A sharp sting shot through the back of my hand as cold liquid flowed into my veins via the IV. The nurse told me I needed another week of rest.

One week…

That was enough time for me to put my past behind me.

Once discharged, I returned to the Langston residence.

The moment I opened the door, a few heavy books flew straight at me and hit me square in the face.

I stumbled back and tumbled down the front steps. In the process, my legs scraped against the jagged stones on the floor, staining the cold, hard ground with my blood.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright, then looked up to see who it was.

It was none other than Queenie. She was carrying a stack of books in her hands.

"Oh, you're back? Why didn't you say anything? It's all my fault for not noticing you earlier."

She casually tossed the rest of the books beside me, some even smacking me right in the forehead.

The rage inside me boiled over instantly.

Those books were all medical collections that I painstakingly collected over a decade, and among them were also my notes over the years!

As the blood rushed to my head, my vision blurred. I almost collapsed again.

However, Shawn and Nigel just leaned lazily against the doorway, looking down on me with nothing but scorn.

"So the act's over, huh? Couldn't bear to give up the luxuries of the Langston residence, so you came crawling back?" Shawn sneered, acting as if he had just seen through some grand scheme.

Nigel frowned and said in a low voice, "If you want to come back, start by apologizing to Queenie."

I clenched my teeth and steadied myself as scenes of the past started replaying in my mind.

Although Mr. Langston Senior brought me back to the villa, I had kept my head down the whole time, too timid to speak.

It was Shawn who made silly faces to break the ice and make me laugh.

Meanwhile, Nigel had given up his own bedroom for me and assured me with the gentlest voice that this would always be my home.

I ended up living here for over a decade, naïvely believing I might one day become the lady of this household.

All was well until the day I hired Queenie as an intern.

She came from a humble background, and I felt sorry for her, so I invited her home for dinner.

One dinner turned into many more.

It started with her "accidentally" damaging my clothes and jewelry.

Now, she had the nerve to throw out my treasured collection of medical books and notes. She knew full well how much they meant to me.

I stepped forward, ready to confront her, but Shawn shoved me hard back to the ground.

"Queenie is the lady of the house now. She can throw out whatever she wants! And you'd better stop bullying her. What, do you still think you're running the hospital?

"You're just an employee of the Langston family. You're nothing special. From now on, you'll be Queenie's assistant. Move into the maid's quarters and quit walking around like you own the place!"

As he spoke, he threw all my medical competition trophies to the ground in one go, then turned to Queenie with a smug grin, practically begging for her approval.

Queenie leaned coquettishly against Nigel's chest, clearly loving every second of it as she shot me a triumphant look.

Nigel wrapped an arm around her protectively and shot me a cold look. "Did you hear that, Yvonne? We're not going to spoil you like before."

Despite his reputation as The Iron Judge in the office, he used to treat me with warmth and gentleness.

If this were before, seeing this side of him would've kept me up all night. But now? Knowing I'd be leaving this house for good, I couldn't be bothered.

I averted my gaze. My chest ached and felt as though it was about to explode.

Despite that, I replied calmly, "I'll move out as soon as I can. As for being an assistant… I'm not qualified for the job. I'll just resign."

Shawn let out a mocking laugh.

"Trying to act pitiful again? Sorry, we're not falling for that crap anymore. But for your deceased mother's sake, we'll still throw you a bone. We won't let you starve in the streets."

I ignored the taste of blood in my mouth, bent down, and picked up the now-filthy notebooks at my feet, then tossed them into the trash.

"No need."

I, Yvonne Sachman, could live without relying on men.

If something was tainted, I wouldn't keep it. I'd throw it out.

Back then, I came to the Langston residence all alone. Now, I had barely anything to pack.

All those clothes and accessories were gifts from the Langston brothers.

They used to bring luxury store assistants to the house with new seasonal collections for me to choose from.

Even when I gasped at the price tags and refused, they'd just pull me into a hug and assured me that I deserved the best in the world.

And now? Those same clothes had been secretly cut to shreds, crumpled into corners. The pile even smelled faintly of rot and something foul.

It was obviously the work of Queenie.

Once, I was the apple of the Langston brothers' eyes.

Now? I was just another piece of trash in their gutter.

I let out a soft, indifferent chuckle.

All I wanted was to take the few things that truly mattered—Mom's keepsakes in the safe and the little pet turtle by the window.

But when I looked toward the tank, I froze.

The turtle was lying on its back, and its hard shell was covered with vicious bite marks!

Back when I first arrived at the Langston residence, I was always quiet and withdrawn. Seeing that, Nigel gave me a little pet turtle as a gift.

It was the one companion that stayed by my side through many long, lonely nights.

Looking at those bite marks, it was, without a doubt, the handiwork of Queenie's stupid dog!

Not only did it trigger my asthma, but it also killed my turtle.

I resisted the urge to sniffle. Carefully, I wrapped my turtle's tiny body in a silk scarf and stormed out of the room with clenched teeth.

Right then, I bumped straight into Nigel, who was walking upstairs with Queenie.

The moment he saw the turtle in my hands, his eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise. However, it was quickly replaced with anger.

"Yvonne! What kind of doctor are you? You let an innocent life die just to throw a tantrum and spite us?"

A cold smile tugged at my lips.

After all these years, he should have known exactly what kind of person I was. But ever since Queenie showed up, everything I did was wrong.

There was no point arguing. I just wanted to get out of this house as soon as possible.

I said solemnly, "You're right, sir. Thank you for your advice."

"If you know you're wrong, then fix it! And if you ever dare to bully Queenie again, losing your job will be the least of your problems."

Nigel looked like he wanted to keep lecturing me, but Queenie tugged on his arm.

"Nigel, why bother wasting time arguing with a maid? Weren't you going to play the piano for me? I really want to hear your play."

I felt my breath catch.

The Langston brothers were well-educated in the arts since they were kids, but they'd never shown those skills to anyone.

However, to win over my affection, Nigel moved a piano into the greenhouse and would play softly when I had trouble sleeping after late shifts.

He once said, "No one but my Yvonne is allowed to step foot in here."

That was the moment he truly stole my heart.

We shared so many deep conversations in that greenhouse as we shared our love for each other. It was filled with our most cherished memories.

Later, even Shawn started throwing tantrums, insisting on having his secret rendezvous with me there. And just like that, the three of us got tangled in this messy love triangle.

But now, that sacred space had become Queenie's playground.

They'd found a new precious gem, and I was nothing more than a worthless pebble.

I took a deep breath and headed downstairs.

If that was the case, then I didn't want either of them.

I was going to become a gem all on my own.

Just then, Queenie suddenly yanked the strap of my shoulder bag.

The medical journal Mom left me fell straight to the ground, pages flying everywhere.

Rage surged through me.

I didn't know where the strength came from, but I raised my arm and slapped Queenie hard across the face.

She stumbled backward and let out a dramatic cry.

"Nigel! Save me!"

Nigel's expression changed in an instant. He rushed to catch her in his arms and then turned around and kicked me in the stomach.

Unable to react in time, I was sent tumbling down the stairs.

My body was numb from the pain.

Before me were the pages from Mom's journal scattered across the steps, and above me, I could hear Shawn's furious voice as he rushed over.

"Yvonne! My brother's been letting you off easy, and you still won't leave Queenie alone? You better not forget that it was Grandpa who took you in back then. Otherwise, you would've died with that short-lived mother of yours!

"Do you think just because your father's back, you can behave recklessly with his backing? You ungrateful little snake!"

Everything in front of me blurred, my mind fogging up like a window in winter.

I just sat there silently.

Then, as if he realized he might've gone too far, Nigel muttered, "You started it. I was just…"

I felt something warm drip from my nose. Reaching up to wipe it, I saw bright red blood staining my hands.

I forced myself to stand, picked up Mom's journal, and walked toward the door.

Just as I reached for the handle, Shawn rushed forward and grabbed my wrist.

Shawn roared, "You still haven't apologized to Queenie! If you don't, don't expect to have a single peaceful day in Nautilis!"

The look in his eyes was vicious—like he wanted to tear me apart. He was nothing like the boy who once made silly faces to cheer me up.

But I'd always know who they really were.

Nigel, the older brother, always had the polished charm of a gentleman—warm on the surface but ruthless underneath.

Shawn, the younger brother, came off like a spoiled playboy, but in truth, he was just as cruel.

Never in my life did I think they'd use those very tactics against me.

"I did nothing wrong. If you want to come after me, go ahead."

I had nothing left to fear.

They didn't need to chase me away. I would stay far away from them on my own. And as for the peaceful days he mentioned? I never had any to begin with.

Shawn blocked my path.

Nigel, meanwhile, descended the stairs. Seemingly out of guilt, his tone softened.

"Forget it. Yvonne got a kick to the stomach. She's probably learned her lesson. I'll have the assistant bring over the newest perfume later. Queenie said it would suit Yvonne.

"Of course, that's only if you promise not to bother Queenie again."

So, what was it? A slap and a piece of candy?

He must've forgotten that I've had asthma since I was a child. I couldn't be around strong fragrances.

Back then, Nigel didn't even trust the maids, insisting on cleaning everything himself. He even washed my laundry by hand.

All that just to make sure there wasn't a trace of allergen left.

Now? They'd all forgotten about it.

I held Mom's journal close. My nose tingled, and before I knew it, I let out a violent sneeze.

Bright red droplets splattered all over the floor.

I'd forgotten that Queenie's dog was still in this villa.

It would seem that I was about to have another asthma attack.

It felt like someone had wrapped a fist around my lungs and was squeezing tighter by the second. My breathing turned shallow.

I tried to call for help, but my throat seized up.

Shawn scoffed coldly. "Drop the act, would you?"

The air drained from my lungs. My legs buckled, and I collapsed to the floor.

Nigel took a step forward, but Shawn grabbed his shoulder and steered him back upstairs with Queenie in tow.

I fumbled through my bag and finally found my inhaler. After a few desperate sprays, I managed to get some air and mustered enough strength to dial for an ambulance.

…

When I was wheeled out of the emergency room, the same nurse from before glanced at my critical condition form and exploded with rage.

"You just barely got discharged. How are you already back here in this state? Not everyone's born lucky. That's why you've got to take care of yourself even more!"

I bowed my head and accepted the scolding.

I understood now. If no one else was going to love me, then I would have to love myself more.

I stayed in the hospital for a few more days, then returned to the Langston family's hospital to formally resign.

However, when I arrived, the entire department was filled with unfamiliar faces.

A few questions later, I found out that ever since Queenie became the new department head, all the colleagues who used to be close to me had either been fired or bullied into resignation.

She could've just come after me. Why did she have to drag everyone else into this?

Anger flared in my chest, and I went to confront her—only to be told that the Langston brothers had taken her to an academic conference.

It was one of those conferences that was packed with the most respected names in the field.

I had applied to attend multiple times in the past and was rejected at every try.

But when it came to Queenie? They threw money around to make it happen.

I left my resignation letter behind and decided to say a proper goodbye to the one person who had ever truly helped me in this family—Mr. Langston Senior.

The moment he saw me, his eyes welled up with tears.