At the dinner party, Jasmin, the adopted daughter of the Brooks family, pushed the heiress of the Wilson family down the stairs. Furious, the Wilson family demanded an explanation.

Gripping Sheena’s hands tightly, Amanda pleaded, her voice trembling, "Jasmin didn’t mean it. She’s terrified right now, crying so hard that her eyes are red."

Before Sheena could process her words, her mother added, "Sheena, since you’re Jasmin’s sister, you should go to the Wilson family and take her punishment for her."

Stephen, Sheena’s twin brother, stormed into the kitchen just as their mother finished speaking. Despite being her blood relative, his words were devoid of compassion.

"Exactly. The Wilson family is infamous for their cruelty. Dad and I practically begged on our knees, but they wouldn’t relent. They’ve only given us five days to hand someone over. If Jasmin goes, who knows what they’ll do to her? She wouldn’t survive!"

Even Sheena's childhood sweetheart and fiancé urged her, "If you’re willing to take the punishment for Jasmin, I’ll fulfill our engagement and marry you immediately!"

Left with no choice, Sheena went to the Wilson family as they wished. But they soon came crying, begging her to return.

—

Back at Brooks mansion, chaos ensued.

In the kitchen, Sheena was meticulously preparing the family’s breakfast for the next day. She was carefully whipping cream when her mother burst in, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Gripping Sheena’s hands tightly, Amanda pleaded, her voice trembling, "Jasmin didn’t mean it. She’s terrified right now, crying so hard that her eyes are red."

Before Sheena could process her words, her mother added, "Sheena, since you’re Jasmin’s sister, you should go to the Wilson family and take her punishment for her."

Startled, Sheena froze, her hands trembling. The bowl of cream slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor in a splatter of white.

A maid nearby smirked at the unfolding scene, her eyes glinting with schadenfreude.

Everyone in their elite social circle knew the Wilson family’s reputation. After returning from overseas, they had swiftly risen to prominence, wielding immense power in business. For Jasmin to harm their heiress at a public event, it was akin to signing her death warrant.

Stephen, Sheena’s twin brother, stormed into the kitchen just as their mother finished speaking. Despite being her blood relative, his words were devoid of compassion.

"Exactly. The Wilson family is infamous for their cruelty. Dad and I practically begged on our knees, but they wouldn’t relent. They’ve only given us five days to hand someone over. If Jasmin goes, who knows what they’ll do to her? She wouldn’t survive!"

Sheena’s heart sank. So Jasmin couldn’t endure it, but she could? If she was sent as a scapegoat and the Wilsons discovered the truth, their wrath might cost her life. Yet, her family seemed entirely indifferent to this possibility.

Sheena stared at her mother and brother in disbelief. Were these not the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally? They were her biological family!

She remembered her childhood vividly—when her mother would cradle her in her arms, stroking her hair, and whispering, "Mommy loves Sheena the most. You’ll always be Mommy’s little treasure."

That love vanished when her mother lost a long-awaited pregnancy. The heartbreak of losing that unborn child changed her mother completely. She stopped smiling gently at Sheena and instead spent her days crying over the baby clothes she had prepared in advance.

Later, their father brought home a little girl from an orphanage. Everyone remarked how this girl bore an uncanny resemblance to the sister who had died at birth. Her mother agreed. And thus, Jasmin officially became the adopted daughter of the Brooks family. Her mother treated Jasmin like a precious jewel, cherishing her as if she were the very air she breathed. Jasmin not only healed her mother’s fragile mental state but also took all the love and affection that had once belonged to Sheena.

Initially, Sheena bore no resentment. If Jasmin could heal her mother’s pain, it was worth it.

But one incident changed everything.

One evening, Jasmin went missing after school. The Brooks family mobilized every resource to search for her. Her mother was inconsolable, pacing and sobbing hysterically until Jasmin limped home late that night.

As soon as she entered the house, Jasmin flung herself into Amanda’s arms, tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Why did Sister leave me alone in the woods?" Jasmin sobbed. "I was so scared."

It was at that moment that Sheena realized the malicious, provocative looks Jasmin had always given her were not just her imagination.

Unfortunately, before she could explain herself, her mother slapped her hard across the face.

Her ear struck the corner of the table, and a gush of blood poured out instantly.

Her father kept cursing at her, while her mother held Jasmin the whole time, not sparing her even a glance.

It was a servant who pitied her and took her to the hospital. However, they missed the optimal treatment window, and her right ear permanently lost its hearing.

Her father sent her away to the countryside.

Before she left, only Stephen held her hand. "Don’t worry, Sheena. In a few months, I’ll beg Mom and Dad to bring you back."

At first, Stephen called her every week. But later, the calls became monthly, then once every six months, and mostly it only revolved around Jasmin.

"Jasmin won first place in the painting competition today!"

"If only you were as talented as Jasmin."

"Jasmin said she’s already forgiven you, but I think you need to reflect a bit more."

And so, Sheena was abandoned in the countryside for ten years. It wasn’t until she turned twenty that she was finally brought back to the Brooks family.

She thought her parents still loved her after all.

For that insignificant sliver of familial affection, she humbled herself every day, trying her best to please her family, hoping to receive the same love in return.

But only now did she finally understand—no matter how hard she tried, people who didn’t love her never would.

Since that was the case, she didn’t want them anymore, either.

Seeing that Sheena remained silent, Stephen grew annoyed. "Sheena, are you mute?"

"All I asked was for you to take Jasmin’s punishment for her, not to die. What’s there to hesitate about?"

"What’s wrong? You’ve neglected your filial duties to Mom all these years, and now you won’t even listen to her?"

Just as Stephen was about to act, a servant burst through the door, and shouted, "Something’s wrong! Miss Jasmin is threatening to jump off the building!"

Amanda turned pale with fright and rushed out without hesitation.

Stephen retained some composure but looked grim as he snarled, "If anything happens to Jasmin, I won’t let you off!"

Grabbing Sheena’s wrist, he dragged her along to Jasmin’s room.

By the time they arrived, Sheena’s wrist was red and swollen from his grip. Just as she tried to rub it, she noticed someone familiar—Travis, her childhood friend and fiancé.

The Brooks and Flores families had been close for generations, and their arranged marriage had been decided long ago.

Travis had grown up with her, and during her years in the countryside, he had been her constant companion and support. Without him, she might never have made it through.

Travis used to say, "To me, Sheena will always be the most important person. No one can compare."

"Your parents abandoned you in such a place, and your brother didn’t even visit you once. They’ll regret it someday!"

"Don’t be sad, Sheena. When you marry me, I’ll make you the happiest little princess in the world!"

At that time, Sheena had developed a deep-seated fear that Jasmin would take everyone important to her. Clinging to Travis like a lifeline, she begged, "Then swear to me—you’re never allowed to see Jasmin again!"

Travis gently ruffled Sheena's hair with a doting smile. "Alright, alright, in my eyes, there will always only be you. That Jasmin or whatever her name is, she’s not even worth one of your fingers!"

Finally, Sheena smiled. She thought, at least someone would always choose her without hesitation.

But all of that vanished after she returned to the Brooks family.

Travis met Jasmin.

Within half a year, Jasmin once again succeeded in taking away the person Sheena cherished most.

Travis even brought up postponing their engagement on his own. "Jasmin depends on me a lot. If I proceed with our engagement now, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it."

Her memories were abruptly interrupted by Amanda’s desperate cries, "Jasmin, come down! Let’s talk this out. What are you doing on the windowsill? Do you want to scare your mother to death?"

Jasmin was sitting on the edge of the second-floor window. Her feet hadn’t even stepped over the railing, but her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

"Mom, didn’t you hear what the Wilson family said? They said they’d push me down the stairs just like Megan!"

"If I go to the Wilson family, I’ll be tortured to death! Instead of that, I’d rather die at home—it’d hurt less."

Stephen, furious, slapped Sheena across the face. "This is all your fault! If you had just agreed to go to the Wilson family and take Jasmin’s punishment, would she even have thoughts of ending her life?"

"Jasmin is your sister! How could you be so cruel? Do you want to see her die?" he continued, seething in rage.

That slap was merciless, leaving a red handprint on Sheena’s face. Yet Amanda only stared at her with resentment and disappointment in her eyes. "If something happens to Jasmin, I won’t live, either. Sheena, if you still refuse to take Jasmin’s punishment at the Wilson family, then don’t call yourself a Brooks anymore. Don’t consider me your mother!"

If Stephen’s words were angry accusations, Amanda’s were blatant threats.

Anger, fear, despair, sorrow—all these emotions swirled inside Sheena. She trembled uncontrollably, feeling as if her heart was being crushed.

At that moment, Travis stepped forward.

He gently touched the red mark on her face, and the tenderness in his eyes almost made Sheena believe things had returned to how they once were.

But his next words shattered her last shred of hope.

"Sheena, I’m begging you."

"If you’re willing to take Jasmin’s punishment, I’ll marry you immediately."

In that instant, Sheena realized that in the depths of extreme pain, one could no longer even shed tears.

Looking at the room full of her so-called family and lover, not a single one of them stood by her side.

Suddenly, Sheena laughed softly. "Alright. I agree to go to the Wilson family and take Jasmin’s punishment in five days."

Perhaps her smile was too heartbreaking, because Travis frowned and instinctively reached for her hand.

But before he could touch her, Sheena brushed his hand away.

The gesture was light, yet it felt as if a searing flame had burned his skin, causing a pang in his chest.

"Sheena..."

Sheena didn’t look at him. Instead, her gaze swept calmly across everyone in the room, and she continued, "But you all need to agree to one condition."

Stephen immediately frowned in displeasure. "It’s just a small favor for your sister, and you want to make demands? Sheena, since when did you become such a calculating person?"

Sheena’s lips curled into a faint smile.