When the admission letter arrived, Margaret Carter gave a bitter smile and patted my shoulder.

“This is a good thing. You should go. Even though our family is poor, we’ll sell everything if we have to just to let you study.”

Her hoarse voice faltered, then shifted abruptly.

“It’s just… your dad’s medicine is gone again, your brother’s tuition is due next semester, and the rent is overdue…”

“But it doesn’t matter. If you want to study, then even if I have to sell plasma or an organ, even if it costs me my life, I’ll make sure you go.”

Her cloudy eyes fixed straight on me. I knew she was waiting for me to say it first—that I would give up.

Just like when I was ten and willingly gave up the chance to go to New York City with my brother.

At fifteen, I accepted a scholarship to a second-rate private high school instead of the county’s best, just for the money.

Now, her eyes carried the same calculated confidence.

But this time, I didn’t give in.

I said,

“Alright.”

In the smoke-filled room, the admission letter lying on the table looked strangely out of place.

Daniel Carter’s ashes fell to the ground as he coughed up a thick wad of phlegm.

“Hah, and here I thought you had a conscience. Now you’ve dropped the act. Your mom’s about to sell her blood, and you still want to study? Where do you think the money’s coming from?”

My eyelids trembled, my heartbeat scattered.

“There are student loans. I can work during breaks. I don’t need your money. I can manage.”

Daniel snorted coldly.

“Your brother’s tutoring alone costs thirty-five thousand. Your mom’s back has been bad for years, she hasn’t dared see a doctor. And me—I’m practically dying. And you still have the nerve to spend everything you earn just on yourself without leaving a cent for the family?”

The living room was dark, lit only by a sliver of light from my brother’s room.

Margaret let out a heavy sigh. Her wrinkled face softened into an appeasing smile as she took my hand.

“It’s fine. If my daughter wants to study, we as parents can’t hold her back. Go ahead.”

“Tomorrow I’ll go sell plasma. I just don’t know… if someone my age, someone like me, would even be accepted at the hospital.”

In the dim light, tears glistened in her dark eyes.

“Your brother won’t need tutoring anymore. If he can’t study, he’ll go work. We’ll all sell our blood together, for you, just for you. If you want to study, we won’t stop you.”

She began to sob quietly, smearing her rough, dark hands across her face.

Then suddenly, Daniel charged at me in fury and struck me across the face with a hard slap.

“You want to kill us all? Destroy this family? How can you be so selfish, so shameless?”

My head snapped to the side, my body nearly collapsing.

My ears buzzed, and when I regained my senses, Margaret’s crying filled them.

“Your dad fell! Aren’t you going to help him? I already agreed to let you study, and you still had to upset your father. Now look what’s happened—your dad fell again. What are we supposed to do now?”

On the floor, Daniel glared at me with venomous eyes.

Before I could speak, my brother stormed out of his room. Without a word, he punched me straight in the face.

“You dare hurt my parents? I’ll fight you to the end!”

At nearly six feet tall, Ryan Carter pinned me to the ground, throwing punches at my head again and again.

I was powerless, the only thing reaching me was his voice, his curses, echoing over and over.

“My mom begged you, and you still want her to sell blood? That’s not enough—you made my dad fall too! You’re nothing but a curse on this family. I’ve hated you for a long time. Today I’ll get justice for Mom and Dad!”

Half-conscious, I felt the warm blood flood into my mouth before Ryan finally stopped hitting me.

“Don’t worry, Mom. As long as I’m here, no one will ever bully you.”

I struggled to my feet, only to see Margaret collapsing into Ryan’s arms, sobbing bitterly:

“It’s my fault—I can’t afford to raise you both. I know your sister resents me, but what can I do? I don’t want her to miss her chance to study.”

“My life is cheap. I can suffer, it doesn’t matter. If I can’t sell my blood, then I’ll sell myself instead. Don’t stop me, son.”

She staggered toward the door.

It was already dark outside. I wiped the blood from my face and walked back to my room, ignoring the cries and insults echoing behind me.

I never had any favoritism, yet somehow, every blame always landed on me.

My mind dulled, I remembered so much.

I remembered when Ryan was born and I was three, the first time I saw him in the hospital. Everyone told me I was an older sister now, that I had responsibilities, that I had to take care of him.

But Margaret told me,

“It’s alright. Even if you don’t help, I won’t be angry. As long as you and your brother are safe, I don’t care if it costs me my life.”

I cried and promised her,

“I’ll be good. I’ll take care of my brother. Mommy, you have to stay safe.”

At ten, when Daniel and Margaret were taking Ryan to New York City, Margaret squeezed my hand awkwardly that night.

“Mom won’t leave you. It’s just that having two kids is too heavy a burden. Your dad and I can’t earn enough. But don’t worry, I’ll take more jobs—I’ll sweep streets, dig through trash for food—anything, just to take you with us.”

I cried and told them,

“I’ll be fine in the county by myself. Don’t worry about me.”

At fifteen, when I scored first in the entire county and earned the right to attend the best high school in the city, a second-rate private high school offered me a large scholarship. I didn’t want to go, but Margaret knelt in front of me.

“I know you want the best school, and I won’t force you. It’s your brother who’s weak, and it’s us as parents who are useless. You go study, and we’ll support you—even if your dad and I have to pick garbage, even if your brother does too, we’ll support you.”

I sighed and signed the private school contract.

But this time, for the first time, I didn’t give in.

The blood on my face dried as the noise outside raged on. Ryan pounded on my door.

“Emily Carter, get out here! You made Mom and Dad suffer, and you still dare hide? You better get on your knees and apologize to them!”

“I knew it—your good girl act was fake. You’ve been waiting for this moment to take revenge, haven’t you? And Mom’s always bragging about you to everyone. Well, I’ll show them your true face, you ungrateful wretch.”

“Mom and Dad starved and saved all these years to raise us, and you’re this heartless? Raising you was a waste. And you still want to study? What’s the use of studying, huh? You can shove your books where the sun doesn’t shine. I despise you!”

The thin wooden door shook under his pounding.

His voice was hoarse, unhinged.

“I knew it—too much studying makes people forget where they came from. Look at those Ivy League kids—they leave the country and never come back. You’re the same. The more you study, the wilder your heart gets. You even dare go against Mom and Dad. Well, today I’ll make things right. Mom doesn’t dare deal with you, but I do!”

This room was carved out of the balcony.

It was a two-bedroom apartment. I remember when I first came here, Margaret looked at me uneasily.

“Emily, your dad and I don’t have much. The apartment’s small, there’s no extra room. But I don’t want you to feel wronged. How about this—you take our bedroom, and your dad and I will sleep in the living room. No matter how hard it is, we want you to live well.”

But she didn’t move an inch until I said,

“It’s okay. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll manage.”

Only then did she smile.

“Our Emily is so considerate.”

Yes. I was always the considerate one.

Because in this world, I never had the choice not to be.

Mom never sold her blood. Dad never went to the hospital. One night passed, and it was as if nothing had happened.

When I stepped into the living room, the admission letter was gone from the table.

Margaret greeted me with a forced smile.

“Emily, I know you’re upset. But yesterday, you were really too thoughtless. Your dad and your brother were furious, and I spent the whole night calming them down.”

“I know you’re always the obedient one. This time, take it as Mom’s request—just apologize to them, and let’s put this behind us, okay?”

“What your brother said were just words of anger. He’s admired you since he was little. He’s only scared that once you leave for school, you won’t come back. He’ll miss you. He does care about you.”

I stared into her sharp, calculating eyes, my voice cold.

“Where’s my admission letter?”

She feigned confusion, her lips parting slightly.

“Huh? Emily, what are you talking about?”

I repeated,

“My admission letter. Where is it?”

Her tears fell instantly.

“Emily, you still won’t let this family go, will you? Do you really want to see me sell blood, your dad die, and your brother drop out of school? You’re not that cold-hearted.”

Her lips trembled, opening and closing without sound.

A harsh cough echoed from the room.

Margaret’s body went limp. She looked at me with pleading eyes.

“Take it as a favor to me. I’ll kneel if I have to, alright?”

She began sliding to her knees.

I didn’t move. And in that moment, Ryan rushed out.

“Mom, don’t kneel to her. Don’t beg her.”

He held Margaret with one hand and slapped me with the other.

“You’d let Mom kneel to you? Aren’t you afraid of cursing yourself to an early grave? Shameless! If it weren’t for Mom, I would’ve beaten you to death yesterday.”

Margaret carefully pulled Ryan back.

“It’s my fault… Since your sister has already hardened her heart, there’s nothing I can do. I’ve written my will. I’ll sell blood—today, I’ll sell blood.”

I gritted my teeth, my throat filling with the taste of iron.

“I can pay for myself. I don’t need money from this house. If you’re selling blood, who exactly are you selling it for?”

At my words, Margaret’s eyes widened in shock, her whole body trembling.

“Emily, what are you saying? Everything I do is for you—of course it’s for you…”

I let out a cold laugh.

“I told you. I don’t need your money. Why torture yourself selling blood?”

Margaret stared at me, eyes filled with unfamiliar helplessness.

“You may not need money, but your brother does, your dad does, the house does. I have no choice, Emily, no choice at all.”

I fixed my gaze on her.

“Then why pretend it’s for me? When in truth, it’s because…”