My younger brother, Asher Dunlap, killed two people while drunk driving. I took the blame for him and was sentenced to jail for five years.

In prison, I met an elderly lady, who couldn't take care of herself, and I took care of her attentively.

Before she passed away, she left me an inheritance, and it turned out to be 1000 million dollars!

After being released from prison, I had a video call with my family, planning to share my wealth with them.

To my surprise, my mother's face changed drastically, and she quickly hung up the video call.

I thought something had happened at home, so I hurriedly went home.

Just as I arrived at the door, I heard my younger sister-in-law, Linda, complaining.

"Why did you pull me to transfer the property in such terrible weather? Why are you in such a hurry?"

My mother said, "It's for your good. Julia has been released from prison, which is why I quickly transferred the house to be under your name so that she won't ask for it back."

Linda said indifferently, "A convict wants the house? Tell her to get lost!"

My dad said, "Our family is doing well. She shouldn't have come back."

That day...

It was snowing heavily.

The bitter chill came at me.

——

Hearing their conversation, I couldn't stop trembling.

I didn't know if it was because of the cold weather or because I was disappointed in my heart.

It should be because of the cold weather.

It was snowing heavily outside, and I was only dressed in a thin jacket.

They were my blood relatives. Maybe I had misheard them just now.

My parents had always favored my younger brother, but he was close to me, so I had taken the blame for him.

They would be happy to see me out of prison.

Thinking so, I knocked on the door.

Mom opened the door and looked at me in surprise, saying, "Why did you come back so soon? I was about to have your dad go pick you up."

After looking me up and down, Mom looked concerned and said, "You have suffered these years. You've lost weight."

My eyes turned red. My mom still cared about me.

I must have misheard just now.

"'It's okay, Mom. It's all in the past. We can enjoy a good life from now on. I'm now..."

Just as I was about to share with her the joy of getting 1000 million dollars, Linda suddenly ran out of the house and poured a basin of cold water on me.

The water was ice-cold, sliding down my face into my neck.

I shivered and looked at her in confusion, asking, "What are you doing?"

Linda couldn't hide the disgust on her face as she said, "This is to get rid of the bad luck on you."

After saying that, she turned around and went back into the house, leaving me shivering in the cold.

My mom quickly pulled me into the house and used a towel to dry the water off my body.

"Julia, don't be angry. Linda is pregnant. She isn't in a good mood. Please give her more understanding."

I frowned. What Linda had done to me had nothing to do with being pregnant or not.

I went to jail for her and my younger brother. She had no right to despise me.

My dad came out of the bedroom with a cigarette in his mouth.

Looking sullen, he said, "Wasn't it a five-year sentence? How come you're out in four years?"

I forced a smile, saying, "I behaved well inside, so I got one year off my sentence."

My dad seemed unhappy, glanced at me, and went back into the house.

I didn't care about his attitude as I shivered from the cold.

The weather was cold. I was only wearing a thin shirt. I couldn't bear it anymore after Linda poured cold water on me.

I walked towards my room, intending to change my clothes.

Upon opening the door, I found that my room had turned into a baby's room, with baby clothes hanging in the wardrobe.

"Mom, where are my clothes?"

My mom hesitated and said, "Your...your clothes...have been thrown away."

"Thrown away?"

I shivered. It had only been four years since I left home. There was no trace of me left in the house.

The family photo that used to hang in the living room had been replaced with a new one they had taken.

My mom forced a smile and quickly said, "Julia, get Linda’s clothes and get changed. We'll go buy clothes when the snow stops."

Linda said, "Don't wear mine. I am in a special period. My clothes can't be worn casually, especially by someone who just got out of prison."

"Am I supposed to be chilling all the time?"

I looked at Linda and then at my mother.

Neither of them spoke. Dead silence prevailed.

Gradually, I was disappointed.

In prison, I had fantasized countless times about the scene of being reunited with my family. Now that the day had come, it was different from what I had imagined.

"Where am I going to stay?" I was the first to break the silence.

My mother rubbed her hands. She wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

Linda said indifferently, "There's no room for you in the house. Figure it out yourself."

I laughed in anger, saying, "This is the house I bought. There are three bedrooms and one living room. In the end, how come I don't even have a room?"

Linda stood up abruptly, saying arrogantly, "What? Is your house so great? Are you saying so to drive me away?"

"Yes. All of you have the same surname. I'm the only one with a different surname. Should I leave since you all gang up on me?"

She walked out with a big belly.

My mom saw it and went to stop her hurriedly.

"It's snowing heavily. She's still pregnant. Don't do anything to harm the baby."

My mom was anxious, sweating profusely. It took a lot of effort for her to persuade Linda to come back.

My dad suddenly walked out of the room, looking at me with a frown.

"This house is small. In a few months, we'll have one more mouth to feed. If you come back, there won't be enough space left."

"If you come out a year later, we will have time to figure things out."

My dad's words made me heartbroken.

But he had always favored boys over girls, and I had long been used to it.

What made me feel a sense of belonging in this family the most was my younger brother, who was closer to me.

I wanted to see his attitude.

"Julia, you're out of prison!"

My younger brother came back from outside, carrying a lot of things.

At the sight of me, he looked pleasantly surprised.

Based on my experience of observing people's words and expressions in prison, he seemed exaggerated.

He seemed to be acting.

But I didn't think much of it. My younger brother was still the same. He must be very happy to see me.

"Yeah, I'm out. Why did you buy so many things?"

I went forward to help him.

Linda walked quickly towards me and suddenly stood in front of me.

"Don't move, these are all things bought for the baby. Don't touch them."

I withdrew my hand awkwardly.

To ease the awkwardness, Asher smiled and said, "Julia, this is for your unborn nephew."

"There are several bags of diapers, more than ten pieces of clothes, a baby stroller, and toys..."

He talked a lot. Then he picked up these things, went straight to the baby's room, and piled them in.

"Mom, there are still some at the entrance. Move them in."

When everything was moved in, it piled up.

I was a little surprised, wondering why he had bought so much baby stuff.

His baby was still several months away from being born. I wondered why he had braved such heavy snow and purchased so many things.

And all of the things were piled up in the baby's room, which used to be my room.

"By the way, Julia, now that you come back, where are you going to live?"

After Asher finished moving his things, he looked at me with sweat on his forehead.

"I..." I stammered.

I wrapped my clothes around me, wondering what to say.

At the sight of those piled-up things, I didn't know what to say.

"You can still live in your old room."

Asher slapped his thigh. Seeming to realize something, he said, "I'll tidy it up for you right away."

"Forget it. Don't tidy it up." I waved my hand.

"How can that be?"

Asher turned around and looked at me. With gratitude on his face, he said, "Julia, you were in prison for me. I have always remembered your kindness."

His words didn't make me feel warm.

Maybe it was because I felt too cold with my damp shirt clinging to my body.

They were all wearing down jackets.

"Asher, stop it. Where are you going to put my son's things?"

As soon as Asher moved out an empty box from the baby's room, Julia shouted with her hands on her hips.

Asher stood there, looking at me as if he were in a dilemma.

My dad lit a cigarette and grumbled irritably, saying, "The things are all piled up. How do we move around? The house is so small."

"Don't move things. I won't live here."

I looked at my mom and said, "Give me the key to the house on the Garden Road. I will live over there."

I had another suite over there.

Rubbing her hands, my mother didn't respond for a while.

She looked at Asher.

Asher scratched his head and said awkwardly, "Julia, that... that house is for Linda's parents."

"Oh."

I nodded and smiled faintly.

If I had sold the house on Garden Road five years ago, I would have raised enough money to obtain a letter of forgiveness from the victim's family.

With a letter of forgiveness, I would have been sentenced to at most one or two years, or even probation.

But I didn't sell it. I wanted to leave that house for my parents so that they could live there in their old age.

As a result, it became a home for Linda's parents.

In an instant, a surge of grief and anger welled up from within me, rushing through my whole body.

Indifferently, I looked at them one by one.

I said indifferently, "Aren't you guys going too far?"

Seeing my face change, my mom quickly said, "Julia, don't be angry. Linda's parents are not strangers. It's okay for them to stay there."

Seeing no easing in my facial expression, Asher said awkwardly, "Julia, how about I talk to them in a few days and ask them to move out..."

Before he could finish his words, Linda's glance made him shut up.

My mom said again, "Um... Julia, there are many vacant rooms in the neighboring community. Shall I help you rent one first?"

"No." I decisively refused.

My dad squeezed a cigarette butt and fiercely crushed it into the ashtray, staring at me.

"Julia, what are you causing a scene?"

"I'm not causing any scene."

I met my dad's eyes as he looked at me sternly. Then I said, "I have two houses, but I have to go out and rent a room. Do you think it's reasonable?"

My father slapped the table and said, "Is it fair for you to fight for the houses as soon as you are released from prison?"

"It's not that I'm fighting for the houses. It's that you won't even give me a room."

My father stood up and scolded me as if I were a child, pointing his fingers almost at my head.

"Are you blind? The only vacant room is filled with things. How can you live in it? There are plenty of empty rooms outside. Why don't you rent one? If you can't, go back to prison!"

"Julia Dunlap, don't act like a creditor. We don't owe you anything!"

His words hurt me so much.

My nose tingled, and I cried.

"Well done. You don't owe me anything."

"When Asher got into trouble, you begged me miserably and asked me to take the blame for him. You said that I had done a favor to our family and would do your best to compensate and repay me in the future."

“I suffered for four years there. Now that I'm out, I don't even have a room to live in."

"Is this how you compensate and repay me?"

I felt heartbroken, and my emotions were surging in my chest.

Asher and Julia drove my new car to a bar and killed an elderly couple. My parents found me right away.

Per them, Asher had started working and got engaged. His beautiful life had just begun. This car accident could ruin his whole life.

But my beautiful life had just begun too!

After years of hardship, my steak house finally started to do well.

After paying off the mortgage for this house, I bought another house on Garden Road and a car.

My parents cried and begged me to take the blame. Asher knelt and begged me.

Per them, they would spend their whole lives repaying me once I got out of prison.

I felt sorry for my parents and wanted to help Asher.

So, I ruined myself.

I suffered in prison for four years.

I thought the hard days were over. I thought I could enjoy the affection of my family, but what awaited me was their disdain, indifference, rejection, and betrayal.

The family for whom I gave everything turned out to be a group of ungrateful persons!

"Julia, the past is over. Don't keep mentioning it."

Asher spoke as he furrowed his brows.

"While you were in prison, our lives were not easy. The whole family was shamed because of you. The neighbors pointed at us and judged us. We couldn't hold our heads up."

"Now that you're back, who knows what those people will say behind our backs if you live at home."

"You only think about your grievances, but have you ever thought about us? If you live at home, what will happen to my son? Are you going to let him live with a convict from birth and suffer discrimination from others?"

Asher's words made me tremble all over.

I had ruined myself to protect Asher at all costs.

It turned out that he had such thoughts in his mind!

I couldn't be more disappointed. The last trace of illusion about my family was shattered.

I looked at him and sneered.

"Asher, it was you who drove drunk and killed the couple! It was also you who brought shame to the whole family!"

"I am innocent. I took the blame for you and went to jail for you!"

"Anyone can look down on me as a prisoner, except you, Asher!"

"If you were a real man, you should have taken the initiative to confess your crime! Instead, you are now enjoying my sacrifice, occupying my house, and despising my identity as a prisoner!"

"Asher, ask yourself, do you have a conscience?"