Aidan and my father looked at me with unreadable expressions.

"Susan, who are you meeting in seven days?"

From the look on their faces, I realized they hadn't heard everything clearly. As their earlier words echoed in my mind, the pain I'd been struggling to suppress now swept through my entire body.

Noticing my pained expression, Aidan abandoned his earlier questioning and hurriedly helped me sit up. "Did the pain from your wounds wake you? Don't worry, I've been right here with you. It's all our fault for not saving you sooner."

His eyes reddened as he shouted toward the door, "Why aren't you in here yet? Didn't I tell you to prepare painkillers? Why aren't they working?"

My father, heartbroken, sat by my bedside, holding my hand as tears streamed down uncontrollably. His expression darkened as he gritted his teeth. "Susan, rest assured. I won't let those who hurt you get away with it! Even if it means going to prison, I'll make sure they suffer!"

After that, he gently stroked my head, his eyes brimming with love. Then, he spoke again. "Susan, your brother has already arranged for the world's best doctors to come. They'll arrive tomorrow morning. These quacks at the hospital aren't fit to treat you!"

"Don't worry, even if it means sacrificing the entire Sherman Family, I will cure you and ensure you live a carefree life."

I stared numbly at the pain etched on my father's and brother's faces. If they truly loved me, how could they have done those things to me? The doctor clearly said my fertility could be preserved, but they insisted on delaying.

The thought made me laugh bitterly as I stared straight at my father. "Dad, will I really get better? Why won't you let the doctors here operate on me first?"

"Susan, you will definitely get better. How could these quacks possibly treat you? I feared they'd only worsen your injuries by touching your wounds."

He lowered his eyes, hiding the expression in them. Of course, he knew that if my wounds weren't treated until tomorrow, not even the best doctors in the world would be able to save me.

To ensure his illegitimate daughter could marry my fiancé, my father—who had once stayed by my side as I grew up and promised to love me forever—had betrayed me. And my own brother, whom I had grown up with, had also abandoned me for that same illegitimate daughter.

Realizing this, I looked at the two people in front of me with bitter sorrow and said nothing more. When my expression cut into their hearts like blades, they unable to restrain themselves and reached out to me as if to soothe my scars.

Unfortunately, their hands stopped as the phone rang.

"Dad, I've tried on several wedding dresses and still can't decide. Can you and Aidan come help me choose?" Sally's coquettish voice rang out from the other end.

Even though my father covered the phone in time, I could still hear it clearly because of the distance.

Those men exchanged glances, studying my expression. When they saw I remained utterly calm, they breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, the doctor came to treat my wounds and said with pity, "Miss Susan, please bear with it, this might sting."

A moment later, searing pain from the wound surged through my body. The anesthesia did not affect me whatsoever; I could feel every bit of the pain with excruciating clarity. And all of it had been inflicted by the very people closest to me.

I gritted my teeth and dug my nails into my palms until they bled.

Aidan's eyes reddened as he watched what was happening. My father, pretending he couldn't bear it, turned and left with the phone in his hand. Soon after, my brother also turned his head away and walked out of the room.

Their expressions of heartbreak were so convincing, but I knew what they were really doing.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Sally sent me a video. In it, my father beamed as he helped her into her wedding gown, completely disregarding his role as an elder. Meanwhile, Aidan was fastening a dark green necklace around her neck.

My eyes widened in disbelief. That necklace was my mother's keepsake!

I wanted to rush over right then and snatch my mother's necklace back, but what followed in the video only deepened my hatred.

"Dad, Susan is so badly injured. She has surgery tomorrow. Why don't you stay with her? As for my wedding, it's fine if you can't make it. I can manage alone. I just wonder if the Ladner Family will accept me."

Sally, dressed in her wedding gown, looked desolate as she spoke. Of course, Aidan and my father immediately began to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Susan can manage alone. We'd just be waiting outside during her surgery anyway. It's better to attend your wedding," my brother stammered nervously.

My father's face darkened as he solemnly promised, "Be at ease, I'll be there tomorrow to support you. This is your most important day. Even if Susan finds out, she'll understand."

A flicker of secret delight crossed Sally's eyes at their assurances. Then, they began discussing every detail of the upcoming wedding. Those ceremonies, those gifts, those surprises, all things they had once promised to me.

Yet here I was, lying alone in agony on the hospital bed, while they gave everything meant for me to Sally. I clenched my fists and began to pick apart my feelings for my family, piece by piece.

After Sally went in to change into her wedding gown, my brother hesitated before speaking, "Dad, Susan's condition is so critical now. Should we still release those videos from the scene tomorrow? I fear she might not be able to handle it."

My father paused for a moment, his gaze shifting toward Sally in the dressing room. At that time, his resolve suddenly hardened. "Release them! Not just online, show them at Sally's wedding ceremony. Only then can I completely crush the Ladners' ambitions."

With that, he pulled out his phone again. "I'll ensure the doctors treat Susan properly. You must keep this news hidden, at least for the next few days. She mustn't know, nor must she disrupt Sally's wedding."

Aidan nodded with unwavering resolve at his order.

I replayed the video ten times over, then lay back on the bed in a daze.

The kindness that my father and brother had shown me before was genuine. Now, they were truly giving all of that kindness to Sally, while I had become the enemy standing in the way of her happiness.

The next day, I was wheeled into the operating room.

After enduring the agonizing surgery, I dragged my exhausted body to the wedding venue. I had to stop them from releasing the video.

When I arrived at the wedding hall, I looked at everything before me with a pale face.

Lavender swayed in the wind, the dreamlike ceremony hall and the gorgeous bride being escorted by her father and brother. Everything here was exactly as I had once described to my family.

My father held Sally's hand, his heart aching as he placed it into the groom's. "Connor, I entrust my daughter to you. If you ever treat her poorly, I will make you repay it a hundredfold. The Shermans will always be Sally's strongest support."

A blissful smile spread across Sally's face as my father and brother stood beside her like guardians.

I couldn't take it anymore and rushed forward, desperate to stop them. But a heartbeat later, the giant LED screen lit up with the video from that day, when they had drugged me and dragged me into an alley. They even edited the footage to make it look like I went willingly.

Everyone presents showed expressions of disgust. Connor, in particular, roared with loathing in his eyes. "Change it back immediately! My wedding doesn't need this tramp to show up!"

My family watched as everything unfolded and when they saw me in the video, a hint of disgust appeared on their faces as well. Ironically, they were the ones who had done all of this to me.

The revelation struck me like lightning. I stumbled back uncontrollably, knocking over a flower stand behind me, which crashed to the floor with a loud noise. Every gaze quickly snapped to me.

"Isn't that Miss Susan from the LED screen? How dare she show up here? Did she release that video herself? How shameless!"

The whispers slithered into my ears like venomous snakes. I clutched my head tightly, desperate to flee.

But the next second, a group of reporters appeared out of nowhere and surrounded me. The expressions on their faces were completely manic.

"Miss Susan, I heard you willingly engaged in promiscuous relations with multiple partners just to break off the engagement with Connor Ladner. Are you dissatisfied with his family?"

"Miss Susan, by showing up at the wedding now and releasing these videos, are you trying to provoke the Ladners and your sister?"

Hearing this, I finally erupted in fury. "I have no sister!"

The reporters paid no heed to my words, shoving microphones right in my face.

"Miss Susan, I hear you were hospitalized yesterday due to your promiscuity and will never be able to have children. Is that true?"

As they spoke, they started to pull at my clothes. When they found the wounds underneath, they became even more excited.

I struggled desperately, but having just undergone surgery, I was no match for them. They tore my clothes away piece by piece, made me wish I could die right there.

"My God, these wounds are real! Those videos must be real, too! Who would've thought the high-and-mighty Susan Sherman secretly indulges in promiscuity!"

"Hurry! Get all of this evidence! We're going to help Miss Susan make a name for herself and become infamous forever!"

Their mocking laughter echoed endlessly in my ears.

I crouched down, clutching my body tightly, my cheeks wet with relentless tears.

"Miss Susan, don't crouch! You posted that video here to become famous, didn't you? You're such a natural slut."

They ripped at my limbs while they talked, as if they wanted to devour every bit of my flesh.

Finally, I heard my father and brother roar from distance. "What are you doing? Stop immediately!"

They began to run toward me after that. The bodyguards, seeing the situation, also began to charge.

The next second, Sally, who had been behind my father, suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a sharp cry of pain.

At once, Aidan and my father's steps came to an abrupt halt.

"Dad, Aidan, I'm fine. Go check on Susan first," Sally spoke with strength, rising to her feet only to stumble and fall again.

Pain flickered across their faces before they finally gritted their teeth and turned to me.

"Susan, the bodyguards are coming to help you. Hang on a little longer."

With those words, they abandoned me and helped Sally toward the backstage.

The bodyguards began shooing away the reporters and I was pushed to the ground by the surging crowd. The countless feet instantly trampled over me without restraint.

In the final second before losing consciousness, all I saw were the malicious stares of everyone present.

In a daze, I felt myself carried on someone's back, heart-wrenching sobs choking beside me.

"Susan, you have to hang on. Dad and I can't lose you."

Aidan was so heartbroken that he was nearly suffocating. "Susan, you said you'd always be with me. You can't leave me behind."

I stopped struggling, letting myself sink into the darkness.

When I woke again, my entire body was swathed in bandages.

My brother was watching over me and as soon as he saw I was awake, his eyes turned red.

"Susan, you're finally awake! Are you still in pain? Are you hungry? Do you want some water?" As he spoke, he carefully brought a cup of water to my lips.

I said nothing, silently drinking it all.

Everything I endured was their doing. Why were they now putting on this false show?

My brother chattered on beside me, his eyes brimming with guilt.

When my father saw I was awake, he embraced me so tightly his tears soaked my hair. "Susan, my darling, you're finally awake. I knew you'd never abandon me and your brother."

Their grief in that moment was real, but even so, when danger came before, they had chosen Sally without hesitation.

With this thought in mind, I pulled the corners of my mouth into a slight smile and said in a raspy voice, "I want to be discharged."

Aidan's expression stiffened instantly when he heard me. "Susan, you're not well right now. How about you get discharged in a few days? I will find the best doctors in the world to help you recover."

He spoke carefully and leaned his head closer to my hand, just like he did when we were little. I didn't move and continued to say expressionlessly, "I want to be discharged."

My father's face also showed a look of reluctance.

For the next three days, they took great care of me. I spoke no words to them except to say I wanted to be discharged. Yet my family didn't seem to mind at all.

One was the chairman of the Sherman Corporation and the other was the CEO, yet now they served me like servants—bringing tea and water.

Whatever I craved, they'd procure it within seconds. Anything I desired, they'd provide. Still, I knew it was all an illusion.

They would never show up in front of me at the same time, because when my father was with me, my brother would be with Sally. Their kindness to me was all leftover, something Sally didn't want.

Thinking of this, I gave a wry smile.

My father stroked my head with a pained expression and sighed, "Susan, if you're so eager to leave the hospital, then go. I'll arrange for people to care for you at the villa."

After he finished speaking, he had someone send me back to the villa. Meanwhile, he himself hurried away.

Minutes later, my phone received another video call from Sally.

"Susan, our family's having dinner. Why aren't you joining us? Or is it that you're crippled now and can't come? How pitiful, being ruined like this by your own father and brother. You're both stubborn and worthless, sis. Even this couldn't kill you. Oh, and that villa you designed earlier? It's really nice. I'm living very comfortably there."

She sent the message with a mocking emoji attached. The video showed my father, brother, Sally and Connor enjoying a harmonious meal. I quickly recognized the location as the villa I had designed.

When it ended, I turned off my phone expressionlessly. Ever since that wedding incident, nothing my father or brother did could move me anymore.

I began cleaning out the villa. After living here for 20 years, it was filled with my family's traces: the toys my father gave me since I was just a year old, the birthday presents from him and Aidan, the thousand paper cranes Aidan once folded by hand and the lucky charms my father brought me year after year.

I took them all down. After I ran my fingers lightly over these items, I realized that at some point, they had become covered in dust. Just like the love between my father, my brother and me.

After carefully wiping them clean, I tossed them all into the fireplace without hesitation. The roaring flames instantly consumed everything.

I didn't watch as they burned. Instead, I turned and entered my father's study.

I logged into my father's computer using Sally's birthday, staring at the wallpaper showing the three of them smiling brightly. I opened their chat history and scrolled through the endless messages that stretched before me, reading them bit by bit.

When I reached the year 2023 and saw that contract, my eyes widened in disbelief.

Back in 2023, when the Sherman Corporation faced a major crisis, I had secretly sold thirty patents I held without telling my family. To ensure safety, I sought help from Jack, who ultimately secured this contract and saved the company.

Yet in their chat history, they credited Sally alone for it.

"Back when the Sherman Corporation faced a crisis, it was Sally who knelt and begged those people to step in at all costs, saving the company. Her health suffered because of it. I will take full responsibility for Sally and find her the best possible future."

Soon, messages began flashing across the computer screen. I mechanically clicked through them.

[Mr. Sherman, the contract you requested is ready. In three days, once you sign it, 15% of Sherman Corporation shares will transfer to Miss Sally. But weren't these shares originally intended for Miss Susan?]

The next second, my father's reply popped up.

[Forget about Susan. I'll take care of her for the rest of her life. She's crippled now; she doesn't need shares. Sally, on the other hand, requires some shares to protect herself while she's with the Ladners.]

I stared at the messages, snapping photos of each one.

Later, I went back to my room, lay on the bed and laughed until tears streamed down my face. So it had all been so simple—Sally had stolen my credit, while my family remained blind and heartless.

Tears drenched the pillow without my knowing. After a long moment, I finally calmed down and took out my phone to text Jack.

[About our plan, we need to change the location. In 3 days, my dad and brother will host Sally’s birthday party at the company and transfer shares. I'll send you more evidence. On her birthday, you must reclaim all the patents I gave the Shermans and cancel all their contracts. I want them to lose everything that day!]