Kathryn held his hand shyly. “I noticed Stacy’s neck. I’ll find some necklaces I haven’t worn and give them to her.

My tone stayed calm. “No. I think they’re dirty.”

Kathryn’s face darkened. “What do you mean by that?”

I lifted my eyes and looked at her blankly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

If that accident hadn’t happened, my brother would be the one standing proud today.

Instead, he became like a child—and that pain had never left me.

But life went on and in the quiet of night, people let themselves feel a hidden relief.

I was grateful that my brother left me two people who felt more like real family than blood relatives.

The night before I left for college, Oliver kept promising he would take good care of my brother.

In my desperation, I clung to his words like a lifeline.

At first, he was perfect. It was as if he wanted to give me all the love my brother could no longer give.

He flew to my city every two weeks, afraid I might suffer even a little.

Knowing I feared thunderstorms, he would drive hundreds of kilometers in the rain just to stay in my dormitory.

"Stacy, when it snows for the first time, we will have a wedding. I will make you the most beautiful bride in the world."

Our home was warm as spring all year round, but the winter was extremely cold.

The weather forecast said there would be a once-in-50-year snowfall on Christmas Day.

I secretly bought a ticket home to give them a surprise.

But when I opened the door, I was shocked to see my skinny brother was chained.

And in front of him, there were two naked bodies intertwined.

I felt like I was falling into an ice cave, trembling all over and couldn't help but feel like vomiting.

I didn’t know whether I was angrier about how they treated my brother—or about how they betrayed me.

Two of the most important family members in my life betrayed me.

My mind went blank, but my brother saw me first.

The 1.8 meter tall man curled up and handed a dirty piece of bread in front of me. "Stacy, eat..."

Tears burst instantly and I rushed over like crazy.

I roared and pulled Kathryn's hair with all my strength.

Kathryn suddenly screamed and dropped to her knees. “Stacy, I know you’re angry. I’m sorry—for you and for Marion.”

“But I’m not even thirty. I don’t want to spend my whole life taking care of someone with a child’s mind.”

I had been ready to let her go, yet she kept insisting she would never leave us.  So what did she really want?

"Oliver and I truly love each other and I will not compete with you for Mrs. Hurley's position."

"I will take good care of your brother, but please let me stay with Oliver."

"The four of us will always be together, okay?"

Once, my brother shielded me from every storm. But this was the first time I faced the cruelty of people on my own.

I raised my hand to strike, but Oliver shoved me away.

My brother, terrified, burst into tears—and still, driven by instinct, he slammed his small body against the iron chain again and again.

He broke his ankle but managed to free himself. Dragging his injured leg, he spread his arms and protected me with everything he had.

Then the wooden bench Oliver swung came crashing down on his head. Warm blood covered my hands.

Panicked, I reached for my phone to call for help. Oliver calmly put on his clothes, then crushed my phone under his foot.

I had seen him playful, guilty, even troubled before— but never with eyes this cold and cruel.

"If you want this fool to live, just be obedient and shut your mouth!"

"Mrs. Hurley's seat is still yours and I can even hire the best doctor for your brother."

"But please don't interfere with Kathryn and me."

My stupid brother didn't understand what happened, but he wiped my tears awkwardly. "Stacy, don't cry. I am here."

I gave in.

After the initial chaos, Oliver and Kathryn stopped hiding anything.

Rumors about them spread through our social circles. People called them ungrateful and even the company’s listing plans were affected.

But the biggest issue was—Kathryn was pregnant.

Oliver came to me, asking me to divorce him, publicly claiming that my brother and I were the ones who came between them.

"Stacy, if you act on your own initiative, you will never see Marion again in this life."

He kept what he said and I searched everywhere but couldn't find my brother.

Kneeling before him like a bereaved dog.

In front of countless media, I bowed my head to admit my mistake and publicly apologized to him and Kathryn.

"It was Marion who forced and humiliated Kathryn and it was me who deliberately interfered in their relationship…"

Looking at the confession they wrote for me, I wanted to run away.

Oliver came to the side and played my brother's unclear voice, "Stacy, it's so cold..."

I gritted my teeth and accepted everything.

The people in the audience looked at the show with contempt and disdain.

I didn’t even remember how I left the banquet, I just wanted to see my brother safe and sound with my own eyes.

The nurse at the nursing home said that my brother saw the video of me kneeling and went out to look for me, but he disappeared.

When I saw my brother again, he had turned into a cold corpse.

My whole body was shaking and I was still clutching the rabbit hairpin I had when I was young in my hand.

I was holding my brother’s body in pain.

The mobile phone was flooded with news that technology rookies Oliver and Kathryn had finally gotten married.

How could I forgive them then?

I finished my brother's funeral alone, holding a fruit knife and just wanted to die with them.

When the bell was ringing, I rushed in.

But I was too naive and I was pinned to the ground by the security guards before I even got close to them.

In front of the camera, I cried at the top of my lungs and complained about their shamelessness, trying to ruin their reputation.

But I was no match for them.

"She was stimulated by the death of her brother and became mentally unstable."

"I'm very sorry for causing trouble to everyone, but I promise I won't give her another chance to hurt others."

He has plenty of strength and means to deal with a helpless orphan girl.

I was in jail for wounding with intent.

When I was released from prison two years later, things had changed outside.

Oliver became a high-ranking CEO of a listed company.

I couldn't even get close to the gate of the company, let alone take revenge.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but my phone rang.

"Stacy, I'm here."

With warmth in my eyes, I trotted downstairs.

After leading Carl Hunter upstairs, a quarrel between the two was heard inside the door.

"Why should I give her half of the shares for free? Ever since we walked in, your eyes have been glued to her. Do you think I'm dead?"

"If you dare to look for her again, believe it or not, I will send her in again…"

The woman's words were stopped by a slap.

"The company originally belonged to her brother. It was him who brought you home to pay off your debts when you were living on the street. Without him, you wouldn't know where you were."

"You hurt her so badly. Aren't you afraid that Marion will come to find you when you wake up in the middle of the night?"

Hearing them mention my brother made me feel annoyed for no reason.

Opening the door, the two of them fell silent.

Oliver stared at the man with my fingers tightly intertwined and asked dumbly, "Who is he?"

"My fiancé."