Looking at the gifts I had prepared so carefully, tears streamed down my face again.

It had taken me two whole months to make those gifts. Because of my body’s condition, I had to rest for a long time after every thirty minutes of work.

Even so, I still fell ill twice during that period.

The last time, my three brothers had brought Sophia along and saw me during one of those episodes.

After that, everyone who took care of me was dismissed, and I was forced to take on heavy chores. I never took those gifts out again.

Hearing what Maisie said, my three brothers fell into a long silence.

Damon cleared his throat and spoke with difficulty.

“Ava used to be such a good girl. It was only after Mom and Dad passed that she started lying. I failed to raise her right. But if she comes back this time and is willing to admit her mistakes, she’s still my little sister.”

Matt and Chris looked a bit down as well.

“No matter if Ava ran away from home on purpose or not, for Mom and Dad’s sake, we’ll forgive her.”

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Sophia quickly clutched her side where her kidney was and cried out.

“My kidney feels really uncomfortable. Is it because Ava’s kidney had problems? I just found a bunch of nightclub membership cards in her room. Could she have been out partying every night? Maybe her kidneys weren’t in good shape…”

She pulled out a few black cards, and my brothers’ faces instantly turned grim.

Chris said with disgust, “Some people just can’t be taught. Damon, stop blaming yourself. Let’s just pretend we never had this sister!”

“From now on, no one is allowed to mention her again. Even if she wants to come back, I won’t let her through that door!” Damon said angrily.

The three of them anxiously gathered around Sophia and rushed her to the hospital.

Maisie wanted to speak up again, but Damon cut her off coldly.

“You’re fired. Pack your things and get out. We don’t want to see you here when we return!”

They left in such a hurry that they bumped into the table. The scarf and pillow fell to the floor, but not one of them looked down. They stepped right over them.

The music box, still playing a soft melody, shattered on the floor the moment Damon picked Sophia up.

After they were gone, Maisie quietly kneeled down. Tears streamed down her face as she gathered the trampled gifts into her arms.

I ran after them, crying and yelling, “Please, don’t fire Maisie! She’s taken care of us since we were born. This house is her home, too. If you drive her out, where will she go?”

However, no one could hear me.

They brought Sophia into a hospital room. Matt and Chris tended to her carefully, while Damon went downstairs to find a doctor and ask about post-operation complications.

As he passed by the nurses’ station, he overheard several nurses deep in a heated discussion.

“Oh god, how terrifying! That’s the Blythes’ private hospital. How could something like this happen?”

“Yeah! The police have the place cordoned off. I wonder if it was a murder. She died so horribly!”

“Who knows? I heard the body was completely mangled. There was a huge hole cut open right where the kidney was.”

At the words “the Blythes’ private hospital,” Damon stopped in his tracks. His face turned pale instantly.

He spun around, grabbed one of the nurses by the arm, and demanded coldly.

“What did you just say? What happened at the Blythes’ private hospital?”