The year I graduated college, I took the bold step of giving myself to my stepbrother.

On our wedding night, he held me down and demanded sex relentlessly until dawn.

When I woke up, he looked at me coldly and said, “I gave you what you wanted. Are you satisfied?”

Then he got dressed and left without another word.

A month later, I discovered I was pregnant and shared the news with him happily.

He didn’t reply.

Nine months later, the baby was born. He barely survived a dangerous amniotic fluid embolism. The first thing I did upon waking was tell him I’d given birth to a daughter for him.

Still, he said nothing.

When Emily was two years old, the doctor gave a critical illness warning on the day of her heart surgery.

Terrified, I called him over a hundred times.

He didn’t answer.

For the next three years, there was no sign of Charles Shaw, and everyone assumed he was dead.

I accepted it and took Emily to the overseas beach she’d always dreamed of visiting.

As we reached the edge of the sea, we caught sight of a grand wedding.

The bride was my best friend; the groom was my husband.

I woke up instantly, my heart pounding.

The day I burned my wedding photos and left, my phone was suddenly flooded with messages from Charles.

I decided never to go back.

——

I took Emily and returned home.

I intended to pack my things and leave, but the house was empty.

When I asked the servants about my mother, they hesitated and refused to give clear answers.

My father died young, and after that, I followed my mother when she remarried into the Shaw family.

I knew her position in that family had always been vulnerable.

Worried for her, I pressed the servants until I learned they’d gone to a hotel.

I didn’t have time to ask more and rushed there anxiously.

The moment I pushed open the hotel door, I froze.

Unexpectedly, Charles and Sophie Song’s wedding was happening on stage.

Not content with holding it abroad, they had to celebrate in our own country, in grand style.

Charles wore a sharp suit, standing amid flowers on the wedding stage.

When Sophie saw me, her face instantly went pale.

She staggered over, stammering, “Grace, I... I’m sorry. Please, can you listen to my explanation?”

She knew everything — I had shared all my feelings with her since childhood, including my love for Charles.

That quiet, cautious love was now trampled beneath their feet.

Her voice trembled and tears welled up in her eyes as she said, “I saved him by accident, but he lost his memory and remembers nothing. He can’t live without me.”

Charles looked at me with the coldness of a stranger.

He frowned and said in a harsh tone, “Are you trying to cause trouble?”

There was a clear threat beneath his words.

My mother hurried over and grabbed my arm.

“Grace, don’t get upset. Sophie is injured and can’t be provoked.”

My eyes burned with tears, voice trembling, “Mom, you only care about him? What about me? Can’t you see all the suffering I’ve endured?”

But she just shook her head, anxiety clear on her face.

“Stop making trouble. Sophie can’t handle it now.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. Every ounce of patience I had was gone.

I stepped forward, tears streaming down my face, “Charles! Do you really not remember anything?

Our daughter, our past — have you forgotten it all?”

His eyes were full of annoyance.

“My wife is only Sophie. She’s the only one I love.”

He paused, then said coldly, “Other people’s feelings don’t concern me.”

My chest tightened painfully. It was hard to breathe. The world spun around me.

“Charles, how can you be so cruel?” I whispered, voice barely steady.

He never looked at me again.

Sophie came closer, her voice trembling with tears. “Grace, I’m sorry for you, truly, but I can’t leave him.”

She took a trembling step forward, almost dropping to her knees in front of everyone. “If you’re angry, I’ll kneel and apologize—please...”

Before she could, Charles grabbed her arm, his face full of pain.

“Sophie, you don’t have to apologize to her.”

Then, glaring at me, he shouted, “Get lost! Don’t disturb us here!”

Laughter rippled through the crowd, and his friends whispered cruelly.

“She shamelessly took advantage of being drunk to sneak into my brother’s room.”

“She even took nude photos to blackmail Brother Lin into marrying her. Serves her right!”

I let out a bitter laugh, voice hoarse. “Yeah, it’s all my fault.”

I stood there as they exchanged rings, surrounded by cheers and applause.

I took a deep breath and turned toward the door.

Once outside, I threw the wedding ring in my hand into the trash without hesitation.

That night, Mr. Shaw came to speak with me himself.

“Grace, from now on, you and your child can stay in the backyard for a few days.”

My fingers dug into my palms. “Why? This is my home.”

My mother rubbed her hands nervously, eyes red. “Grace, please be reasonable. Sophie wants Sophie to live with us again. The doctor said he can’t be disturbed…”

I cut her off sharply, “So you want to drive me and Emily away?”

“When Emily had surgery, you said he was dead. Now that he’s alive and getting married, you want to shove us back into this broken house?”

Mr. Shaw slammed his fist on the table, making tea spill onto the expensive Persian carpet.

“Don’t be ungrateful! Sophie is the Shaw family’s only heir. His illness can’t be delayed!”

My mother grabbed Mr. Shaw’s arm quickly, then turned and yanked my wrist so hard my skin stung. “Grace, listen this time, or else…”

“I won’t!” I shouted, breaking free and facing Mr. Shaw’s furious glare.

Before the tension could explode, the door suddenly opened.

Charles appeared in the moonlight, dressed sharply, followed by Sophie.

He lifted his chin, signaling the servant to move luggage into the master bedroom.

The sound of his leather shoes clicking on the bluestone slabs felt like knives piercing my heart.

The pain only deepened.

I stood my ground at the door, refusing to back down.

Sophie rushed over suddenly, pressing close, her hair brushing my cheek.

“I’m sorry, Grace, really sorry. I know you’re angry, but I can’t help it. It’s all my fault. Please don’t embarrass Sophie. He’s emotionally fragile—getting upset will trigger headaches.”

At that moment, veins throbbed on Charles’s forehead. He rubbed his temples hard and suddenly kicked over the suitcase at his feet.

“Who do you think you are? Sophie, don’t apologize to her. If she won’t leave, just tell her to get out.”

The suitcase burst open, and a photo album tied with a pink ribbon spilled out.

In the pictures, he and Sophie were kissing under a cherry tree, hugging on a beach. Behind each photo were dense, loving notes.

The latest showed them wearing matching rings, dated “Our Fifth Anniversary.”

“It’s okay, Sophie, don’t be angry. I’ll clean it up.” My mother hurried over, anxiously gathering the scattered photos.

Mr. Shaw steadied the trembling Charles, rubbing his back gently.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry.”

Suddenly, my mother spun around, eyes blazing red as she pointed at me.

“Sophie just returned to America, and you’ve made him so angry! How could you be so thoughtless?”

I stared down at a photo on the floor—one of them made a snowman in fresh snow—as a ringing buzz filled my ears.

Those late nights when I took my child alone to the doctor, those long days I cried silently in the empty bridal chamber—meanwhile, he was off enjoying himself with someone else.

“Fine, I’ll leave.”

I stood still, forcing myself to calm down, but my voice was barely a whisper, carried away by the wind.

“I’ll stay away from my brother from now on.”

Charles’s voice cut through the air.

I didn’t know when he slipped away from his parents’ side, but suddenly he was standing in front of me, eyes locked on my face like he was trying to see through me.

“What did you just call me?”

Because of our status difference, my mother always tried to curry favor with her stepfather. I grew up watching her do it, and I followed suit, doing everything to please my stepbrother, Charles.

No matter how cold he acted, I believed I was the one who warmed his heart.

Everyone inside and outside Washington’s circle knew this: Charles loved me, his stepsister, the most.

Anyone who dared hurt me would pay a hundred times over.

I looked down at the white scar on my palm, clear and unforgiving.

I remembered the day I was cornered by school bullies in an alley. My palm was sliced by a dagger during the fight. That day, I almost died.

But then Charles appeared, sweat pouring down his forehead. Without a second thought, he charged into the fight, taking them on alone—ignoring his own injuries.

His left ear was permanently damaged that day.

When the doctor told him his hearing loss was irreversible, I couldn’t stop crying.

But he smiled, poked my nose, and said, “It’s worth it if you worship me forever.”

Now, all I felt was bitter disappointment.

I shook off the memories and forced myself to speak, “Brother.”

He sneered, eyes ice-cold. “I don’t have a sister like you.”

Sophie hurried between us, the wedding ring on her finger stabbing at my eyes.

“Grace, he had a head injury. His memory might be a bit confused. Don’t take it personally. How could he not remember you as his sister?”

“You’ve always been here. He loves you like a sister, right?”

I clenched my fists, voice steady despite the ache. “Alright, I understand.”

Turning away, I caught sight of my mother waiting by the side, a hot towel in hand, her eyes anxious.

“Sophie, drink some warm water and calm down. Don’t let your anger hurt you.”

The scene in front of me blended with a flood of memories—countless moments of flattery and forced smiles.

I suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

It was almost laughable.

I walked to Emily’s room and whispered, “Emily’s asleep now. I don’t want to wake her.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll move out tomorrow.”

I gently pushed open the door and lay down beside her.

She opened her eyes, sleepy and confused. “Mom, are you crying?”

Her small voice trembled as she asked, “Mom, does Daddy not want us anymore?”

I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and covered my mouth.

But Emily hugged my neck tightly, her small voice fierce, “Mom, don’t cry. I still have Emily. Emily will always be with you.”

I held her close, voice breaking, “Mom loves you. Go to sleep, baby.”

But the next morning, Emily was drenched in sweat.

I touched her forehead—she had a high fever.

The doctor warned that with her weak heart, a fever could be dangerous.

I rushed her to the hospital.

As I was about to pay at the clinic, I saw Charles arrive, accompanied by Sophie.

In my hurry, I accidentally bumped into Sophie.

Without hesitation, Charles shoved me away. His palm hit me hard enough to stagger back.

“You knew Sophie was pregnant, and you wanted her to have a miscarriage?”

Pregnant? My eyes darted to Sophie’s abdomen.

When I was in agony in the delivery room, he never sent a single message.

But now, he stood protectively by Sophie’s side, eyes filled with a tension and concern I had never seen directed at me.