This time, the wounds from the lashing left Holly bedridden for two whole days.

Only when her phone began to vibrate did she stir. A message from the staff had arrived, informing her that the island purchase procedures were complete. The secluded island, cut off from the outside world, now belonged to her.

Delighted, she immediately called the number.

The person on the other end asked her again to confirm, "Ms. Webster, are you sure you're coming to the island in three days?"

Holly had never been this determined. "Yes, I'm sure."

The staff replied, "Got it, Ms. Webster. We'll escort you to the island in three days."

The call had just ended when Oscar suddenly pushed the door and came in. "Going to what island?"

Holly pocketed her phone and changed the topic. "It's nothing. Mr. Moss, did you need something from me?"

He did not press further and simply said, "Your previous competition entry won an award. The organizer has invited you to attend the ceremony the day after tomorrow to receive it."

Had Oscar not brought it up, Holly would almost have forgotten about it. She could paint well and had secured a finalist spot in one of the country's most prestigious competitions just a month ago. She never expected that she would actually win.

On the day of the award ceremony, Stella dragged the family along and insisted on accompanying Holly to the venue.

"Holly, you're my sister. Of course we'll want to witness your moment of glory!"

Her tone then shifted. She let out a slightly regretful sigh. "I wish I could win something, too. My health has always been poor, so I never had the chance to learn painting. But it's fine! Your win is just like a win for me."

Holly said nothing, but a slight, ominous feeling rose in her heart.

The award ceremony began. Soon, it was time to announce the gold prize winner.

Holly sat in the audience, sweating nervously all over.

This award meant a lot to her. It was recognition of her work and affirmation from her peers in the industry.

The host pulled out the list of winners and suddenly looked puzzled. But just moments later, he regained his composure and announced, "Congratulations to the gold winner, Stella Webster!"

A murmur ran through the audience. No one had ever heard of that name, and they lowered their voices to whisper among themselves.

"Who's this Stella Webster? Is she new?"

"No idea. I was sure the gold prize was supposed to go to Holly Webster, the artist behind 'Sunset'!"

Holly froze. It took her some time before she regained her composure. She was about to get up to question the organizer when Colin pulled her back.

"Sit down. An hour ago, I contacted the organizers to switch the winner so Stella could go on stage. She enjoys the spotlight, so from now on, all your works will be published under her name."

Holly whipped her head around in disbelief, while Frank and Mary gazed at Stella on stage proudly. When their gaze fell on Holly, it was dismissive. "Don't take it to heart. It's just a prize."

Oscar's gaze was dark, and his attention was focused on Stella, who was glowing on stage. He didn't even notice Holly's pale face.

A chill ran through Holly's body.

Once again, Stella had stolen the spotlight that should have been hers. And the accomplices were all of them.

As everyone applauded, Stella thanked everyone except for Holly.

…

Back at the Webster residence, Holly returned to her room and packed up all her artwork.

And then, there were the dolls she had saved up three months of pocket money to buy, the handcrafted dolls she made alone in her room, and her worn-out clothes and dresses.

Then, she stormed into the living room and dumped everything in front of Stella.

Stella was understandably shocked. "Holly, what are you doing?"

Holly gestured at the items strewn across the floor and said evenly, "They told me to give you all my artwork, right? Well, not just that. You get everything I own."

After speaking, she glanced at everyone around her and smiled bitterly.

Stella could have their parents, Colin, and Oscar, too. Holly no longer wanted them.

Holly skipped dinner and locked herself in her room, packing up the final bits of her stuff.

Assuming she was sulking, Frank and Mary kept complaining about her outside.

"Your temper's really getting worse these days. It's just a few pieces of artwork. Was it necessary to snap at Stella like that?"

"Yeah, you're getting bold, huh?"

As they continued scolding, Oscar quietly knocked on her bedroom door.

"Holly, don't be mad. Why don't you come out to grab something to eat?"

Holly turned to look at the door. Her heart was heavy, yet her eyes were dry.

She realized she had already cried too much. Now, she couldn't even cry even if she wanted to.

Outside, Colin pulled Oscar away in displeasure. "Ignore her, Mr. Moss. She just likes to put on a show. Let's see how long she can go hungry."

Holly smiled.

Not for long, because she was leaving tomorrow.

…

The next day, Holly made a point of getting up early, only to find that the Websters had left.

It wasn't until she opened her phone to check that she realized they had taken Stella to a church on Heward Mountain to pray late last night.

The church there was said to be miraculous, but people had to walk up to it themselves and light up a candle before sunrise.

No wonder they left so early. They wanted to pray for Stella.

They each posted on their social media, with every photo and prayer featuring Stella.

Frank wrote, "May Stella always be safe and truly happy!"

Mary said, "My little sweetheart, may all your wishes come true and all you dream of be yours!"

Meanwhile, Colin's caption read, "Wishing Stella a life of peace and carefree happiness!"

Oscar didn't post any photos of Stella, but he did post a Bible verse on a prayer plaque. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13."

In her past life, Oscar lit many candles in this church. He wasn't religious, but he'd head to this particular church every year to pray.

Because the Bible verse he posted always included the word "Holy", Holly had always believed that he loved her. It wasn't until the final moments that she realized all the plaques bearing the Bible verse bore Stella's name.

All this time, the feelings she thought were reciprocated had been one-sided. The hope she clung to for years was nothing more than a cruel joke.

Thankfully, fate gave her a second chance, and this time, she was fully awake and determined not to repeat the same mistakes.

Her phone dinged with a new message. "Ms. Webster, welcome to the island. Please head to the airport immediately, where our staff will pick you up. We hope you enjoy your stay on the island!"

She smiled as she pocketed her phone, then placed the termination agreement severing familial ties on the table.

Just before leaving, something occurred to her. She halted and unclasped the necklace from around her neck.

It was the family heirloom Oscar had given her when he accepted her confession back then. He had said that whoever wore the necklace would be his wife and the lady of the Moss family in the future.

But now, she no longer cared to be his wife or the lady of the Moss family.

Holly placed the family heirloom on the agreement and left with her suitcase.

At that moment, her phone began vibrating wildly. She paused but eventually pulled out her phone.

There were dozens of missed calls from Frank, Mary, Colin, and even Oscar. She clicked into the group chat, where she had been mentioned multiple times.

"Holly, Stella slipped off the mountain accidentally and is bleeding heavily! You need to come to the hospital immediately to draw blood!"

"You have half an hour to come to the hospital."

"You'll be held accountable if anything happens to Stella!"

After reading the texts, Holly left the group chat and blocked them all, her face devoid of expression.

From now on, she was no longer Stella's blood bank, no longer Frank and Mary's daughter, no longer Colin's sister, and certainly not Oscar's fiancee.

She was Holly Webster, and nothing more.

She turned her head one last time to glance at the place she had called home for over 20 years, then stepped into the car that came to pick her up with the suitcase.

The car sped away, leaving a broken SIM card on the ground.