I knew what I had to prioritize. There was no way I could spend my entire life tangled up with someone who was mentally unstable. So, I took the money, packed my things, and moved straight into the school dorm.

At last, the endless crying and furious arguments were gone from my ears.

My grades improved remarkably. During the interschool mock exam, I even ranked first.

Back in my previous life, my grades were at best good enough to barely make it into a vocational school. But in this life, without Lucy dragging me down, who knew I could actually be this capable?

But soon, what followed after was Dad cutting off my living expenses.

I called him. "What's the meaning of this?"

Did he want me to come back home to cause another scene?

But after a moment of silence, he responded, "The prize from your exam…"

I frowned as I listened to him force out the rest of his sentence.

"Lucy wants it. Give it to her, then I'll transfer your living expenses right away."

In the background, I could hear Lucy's pitiful sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just really like that fountain pen. But it's okay. I don't have to have it. I'm just a little sad."

I erupted with rage, hurling every insult I could think of. "What does your crazy daughter have to do with me? If she wants to cry, then let her cry. If you can't take it, tape her mouth shut. Why should I care? What does it have to do with me? Leave me alone!"

I practically went mad as I screamed into the phone. But no matter how much I cursed or vented, it wasn't enough to calm me down.

I hated this. Why did they have to drag me down? Why should she have my things? Why couldn't that psycho just die instead of making the entire family suffer?

The person on the other end switched to Mom. Unlike Dad, she wasn't forceful. She used tears instead. "What can I do? Lucy's already here. We can't just kill her. She really isn't mentally ill. She just can't control her emotions… She's suffering too, you know!"

I was so furious that I could barely breathe.

Beside me, my classmate slid over a note that read, "We won the same prize. Just give her mine."

I shook my head.

No. If I gave in once, they would only keep coming back for more, and they would drag me down with them.

I hung up and ran straight home from school.

It had been too long since I had put them in their place. That was why they thought they could push me around again.

Besides, they had no shame. But I did.

The second I walked through the door, I grabbed Lucy, twisting, scratching, pinching, and hitting her.

Mom, who stayed home full-time to care for her, screamed in panic. "No! Stop!"

I ignored her and kept hitting. "She's highly sensitive, huh? Well, I've got anger issues. If someone pisses me off, I'll beat them up. If she keeps crying, I'll beat her. I'll beat her to death if I have to. Worst comes to worst, we'll both die!"

Even after Dad got home and came at me with his belt, I still refused to let go of Lucy's hair.

In the end, my parents reluctantly gave in. They transferred all of my tuition fees, living expenses, and dorm fees in one lump sum.

They only had one condition—I was never allowed to come home again.

I took the money, then blocked every single one of them. Even in the future, I never wanted to set foot in that miserable house again.

I thought that would finally free me. But it didn't.

Not long afterward, I received the news that my parents had been killed in a car accident.

And now, I was Lucy's only legal guardian.