only to find it empty. He hesitated for a moment, recalling that he had not given me candy in a while. All of the candy now went to Cynthia. Awkwardly, he withdrew his hand, then stiffly patted my back.

My father and brothers stood at the ward door and did not come in.

Sean muttered, "It seems like this time she really injured herself from the fall, but threatening family with self-harm… such behavior needs to be addressed."

My father sighed and did not say anything.

I lay in the hospital bed, staring at the white ceiling.

They thought I was threatening them, but they did not know that I was really leaving.

Once my arm healed, I would try again. Next time, I must succeed in finding my mother.

Even with the cast on my arm, I started looking for new opportunities.

I knew cars often sped through the driveway in front of my house. One afternoon, I hid behind a tree by the roadside when I heard the sound of a car engine approaching.

'Now!' I thought as I lunged out from behind the tree and ran toward the middle of the road with my eyes closed. The expected collision did not happen; instead, a large hand grabbed my collar from behind and dragged me back roughly.

I fell to the ground and looked up to see Axel's livid face.

His chest rose and fell sharply, as if he had sprinted all the way here.

"Estelle! Have you lost your mind? Do you have a death wish?" he practically roared as his eyes filled with fear and anger.

I looked at him, feeling a pang of disappointment as I had almost succeeded.

"Axel, please let me go find Mom, okay?" I whispered.

Axel's eyes instantly became complex and unreadable. He lifted me from the ground, his tone frighteningly harsh. "Don't let me see you do anything so foolish again! Otherwise..."

He did not finish his sentence, but his grip on me as he yanked me back into the house was incredibly strong.

Since I failed, I tried again.

That night, I snuck into the kitchen and found a fruit knife. The knife was so heavy that I could barely hold it with both hands. I copied what I saw on TV and stabbed myself hard in the chest.