When Felix noticed the bandages on my knees, his eyes flickered with an emotion I could not decipher. “Ruby has an art exhibition today. She’s always wanted you to see it, so you’re coming with us,” he said.

He sounded so high and mighty about it, as though he was being nice and giving me this opportunity.

Since when did going out with them become a generous reward?

I could feel my heart fighting to work.

Suddenly, I remembered how the three of us had gone to a theme park in the past.

Mandy had fed me some cotton candy with a smile, and Felix had used a fan to blow away the heat.

Unfortunately, times had changed.

“Daddy, why is she coming to the art exhibition with us? She’ll just ruin my mood!” Mandy grumbled in displeasure.

Felix pinched her cheek. “I’m around, and I won’t let her bully Ruby.”

I wanted to avoid conflict with Ruby, but she refused to spare me.

She pretended to be friendly and grabbed my arm as if she did not see me avoiding her. “Liana, look at the painting that won me the International Gold Award. Doesn’t it look familiar?”

I stared at the painting named “Heartbeat” hanging on the wall.

When I was pregnant with Mandy, I painted it as I listened to her heartbeat.

Ruby stared at me smugly and whispered, “You blind, useless piece of trash. When Felix brings you out, people laugh at him and Mandy.

“Your broken body is disgusting. If you have any sense, you’ll get lost.

“You have no right to be so skilled in art and have a happy family. I hate letting you have your way in life.

“Your husband and daughter will belong to me, just like that painting.”

In the past, I pitied Ruby for being an orphan. Since she was also my underclassman, I brought her back home, only to realize later that I had brought back a thief.

Ruby smiled at me ruthlessly.

Out of the blue, she brought out a knife and cut her palm before crying out in pain.

When Felix came over, he saw me panicking while Ruby bled from her hand.

“Felix, don’t blame Liana for this. It’s all my fault. She can’t paint anymore. I shouldn’t have invited her to the art exhibition and triggered her.”

At that, Felix angrily punched me.

I could taste blood with every breath I took. My heart trembled, and the blood that it pumped out rushed to my temple.

“I didn’t hurt her. Ruby—”

Before I could finish defending myself, Felix stomped down on the fingers of my left hand and broke them.

“Damn you, Liana! If anything happens to Ruby’s hand, I’m breaking the tendons in yours!”

He picked up the crying Ruby and ran out of the art exhibition. He did not spare me a single glance, even after I fainted from the pain.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying in the hospital.

“The alarm in your heart monitor has rung for the fifth time. You have to get your family to sign the documents and proceed for an examination,” the doctor sternly said.

I gave him a self-deprecating and dejected smile. I no longer had any family left.

However, this time, Felix was quick to answer his phone. “Liana, what tricks are you playing this time? You hurt Ruby’s hand, and you’re still pretending to be pitiful?”

I sighed and said, “Felix, my heart hurts…”

After a moment’s hesitation, he agreed to come. “Once Ruby’s stitches are done, I’ll accompany you for the examination.”

Yet, even after the sun set, Felix never came.

Instead, I received a message from Ruby.

[Liana, Felix is cooking dinner for me, and Mandy is playing the piano for me.

[Don’t you get it? You could die in front of them, and they wouldn’t care.]

Before my broken fingers could heal, Felix dragged me onto a plane, and we went to Switzerland.

It was all because Ruby said that she wanted to go skiing.

She pretended to be sad and said, “Don’t leave Liana at home alone. Let’s bring her along.”

Felix seemed to have forgotten that I had told him I could no longer do any sports. When I said no, he just scoffed. “Stop joking around. Do you really think you’re that frail?

“Ruby’s showing you respect by inviting you along. Don’t be ungrateful!”

I was dragged to the ski resort, and Ruby simply sneered when she saw my pale lips.

She pointed at Felix, who was helping Mandy put on her protective gear.

“I heard that Felix taught you how to ski, but he won’t even touch you now.”

She deliberately slowed down to compete against me. Then, she hit my right leg with her ski pole.

“Say, if we get into trouble, who do you think Felix will save first? Me or you?”

I could only panic as I rammed into a pine tree.

However, Felix anxiously ran to Ruby, who crashed into a pile of snow.

He helped the completely uninjured Ruby and left without even looking at me.

When the emergency team arrived and put me on a stretcher, I realized that my right leg was bent at an odd angle.

Once I returned to the holiday villa, I found Felix blow-drying Ruby’s hair, while Mandy had made her a cup of orange juice.

“You must’ve been so scared, Ruby. It’s all that horrible woman’s fault for not protecting you!”

Ruby feigned weakness as she leaned into Felix’s arms. “Don’t blame her. I know that Liana doesn’t like me.

“Let’s stop contacting each other once we’re back. I don’t want things to be hostile between all of you because of me. No matter what, you’re family.”

She had always loved to put on a pitiful act. She would appear to step back to push her plans along, but Felix and Mandy would always fall for it.

Perhaps I was an unforgivable person in their eyes.

Just as I had expected, Felix ignored the cast on my leg and snapped at me. “You must’ve caused Ruby to fall today! You’re pretending to have a broken leg to escape punishment, aren’t you?! Don’t you know that she’s so scared she can’t even sleep?!

“Apologize to her!”

Ruby wiggled her eyebrows at me as if to declare her victory over me.

I shut my eyes and swallowed all of my negative emotions.

“Sorry, it’s my fault.”

My heart was beating in a really awkward fashion. I no longer had any strength to argue with them.

However, Felix was surprised by my submissive attitude. At the sight of my pale face, he hesitantly asked, “Did you really hurt your leg? Should I bring you back to have the doctor take a look?”

I shook my head and missed the chilly gaze in Ruby’s eyes.

The next day, she suggested that they go look at the aurora.

Soon after they left, Ruby came running back in a panic.

“Liana, is Mandy back? She went missing while I was taking photos!”

Her anxious voice rang in my ears. Before I could even register her words, I was already running in the direction she had pointed.

I dragged my broken right leg behind me. When the bone pierced through my skin, I gritted my teeth through the pain and continued onward.

Snow continued to fall, and I could only call out to Mandy helplessly.

At the next second, I crashed into the snow.

Ruby raised her leg and stomped on me with her ice skate. “How dare you still try to get Felix to care for you?! Die!”

The chilling blade stabbed into my body, and when she pulled it out, red blood gushed out.

I coughed up blood and could only watch as she left with a sneer.

My monitor showed that my heartbeat was close to flatlining.

I tried my best to take my phone out and called Felix. “Did you find Mandy?”

He was stunned, and he said in confusion, “What on earth are you saying? Mandy’s in the RV.”

I sighed in relief and whispered, “My heart hurts. Could you come for me—”

Before I could finish speaking, he snapped impatiently. “Liana, you’ve pretended to be sick plenty of times before. It’s time for you to switch tactics.

“I’ve known you since high school, and you’ve never had any problems with your heart.

“You just don’t want us to see the aurora with Ruby. You’re so evil that you disgust me.”

He hung up callously and blocked my number. It was as if he was worried that I would continue interrupting their sweet time together.

The temperature outside was negative thirty degrees Fahrenheit. My heart slowly stopped beating due to the loss of heat.

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I struggled to unlock my screen.

What I saw was a photo that Ruby had sent over.

They were in the warm RV, and Felix was watching Ruby, as well as Mandy, with a doting look in his eyes.

Before them was a warm meal.

I smiled wanly and allowed my body to be buried under the snow.

While I counted the last few beats of my heart before it stopped forever, I shut my eyes.

“Felix, Mandy, I won’t be able to keep you two company anymore.”