My birthday present this year is a written contract titled 'Behavioral Reform Contract'.

My fiance, who was the mafia head Matteo Giovanni, and my parents have already signed their names at the bottom. Together, they had me sent to the Behavioral Correction Center.

…

The windows are always shut, and the sunlight is filtered through the metal window bars.

They drug, reprimand, and ostracize me to make me shove my feelings of aggrievement down. Even while I am being humiliated and punished, they teach me to force a smile and maintain a steady breath.

It was all done in the name of "treating" me.

A year passes, and I go from being a so-called "troublemaker" to their ideal version of me—quiet, elegant, and utterly perfect.

Matteo beams at me and says, "You've finally become my perfect wife. We can finally marry."

I match his smile, a gesture that they think means obedience from my part.

However, it is not true. It is just me bidding my farewell before I leave for good.

There's something I don't understand, however. They constantly found me lacking, so now that I am gone from their lives, why are they falling apart?

The day of my discharge happened to be on my adopted sister Vivianne Sadler's birthday.

My parents, Andrew Sadler and Rosalie Bloom, told me it was Vivianne who'd voluntarily spoken about me, saying she was willing to "give me a chance to start anew". That was why my parents had agreed to discharge me from the "institution" I was in.

The said "institution" was actually called the Behavioral Correction Center.

It was a secluded organization owned by the Giovannis, a mafia family. On the surface, it claimed to be a wellness center that provided mental reformation for the children of the wealthy. However, everyone knew its actual purpose was to deal with those who defied the Giovannis.

I had already packed my luggage earlier in the morning, so I had been waiting by the door all this time.

However, not a single person from my family showed up all day long.

Only when night fell did my phone finally ring.

"Are you throwing a tantrum again, Vanessa Sadler?" My brother, Hugh Sadler, asked over the phone in a cold and firm tone. "It's been a year since you went to that facility. Haven't you learned to be considerate of others yet? It's Viv's birthday today. Why must you make everyone worry about you?"

My lips curled slightly, but there was not a single shred of warmth.

I'd spent a whole year in that facility, shut in a pure white room devoid of windows, the lights perpetually on. I had to write "I will be obedient" repeatedly each day. They even drugged me to keep me quiet and obedient so that I would not resist.

They called it "reprogramming".

Sometimes, I would be locked in what was called The Silent Room. It was a room that was devoid of all sound and noise. It was so silent that I could even hear my own breath, but I was never permitted to cry.

Now that a year had passed, I had finally learned to behave the way they wanted me to behave—smile, be quiet, act with poise, and not argue.

That was their so-called "treatment" for me.

Hugh continued snapping at me over the phone call. "Mom and Dad said you have to thank Viv for what she did for you. You wouldn't be free today if she hadn't pleaded on your behalf," he said.

I was silent for a long while. Then, I replied in a neutral tone, "I'm still at the facility. No one's come to pick me up yet."

Hugh went silent on the other end of the call. A moment later, he scoffed and suggested, "Find your own way home then. Or can you not bear to leave that place?"

I didn't respond.

Not bear to leave, he said?

The facility was like a prison that would never release its prisoners.

Someone else got onto the call. It was Andrew, whose voice rang out, low but powerful. "We mean well, Vanessa. You needed to reflect on yourself after what you did to Viv before," he claimed.

"I understand, Mr. Sadler," I responded softly.

Andrew went silent for a moment on the other end of the call before he hung up.

My knuckles whitened as I gripped my phone tightly.

Night had befallen the city at this point.

I was going to return to that house and retrieve my personal documents before leaving for good.

This entire year of "treatment" had only taught me one thing—how to gracefully walk away and never look back.

I spent the entire night walking from the Behavioral Correction Center to Sadler Manor. It was dawn by the time I arrived.

I hadn't received a single message or call on my phone throughout the entire night.

I stood outside the door, hearing the sounds of music and glasses clinking ring out from behind the glass. I could also hear Vivianne's laughter.

…

The moment one of the staff opened the door, the light from inside shone onto my washed-out clothes.

Hugh's brows furrowed together when he turned and saw me. "Why are you dressed like that? Are you trying to seek our attention again?"

I looked down.

This was the only set of clothes I had. It was the facility's uniform, and its colors had long faded from repeated washing.

Hugh observed me closely. "Look at you, all frail and meek. Did you purposely make yourself look like this so we would feel sorry for you?"

"I am fine," I replied quietly.

Those were the first three words I learned at the facility. After all, having any sort of emotion in that place was considered a mistake.

My mother, Rosalie, was taken aback by how obedient I was. "We'd planned to pick you up at first, Nessie. Viv had a sudden headache, so—"

Andrew cut her off. "Yeah. We couldn't make it in time due to some emergency matters."

"It's alright," came my quiet response.

They all sighed in relief upon hearing that. They were used to people being submissive to them, something that I seemed to be doing right now.

With a scoff, Hugh commented, "It looks like you finally learned your manners in that place."

Rosalie looked glad. "Since you've changed your bad habits, we'll still be your family. We can start over as long as you continue being a good girl."

I smiled lightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Sadler."

The smile on her face froze when she heard me call her that. She seemed stunned, as if this was the first time hearing someone address her this way.

Vivianne walked over at that moment. A familiar pink diamond necklace was draped around her neck.

Matteo, my fiance, had bought that necklace for her.

Her smile was tender and innocent as she looked at me. "I've already forgiven you, Vanessa. So, why don't we let bygones be bygones?"

I gazed at her in silence, recalling what had happened a year ago.

The Giovanni family had hosted a charity banquet that night. Vivianne had gone onstage to play the piano while I stood by Matteo.

He had then publicly announced that he was going to fund Vivianne's art project.

When Matteo personally put that pink diamond necklace on Vivanne's neck, the media journalists had taken countless pictures. It made headlines with the title "Is Vivianne Sadler Seducing Her Own Future-Brother-In-Law?".

…

Vivianne was sent to a private clinic the very next day due to an alleged emotional breakdown. I was consequently accused of being the cause of her "psychological issues".

The Sadler family's PR team leapt to action. They needed a scapegoat for the family's scandal and ended up choosing me to fulfill that role.

What followed was a false DNA report that was sent to the family's team of lawyers and a public statement that claimed, "Vanessa Sadler is not related to the Sadlers by blood—she was adopted".

Just like that, I was signed off to the facility.

None of them came to visit me even once during my one year there.

Now, Vivianne was standing right before me once again.

I calmly nodded. "Okay."

She looked relieved and smiled, pleased. She thought I still cared about those false accusations she made against me.

However, I only cared about one thing—taking my ID and personal documents with me before leaving this place forever.

Rosalie joined the chorus while Andrew raised his glass, to which Hugh topped it up with champagne.

Matteo was sitting beside Vivianne. He quietly said something to her, making her giggle sweetly.

None of them paid attention to me as I stood there in the doorway.

I had once tried so hard to be part of their family, but now, I finally understood that leaving this place was the only way to retain my last shred of dignity.

Matteo kept on gazing at me from the side. He seemed very pleased by how "mature" I was.

"Nessie, since you're more obedient now," he began in a neutral tone, "we'll proceed with the wedding the day after tomorrow. It's just like how we agreed before."

He then paused and glanced at Vivianne before saying to me, "Before we get to that step, you'd need to apologize to Viv first."

Matteo's tone left no room for refusal. "If you can't even do that, then I'll send you back to the facility myself."

Vivianne gently tugged on my hand with a tender smile. "It's okay, Nessie. I'll accept your apology."

She was so perfectly kind and understanding that it felt like she had already rehearsed this.

I gazed at her, feeling incredulous.

I'd told them countless times a year ago that I hadn't been responsible for what happened to Vivian. Yet, no one had been able to vouch for me after she allegedly broke down.

Even Matteo—whom I grew up with and was my fiance at that point—had been the first to toss those accusations at me.

That false DNA report had then eradicated my status as a daughter of the Sadler family, making Vivianne the one true "heiress".

After that, he personally sent me to the Behavioral Correction Center.

Though that place looked like some wellness center for the elite, it was actually used to "reform" those who brought shame to the Giovannis.

One had no need to resist or explain themselves. All they needed to do was learn to remain quiet.

It was something I finally learned. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Vivianne.

Then, with a slow bow, I apologized softly, "Vivianne, I'm sorry."

Everyone went silent in an instant.

None of them had expected me to swallow my pride. After all, if this were a year ago, I would have insisted that I was innocent.

Vivianne was briefly stunned before she chuckled. "It's okay. I forgive you."

She really had a perfect smile.

Rosalie's eyes reddened slightly. "You're such a good girl, Vivianne."

Hugh snorted. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank your sister!"

Vivianne gently embraced me. "Don't say stuff like that! We're all family, aren't we?"

"Thank you," I obeyed with a faint smile.

They all thought I had said that due to gratitude. In truth? It was nothing more than goodbye.

"Since you've turned a new leaf, then you'll still be our daughter," my father added. "We'll announce on the day of your wedding that there had been a mistake with the DNA report and you are our daughter by blood."

"Thank you, Mr. Sadler," I thanked him obediently.

They thought I was looking forward to that wedding and their statement of welcoming me home. However, none of them knew that what I looked forward to was actually freedom.

I was led to my room, which was in the staff area of the manor.

I found my ID and personal documents, after which I booked a flight to leave this place tomorrow night.

…

I went to get a glass of water late at night that day.

A familiar figure came into view when I was about to turn the corner in the hallway.

It was Hugh.

He had a coat on and was sneaking out of the house. He was also holding his car keys and smelled of an acrid mixture of perfume and alcohol.

I used to stop Hugh in the past. After all, the doctor had told him to take care of his health due to his heart condition.

I used to think I needed to take care of my family, but all I did tonight was silently stand in the corner and watch him leave.

Hugh would never know that the Vanessa Sadler who always tried to make her family better had long died.

This current version of me was nothing but calm and quiet while harboring plans of my own.