She glared at me with fierce intensity.

Panicking, I quickly used the excuse of a stomachache and slipped into the bathroom.

What a joke—now I’m entangled in her scheme.

When her trick gets exposed, won’t I be dragged down with her?

Moments later, I heard my sister’s sweet, practiced laugh echoing down the corridor:

“No need to thank me; saving lives is the right thing to do. The child is only five years old—I couldn’t just turn a blind eye.”

“I was just lending a hand. I don’t expect any kind of reward. I actually have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

When the assistant tried to offer her a bank card as thanks, she made a hasty exit.

However, she deliberately left behind a business card with her contact information.

I stepped out of the bathroom and hid at the end of the corridor, debating whether I should just run away. But before I could act, I overheard Albert’s conversation with his assistant:

“Find out if this incident was truly an accident or premeditated.”

“Don’t involve the police—I’ll handle this personally. If anyone dared to harm my son, I have countless ways to make them regret it.”

“Investigate everyone at the factory who was present when it happened. Check the broken steel bars—I want to know if they are poorly secured. Let’s see what’s tougher: the steel bars or the culprit’s life!”

The assistant nodded repeatedly in agreement.

As Albert glanced at the business card left by Julia, I hesitated, bracing myself for his next move:

“And about this Julia…?”

“Don’t worry about her for now. Let’s see how my son is doing. I’ll deal with her when he wakes up.”

After Albert and his group entered the elevator, I finally let out a shaky sigh of relief.

The Kramer family wields incredible power in New York.

Julia dared to mess with their heir. It seems her future is bound to be miserable.

Once I left the hospital, I noticed that Julia’s car was gone.

I tried calling her, but no one picked up.

With no other choice, I flagged down a taxi and headed home.

As soon as I stepped through the door, my father hurled an ashtray at my head.

Blood began trickling down instantly.

My mother’s scolding followed right after:

“Alice, can’t you show some ambition for once? You’re absolutely hopeless!”

“Your father has worked tirelessly on construction sites for years. Meeting Mr. Kramer with his son on an inspection is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If you won’t help your sister, at least don’t sabotage her!”

My father slapped the open wound on my forehead, and I winced in pain.

“Julia told you to leave the hospital immediately. Are you deaf, or are you trying to steal her credit for saving that child? How could I have raised such a useless child?”

“If Mr. Kramer finds you, how will we pull off the rest of this plan? How can we even ask for compensation? You’re an absolute fool!”

So, they knew this was extortion all along.

Not only that, but they fully supported Julia’s malicious plan.

In my previous life, they had blamed me for ruining her scheme and hadn’t even bothered to collect my body.

I no longer cared about keeping up appearances with them.

“Steal her credit for saving someone? Or take the fall for her nearly killing someone?”

“I don’t have the stomach for either. Everything about this is rotten to the core.”

My father, enraged, raised his hand to hit me again.

But Julia, who had returned home early, intervened.

“Don’t waste your energy on her. She’s just a useless piece of trash who can’t be counted on for anything. It’s a good thing I thought ahead and left a business card before leaving the hospital.”

At her words, my mother’s angry scowl melted into a beaming smile.

“Julia, you’ve always been smart. I’ve said it since you were a child—you’re destined for greatness!”

“Unlike someone else here, who’s more trouble than they’re worth. A lazy donkey! Twenty years of raising her, and she’s been nothing but a financial drain!”

Too tired to argue, I retreated to my room and grabbed some tissues to stop the bleeding from my wound.

In the living room, Julia was still animatedly recounting her version of the events, basking in their praise.

When I heard about the child falling, I couldn’t hold back a sneer.

“Don’t underestimate Mr. Kramer’s intelligence just because you lack it! What do you mean by ‘falling’? Do you think you can bury your dirty deeds under a shallow excuse like that?”

“What about the steel bar’s hardness? Do you really believe it would break so conveniently? And that it just happened to hit the child? Fool others if you must, but don’t fool yourself!”

My parents’ expressions shifted, and they rushed into my room, visibly agitated.

One of them slapped me hard across the face.

“I knew you were useless! Keep those opinions to yourself from now on! If you dare to ruin your sister’s plans, I’ll break your legs myself!”

“Remember, this accident was nothing but an accident! Your sister saved Mr. Kramer’s son out of kindness. It’s only fair for the Kramer family to reward us! And if they don’t, they’re the ones being heartless!”

I covered my stinging cheek and let out a dry laugh, their shamelessness making my stomach turn.

“So, I’m useless for trying to earn money honestly? But if I don’t resort to blackmail like her, I’m worthless?”

“If making money means going against my conscience, I’d rather starve to death in poverty!”

My father’s face turned crimson with fury. He grabbed the broken ashtray earlier and hurled it at my head again.

“Earn honestly? What abilities do you even have? If we relied on you, your mother and I wouldn’t even afford a proper burial for ourselves!”

“It’s bad enough that you’re useless, but now you have the audacity to badmouth your sister? Look at yourself—what have you ever achieved? If I’d known, I might as well have married you off for a measly dowry!”

Blood from the ashtray wound trickled down my face, the heat of infection searing into my skin, but my heart felt colder than ever.

“I’m your daughter, not some commodity for you to trade for cash! If you loathe me so much, why didn’t you stop at having Julia? Why even bother giving birth to me?”

For a fleeting moment, panic crossed both my parents’ faces.

But before they could lash out again, Julia interjected smugly, “Don’t waste your breath on her. She’s doomed to stay poor her whole life. When we were at the hospital, she was already groveling, saying I should hire her as a receptionist once my company opens. What else can a useless person like her say?”

“And did you notice Mr. Kramer’s look today? It wasn’t ordinary. His wife passed away years ago. If he contacts me in the next few days, I might just catch his eye. If that happens, forget millions—I’ll be set for life!”

My parents burst into laughter, practically doubling over in delight. They lavished Julia with praise, calling her their pride.

But only I noticed the truth—the way Albert looked at her was not admiration but suspicion.

If Julia dared to cross the Kramer family, even ten lives wouldn’t save her.

Ignoring reality, my parents continued singing Julia’s praises. They fetched the health supplements they had prepared in advance to help her recover from her “heroic efforts.”

Not once did their eyes flicker toward me.

I stood silently, watching the scene unfold, determined not to engage further. My priority was clear—I needed to sever ties with these people to protect myself.

Even as my lips curled into a mocking smile, my words cut deep:

“It’s disgusting how you turn a blind eye to greed and deceit. Do you even realize what you’re setting yourselves up for?”

As expected, my parents’ moods soured instantly.

“Get out!” My father roared, veins bulging with fury. He grabbed the household registry, tore out the page with my name, and flung it at me.

“I don’t want a worthless daughter like you under my roof! Pack your things and leave!”

My mother joined in, her disappointment etched deep in her face.

Julia, scrolling on her phone, didn’t even look up. With a scoff, she added, “I was going to offer you a job once my company was running, but since you clearly despise me so much, don’t come crawling back to me later when you’re unemployed!”

My goal was accomplished. Smirking, I bent down to pick up the torn page.

“One day, you’ll realize just how dangerous it is to meddle with the Kramer family.”

“When that day comes, we’ll see who ends up on their knees, begging for mercy.”

With that, I left the house, heading straight for the nearest pharmacy.

The clerk’s eyes widened at the sight of my bloodied head. She looked hesitant as she handed me the medicine, her voice trembling. “Miss, you should really go to the hospital for this.”

Before I could leave the pharmacy, the infection from my wound caused me to faint, collapsing right there on the ground.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a hospital ward. A nurse was quietly changing my dressing, seemingly unaware that I had woken up. She chatted openly with her colleague, their conversation floating through the room without restraint.

"Did you hear about the boy staying downstairs? He’s apparently the grandson of the Kramer family! He’s in critical condition, and Mr. Kramer is beside himself with worry. He even called in a team of international experts overnight to consult on the case!"

"How could such a young child get injured so badly? Could it be some sort of malicious revenge tied to business competition?"

"Who knows? Mr. Kramer’s wife passed away years ago, and this boy is his only child. He treats him like everything he does. Whoever dared to harm him must have a death wish! The boy’s condition is still precarious."

"The bodyguards stationed outside his ward don’t look like your typical security detail..."

"Shh, stop talking. We don’t want to get into trouble. Those bodyguards are probably mercenaries, not amateurs."

Once they finished changing the dressing, the nurses left the room, but their words sent a chill through me.

The Kramer family was far more complex and dangerous than I had imagined.

Julia’s fate was sealed.

Without wasting another moment, I hurriedly made arrangements to discharge myself from the hospital. But as I stepped into the hallway, I ran into Mr. Kramer’s assistant. His face was etched with worry as he hurriedly questioned passersby about their blood types.

"The boy’s wound is badly infected, and he’s losing blood fast," he explained. "The hospital’s blood bank doesn’t have enough in stock."

For a moment, I hesitated, then gritted my teeth and stepped forward.

“I can help,” I said.

This was my attempt to atone for Julia’s sins.

The situation was urgent, so the hospital fast-tracked my paperwork. There was no time for formalities or even a receipt for the blood transfusion. They whisked me into the procedure room immediately.

After the transfusion, I overheard that the boy’s condition had stabilized. Relieved, I quietly removed the IV needle and slipped out of the hospital without leaving any personal information.

Once I was discharged, I rented a small, inexpensive apartment on the outskirts of the city. My meager salary only allowed for a run-down unit, conveniently located near the very construction site where the accident had occurred.

From my window, I could see that the site had been shut down. Warning fences surrounded the area, and workers were being interrogated. Standing in the center of it all was Albert Kramer himself.

Terrified of being spotted, I stayed holed up in my apartment, refusing to set foot outside.

Julia, however, was the complete opposite.

Every day, she loitered around the hospital, hoping to cross paths with Albert and convince him that she had been the selfless donor who saved his son.

For three days, no one paid her any attention. Growing desperate, she took matters into her own hands and visited the ward under the pretense of checking on the boy’s condition.

Her actions immediately caught the attention of Albert’s team. The assistant recognized her, and when the boy mentioned an “older sister” who had been kind to him during the ordeal, they assumed it was Julia.

Grateful, the assistant promised that Albert would personally visit Julia once his son was discharged.

Julia had anticipated this moment. She had someone secretly record the encounter and post the footage online.

By the next day, news of “Julia’s heroic act to save Mr. Kramer’s only son” had spread like wildfire.

She transformed overnight from nobody into an internet sensation.

People desperate to connect with the Kramer family swarmed our house, showering her with praise and gratitude. They claimed that she hadn’t just saved a boy’s life—she had saved an entire family.

Julia was hailed as the “most beautiful soul in the nation,” and silk banners honoring her supposed bravery flooded into our home.

Amid the frenzy, Julia released a video statement, full of righteous declarations.

"I didn’t save him expecting anything in return," she said. "Even if it were a child from an ordinary family, I would have done the same. How could anyone stand by in a moment like that?"

Her words solidified her image as a kind-hearted heroine, and the internet erupted with praise.

Meanwhile, I was in a state of panic.

Fearing the storm Julia’s lies would bring, I moved my name out of the family household registry that very night.

When I returned to pack my belongings, I found my parents basking in their newfound glory. Their pride was so palpable that they practically floated with every step.