While I was traveling overseas with my family, a sudden flood hit.

My fiancé slung my sister Joan over his back because her legs were weak, and ran for safety.

My parents didn't have time for me, but they still remembered to grab the parrot they had just bought for Joan.

All of them flew home overnight and even posted in the family group chat about how lucky everyone was to survive.

But… They forgot something.

I was still trapped in the flood, alone and helpless.

When I woke up, I called my mentor without hesitation.

"Dr. Jackson, I've decided to go with you and join Doctors Without Borders. I'm never coming back."

Half a month later, I returned home covered in injuries.

Laughter filled the house. Colorful ribbons and wrapped gifts were scattered everywhere, all signs of a celebration.

In the family chat group, I saw the reason.

Relatives and friends were congratulating them on surviving the disaster.

When Ned Jenkins saw me, a flash of guilt crossed his eyes.

When the flood broke out, the first person he thought of was my sister, Joan, even though I was his fiancée.

My parents also looked at me with complicated expressions.

When they ran, they had thought of everything. They even brought the parrot meant to cheer Joan up, but they forgot about me, their own daughter.

Ned walked over and asked hesitantly, "Cynthia, are you okay? Back then, things were crazy. Joan can't walk well, so I had to save her first."

As he spoke, he reached out, trying to pat my head like he used to.

I casually avoided his hand and stared at him coldly.

Mom's eyes turned red as she pulled me into a tight hug. "You've been through so much, darling! Your dad and I didn't mean to leave you behind."

Ever since Joan came back, it had been a long time since I had felt warmth in my mother's arms.

Maybe before, I would have been moved.

But now, I simply took two steps back and put some distance between us.

Mom looked hurt.

Just then, Joan limped over and held onto Mom with a pitiful look.

"Cynthia, Mom cares about you so much. How can you treat her like this?

"I know you're upset because Mom and Dad saved me first, but you shouldn't embarrass them in front of everyone!

"I don't blame you for getting me lost on purpose back then, so you shouldn't blame Mom and Dad either. Mom, Dad, it's all my fault. If I had known, I wouldn't have come back with you…"

Joan cried her eyes out, and Dad's guilt instantly turned into anger.

"Cynthia, what are you trying to do? Are you seriously trying to make everyone think we've been mistreating you?

"You and Joan are sisters. Back then, you caused her to be lost and taken away. Shouldn't you make it up to her now? We saved her first, and you complain about that.

"I thought after all these years, you would've changed. I never imagined you would still be so cruel!"

Ned stood in front of Joan and joined Dad in blaming me.

"Cynthia, that's enough! Joan suffered for years because of you. You owe her. And now, you're making things hard for her and your parents!"

I stared at them in disbelief.

They were my parents and the man I trusted the most.

The flood had dragged me away. Branches and rocks tore into my skin again and again. I finally managed to grab onto a tree in the rushing water and stayed stuck there for an entire day and night before anyone rescued me.

When I woke up from the coma, the first thing I wanted to do was tell my family I was alive.

Instead, I saw a message in the family chat. They had already landed safely.

[What a miracle! Thank goodness our family stayed together through it all!]

More than a dozen photos stabbed at my eyes.

My parents, my sister, and my fiancé. They were hugging tightly like a perfect family.

And I was alone in a foreign country, barely escaping death.

My body was covered in scars, deep and shallow. The doctor said if I had arrived any later, I could've lost my hand.

For a doctor, hands are everything.

I almost died in that disaster, yet after surviving, my own father accused me of purposely humiliating them and called me cruel.

Even my fiancé, who once promised to always stand by my side, now stood against me.

I suddenly had no desire to explain anything. I turned around and went back to my room.

Behind me, Joan was still pretending to defend me.

"Dad, Ned, don't blame Cynthia. I'm sure she didn't mean it."

Dad laughed coldly. "Joan, you're too kind. I wish Cynthia were the one who got taken back then."

I closed the door and collapsed onto the floor.

Ever since Joan was found and claimed that I abandoned her on purpose, I no longer had a place in this house.

No matter how I explained, my parents never listened.

They gave her my princess bedroom, while I was pushed into this tiny room that used to be a storage closet.

As long as Joan cried, my words didn't matter.

I should have been used to their attitude by now.

Right then, a text message came from my mentor, Robin Jackson.

Everything was ready. All that was left was for me to leave.

My parents didn't know that back when I was still in the hospital overseas, I had already called Robin.

"Dr. Jackson, I've decided to go with you and join Doctors Without Borders. I'm never coming back."

Early the next morning, Mom brought a few gifts into my room. It was obvious they were the leftovers Joan didn't want.

Her voice sounded gentle, but it carried a hint of blame.

"Cynthia, you're being too immature. You came home and didn't even tell us ahead of time. And you were so cold to your dad. Yes, we're sorry we didn't look for you, but you can't hold a grudge over that…"

Before she finished speaking, I pulled the curtains open, and bright sunlight poured over me.

I was wearing a thin nightie. Only then did Mom notice that everywhere she looked, my body was covered in scars.

She finally realized what I had been through. Her hands trembled; she reached out to touch my injuries, but I stepped away coldly.

Ned walked in just in time to see it. He opened his mouth.

"Cynthia, you're so badly hurt… Why didn't you say anything?"

I looked at them coldly.

They only had eyes for Joan, and now, they're blaming me for not saying anything?

Joan had suffered a lot in the kidnapper's poor family, so she was malnourished and weak. My parents would rush her to the hospital even if she got a tiny cold.

When I had acute stomach pain so bad that I nearly passed out, they acted like they didn't see it. They only cared about bringing Joan to the hospital because she had a slight fever.

A kind neighbor had called an ambulance for me.

Even when my parents saw me at the hospital, they thought I was faking it on purpose just to compete with Joan for attention.

Maybe my gaze was too cold, because a hint of panic flashed through my mother's and Ned's eyes.

After all, ever since Joan was brought back, I had always lowered myself in front of my parents, trying desperately to please them, afraid they would abandon me.

Ned nervously grabbed my hand. It was then that he noticed the engagement ring on my middle finger was gone.

"Why aren't you wearing your ring?"

"It got washed away in the flood," I answered lightly.

A trace of disappointment crossed his face, but he quickly smiled again.

"It's fine if the ring's gone. I'll take you to buy an even better one."

"No need."

The truth was, I had thrown the ring into a storm drain in the foreign city myself.

Back then, Ned was the only support I had. I treasured every gift he gave me.

When my parents were disappointed in me, I met the gentle, warm Ned in college. He treated me well and believed that I didn't intentionally lose Joan back then.

But at some point, he had also ended up standing on her side.

He said that since Joan had suffered so much all those years, I should give in more and be more understanding toward our parents.

So now, I was done with him.

I didn't care about him anymore.

Soon, it was time for Joan's and my birthday.

To be exact, it was only Joan's birthday.

We were supposed to share the same birthday, but on her seventh birthday, she got lost at an amusement park.

Once she disappeared, she was gone for ten years. Our parents spent ten years searching for her. They finally found 17-year-old Joan after the cops cracked the serial kidnapper case.

The first thing she said after coming home was:

"If Cynthia hadn't dumped me on purpose, I wouldn't have gotten lost and taken away."

That was the first time I ever saw disappointment in my parents' eyes.

Dad didn't listen to a word I said. He slapped me hard across the face.

From that day on, there was no place for me in this family.

After that, my parents only celebrated Joan's birthday.

Mom, Dad, and Ned gathered around Joan in her princess dress in front of the cake, lit the candles, sang Happy Birthday, and waited for her to make a wish.

No one noticed me standing in the corner.

Even the housekeeper told me, "Ms. Cynthia, you really should stop showing your face in front of Mr. and Mrs. Geis. If it weren't for you back then, Ms. Joan wouldn't have been missing for all these years."

I wasn't sure what Joan wished for. But once she opened her eyes, she leaned in under the soft candlelight and kissed Ned on the cheek.

Mom and Dad didn't stop it. Instead, they looked at the two of them with wide smiles.

They had always known that Joan had feelings for Ned.

Back when I first brought Ned home, Joan had fallen for him at first sight. She had cried and caused a scene.

Mom had even tried to persuade me more than once.

"Joan's your sister. She suffered all those years because of you, so you should make it up to her."

Back then, I wouldn't give in. Ned also told my parents to their faces that he would only love me for the rest of his life.

But now, as he looked down at smiling Joan, his eyes were full of quiet affection.

After blowing out the candles, Joan took a small piece of cake and held it out to me.

I reached to take it, but she let go on purpose, and sticky frosting smeared all over me.

Joan's eyes filled with tears.

"Cynthia, do you hate me that much? You even threw my birthday cake on the floor…"

My parents' faces darkened immediately. I knew they were about to start blaming me again and listing all my so-called sins.

Before they could speak, I grabbed Joan's wrist, slipped off the bracelet I was wearing, and put it on her.

I said to her solemnly, "Joan, Ned's mom gave me this bracelet. She said whoever wears it becomes part of the Jenkins family. You like Ned, right? You can have him. This bracelet is my birthday gift to you."

Joan froze for a moment, then joy flashed through her eyes.

When my parents saw that, their eyes lit up. After all, they had urged me more than once to let her have Ned.

Mom beamed and no longer brought up the cake incident.

She hurriedly said, "Oh, darling, I'm so glad you've finally come to your senses. When your birthday comes, your dad and I will throw you a big party!"

I smiled faintly.

"Joan and I have the same birthday."

Awkwardness flashed across my parents' faces.

Ned, who had just realized what was happening, rushed forward in anger and grabbed my hand.

"What are you doing? I'm your fiancé! Are you giving me to another woman?"

I shook his hand off.

"I'm surprised you still remember you're my fiancé. When you were flirting with Joan, did you ever remember that? Since you can't say it, then I'll say it for you."

I glanced at Joan behind him, looking pale and about to fall apart, and added, "Though if you say another word, Joan's going to faint."

Hearing that, they all rushed to support Joan.

I watched the scene with a bitter smile, then walked away without looking back.