Chapter 4
But the next second, just because Sirena cried a little harder, she retracted her gaze and continued to comfort Sirena.
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and turned back to the room.
Instead of reflecting on myself, I took out the gifts I packed.
They glanced at me in surprise, followed by sneers.
“What, you have wild thoughts and learned to run away from home? Your parents discipline you for your own good. Willow, why don’t you understand our painstaking efforts? Since you are not convinced, walk out of this door today and don’t come back!”
The more times I was disappointed, the calmer I became.
After hearing such threats for the umpteenth time, I was no longer afraid of not being able to return to this home.
Because this home had never really accommodated me.
Seeing me walk out without looking back, my father grabbed a cup and threw it at me in a rage.
The broken glass made a hole in my head.
But I did not give in.
I just stopped and looked back at everyone.
“Since you regret giving birth to me, I will sever ties with the Holland Family today. This is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”
As soon as I left the yard of the villa, Jack chased me out and took out a few banknotes from his pocket.
He handed it to me in an admonishing tone. “Take this money first, find a place to calm down for a few days. Wait until your parents are no longer angry. Come back and admit your mistakes and this matter will be over.”
136 dollars.
For Sirena, it was just the money for a meal.
So they had long been accustomed to thinking that my living expenses for a few days were only worthy of Willow’s meal money.
At this time, Sirena also ran out.
She took the money from Jack’s hand and said to me coquettishly with a smile, “Willow, we are all family and Dad and Mom are just talking in anger. Do you really want to drive Willow away, Jack? In my opinion, don’t give her money. When she is hungry, she can come back earlier, right?”
Jack thought it made sense and quietly withdrew his hand.
My illness relapsed.
I dragged my tired body. I didn’t know how long I walked before I walked out of the rich area where the Holland Family lived.
I used the little money I saved from part-time work to book a hotel.
At night, I hugged myself and lay on the small bed.
As time passed by, I fell asleep.
In the days without Sirena, I was also the baby in my parents’ hands.
At that time, they were busy with work and they were really exhausted.
I was sent to the countryside when I was very young.
My mother kissed my cheek reluctantly and said, “Baby, when I am done, I will definitely come to pick you up early.”
I waited for four years.
When my parents finally came, there was a girl beside them.
She was the child of my father’s best friend and her parents died for some reasons.
My parents adopted her as their daughter.
I also treated her as my own sister.
But on her birthday, she was pierced by a needle hidden in her dress. She cried and hid in my parents’ arms and said, “Uncle, Aunt, don’t blame me. I didn’t mean it. Give me a little more time, I will definitely let my sister accept me!”
Her words directly sentenced me to death.
I asked her why she framed me.
She showed a sinister smile on her young face, then grabbed my hand, put it on her chest and fell downstairs.
At that moment, my parents just came home.
Since then, I had become an out-and-out bad seed.
My part-time job money was framed by Sirena as stealing her, so my parents cut off my pocket money.
Chapter 5
I was bullied by Sirena’s group and she just pretended to be innocent and bit back, so I became the murderer who bullied her.
Then I was locked up in a small dark room.
Because I was often hungry, I suffered from serious stomach problems.
When I mustered up the courage to tell my parents, my stomach medicine turned into vitamins.
Just because I stayed in the countryside for a few years, all the unbearable charges could be put on my head.
Even the right to celebrate my birthday was deprived.
In the middle of the night, I woke up with stomach pain and I suddenly missed my grandmother in the countryside.
The plain noodles made by my grandmother for me were better than any food in the Holland Family.
Not long after my grandmother passed away, the countryside was demolished.
Unfortunately, I was very tired now and didn’t have enough money for the trip.
Even going to her grave had become an unattainable wish.
Two days to life countdown.
I ordered the cheapest noodles takeaway.
While waiting for the takeaway, I received a message from Jack.
[Mom and Dad still care about you, so they asked me to buy some medicine to treat your head injury. Sirena has brought the medicine to see you. She has been trying to please you. Don’t hurt her again, okay?]
Half an hour later, Sirena and my takeaway arrived almost at the same time.
When I was about to take my first bite of noodles, she raised her hand and knocked over my bowl.
The noodles and soup splashed on the ground, making a mess.
“Willow, you don’t really think I’m here to deliver medicine, do you? How unfortunate, the medicine has been thrown away.”
She changed her usual weak look and smiled with jealousy. “Didn’t you see the news? The staff member who handled your business was reported and suspended. Mom and Dad also know about it and they are very angry.”
Hearing this, I really couldn’t stand it.
“Why did you do this?”
“Because I hate you. If you want to blame someone, blame you, the evildoer, you are the one who implicated others. Is it a big deal to have stomach cancer? You want to tell the whole world. Do you think your parents believe you? You’re going to die. Why don’t you die far away? You have to come to the Holland Family to get in the way!”
Looking at her angry expression, I remained calm.
Instead, I spoke calmly. “I ask myself that I have never done anything to hurt you. Why do you treat me like this?”
Sirena laughed very sarcastically.
It took a long time before she stopped.
“There is no way. Children who live under someone else’s roof are not as good as their own children. Parents can never treat each other equally. So I can only think of ways to stabilize my position in the Holland Family.”
“Did you put the needle in the skirt when I was a child?”
“Yes.” Sirena admitted without hesitation, “I put the needle in myself and I fell down the stairs myself. I can pretend to be allergic by taking some special medicine. In order to frame you, I am willing to risk it. So everything now is what I deserve. What, are you angry? Dissatisfied? You want to kill me?”
I was really angry.
The pain in my body mixed with anger almost made me tremble with anger.
“Sirena, you are so mean!”
As soon as I finished speaking, she slapped me.
She slapped me to the ground.
“Willow, save your little strength and live for two more days. Once you die, no one can threaten my position anymore.”
She kicked me twice more before leaving with satisfaction.
She didn’t notice the camera I set up in the corner.
I slowly got up from the ground and struggled to dust off my clothes soaked in noodle soup.
Chapter 6
I turned on my phone and saw the news that the staff was suspended.
Netizens all sided with the public opinion and scolded me for being jealous.
I didn’t care.
But the staff was innocent.
So I created a group chat and only invited my parents and brother.
I sent the video I just recorded to the group.
At the same time, the email was copied to all the relatives, friends and classmates I knew.
One day left in my life.
I revealed Sirena’s true identity to the Holland Family.
Then I left the hotel and went to a place where they couldn’t find me.
When I was in school, I was often hungry because my living expenses were cut off.
I used my spare time to help in the cafeteria in exchange for free meals.
Priscilla in the cafeteria took special care of me and often filled my plate with food.
And told me to add more after I finished eating.
The most common words she said to me were, “Willow, come to Auntie’s house to play when you have time.”
She had a lovely daughter who was one year younger than me.
She didn’t have many friends.
If I went to play with her, she would be happy.
But suddenly one day, Priscilla no longer smiled and stuffed food into my mouth, nor did she invite me to her home.
She took off her cafeteria apron, held all her daily necessities and left the cafeteria.
I knew that was because her daughter committed suicide because of long-term bullying.
Priscilla was forced to take thousand of dollars in compensation and leave the school.
I found her home according to the address Priscilla gave me.
After not seeing me for a long time, she saw me in a half-human and half-ghost appearance and it took her a long time to recognize me.
I licked my dry lips and said tactfully, “Auntie, can I stay with you for a day? I won’t go into your house, just sit outside the door. When I die, you can help me call the crematorium.”
Priscilla’s eyes were red.
She warmly invited me into her home and poured me some hot water.
She even bought fresh ingredients and made me some plain noodles according to the taste of her hometown.
Under the night, Priscilla and I clinked our glasses.
After eating a big bowl of hot noodles, even the pain in my body was relieved.
Priscilla took out her cosmetics and a new dress that her daughter had never worn and dressed me up carefully.
Then she looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Willow, can I take you to the hospital?”
I shook my head weakly.
“No, Auntie.”
Priscilla couldn’t help shedding a tear.
She had never asked me about my family situation.
But miraculously, she knew everything about my experience.
Just like she had never told me about her daughter, but I knew everything about her.
We sat there quietly for a long time.
When my consciousness gradually blurred, I felt her warm embrace.
I leaned on her shoulder and heard a “thank you”.
“Willow, thank you. You gave me a chance to celebrate my daughter’s birthday.”
I also want to say, “Thank you, Auntie, for everything you prepared for me today. This day alone has surpassed everything in the past ten years.”
But, I couldn’t make a sound anymore.
I just felt that my body was getting lighter and lighter, slowly leaving the ground and floating in the air.
In the blink of an eye, I returned to the Holland Family.
My parents saw the group message I sent and almost showed an impatient expression at the same time.
“Look, Willow doesn’t even bring Sirena with her when she’s in the group and she still hasn’t realized her mistake!”
“Sirena lost her parents when she was young. And as a big sister, Willow should be willing to give in to her, but she can’t tolerate Sirena.”
“Sirena has been giving her opportunities all these years. She really disappoints me!”
My mother’s tone was full of helplessness.
But when they clicked on the video, disappointment, helplessness… all disappeared.
What followed was shock and confusion.
Especially my father, he couldn’t believe that Sirena, who had always been well-behaved, would say vicious words, do dirty things and even beat people like in the video.
So, he contacted the technical staff of the department as soon as possible, asking colleagues to help identify whether the video was synthesized.
While waiting, my brother called.
“Mom, Dad, what do those words Sirena and Willow say mean? What stomach cancer? Did Sirena put the needle on her skirt herself?”
“I asked my friends to watch it and the video is not synthesized. Why is Sirena like this?”
Looking at my parents’ stunned expressions, I finally understood why I was framed by Sirena again and again.
They all firmly believed in Sirena, not me.
Even the most realistic video was placed in front of them.
Their first reaction was not to question Sirena but to doubt whether the video was synthesized.
So no matter how I explained it at the beginning, it was in vain.
Their preference for Sirena was like a mountain pressing on me.
It left me no chance to breathe.
“Mom, Dad, I have an emergency meeting to attend. You should ask Willow what happened!”
Jack hung up the phone in a hurry.
My parents replayed every frame of the video over and over again.
Finally, after a long silence, their eyes met and they realized something.
They began to call me frantically.
However, the other side only heard the reminder that the phone was turned off.