Their Forgotten Faces

After I turned sixteen, I inherited the huge fortune my parents had left behind.

As soon as the money was in my account, I hired a fake family online.

A dad, a mom, and an older brother. Then, I gave them their instructions.

"My dad doesn't say much, but he always lets me have my way."

"My mom is gentle and a wonderful cook, especially when she makes barbecue ribs."

"My older brother has poor health, and he doesn't like me. Just act like I don't exist."

The three of them froze, and their expressions darkened.

A long time passed before the woman playing my mother took my hand and asked softly, "Why did you hire a family? Do you miss them that much?"

I avoided the guilt in her eyes, buried my face in her arms, and smiled. "Being alone is too boring."

They were obviously relieved, but when no one was looking, I quietly wiped away my tears.

What I did not tell them was that…

I was dying.

So, please.

Don't hypnotize me into forgetting your faces again this time.

The three people standing in front of me were all the people closest to me. But the most ridiculous part about all of this was that if I wanted to see them, I could only do it by hiring them.

The moment I wiped away my tears, my mom reached out without thinking and patted my head.

"Behave, Rena. From now on, just treat us like your family."

My dad nodded. "We signed a six-month contract. For the next six months, we'll take good care of you."

I thought I was ready for this.

I thought that no matter what they said, it would not hurt.

But when I actually heard those words, my chest still tightened with pain.

Six months…

What about before that?

What about after that?

Were you going to fake your deaths again and leave me behind just to make Zack happy?

I almost blurted those words out, but in the end, I forced them back down and did not ask a single question. I simply could not. If I did, they would realize I already knew the truth, and they would hypnotize me again.

So, I pulled away from my mom's arms and forced a smile. "Alright. Just act natural, like a real family. Don't be so stiff."

"Tsk."

The second I finished speaking, my brother clicked his tongue before laughing mockingly. Then, he dropped the act and went straight back to his bedroom. Mom and Dad exchanged a look and hurried after him.

As soon as the door closed, I quietly walked over and listened to the discussion inside.

My brother still hated me just as much as ever.

Even when he said my name, his voice was full of disgust.

"Mom, Dad, why did you sign that contract with Rena? Didn't we agree that during the five years of my treatment, we'd move away and never see her again?"

"Zack, didn't you see how Rena looked? She looks so miserable." Mom spoke to him gently. "It's only one month. Your health is almost back to normal, too. Just hang in there. It'll be over before you know it. Once the month is over, we'll leave. After that, we'll take you abroad for two years, alright?"

My stomach dropped, and I felt a chill run through my spine.

My brother said in annoyance, "I just can't stand it. Why is she so healthy? She hardly ever even gets a cold. I've been sick since the day I was born. It's always one thing after another. It's not fair!"

Dad, who had been quiet the whole time, let out a sigh. "Zack, this isn't Rena's fault. When your mom was pregnant with you, we had just started our company. She went through a lot, so your health was poor from the beginning. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I didn't take good care of either of you..."

"I just can't move on." Gentleness always worked better with my brother than brute force.

After hearing Dad say that, his tone softened a little as he said, "Fine. It's only one month, anyway. After one month, we'll hypnotize Rena into forgetting all this, and then we'll leave!"

The moment I heard the word "hypnotize", my body started shaking.

I was just about to walk away when the door behind me suddenly opened.

When Mom saw me standing there, her expression changed immediately. "I'm sorry, Rena. My son still isn't very good at this. He didn't mean to lose his temper..."

I glanced into the room. Zack was still visibly biting his lower lip, and his eyes were full of contempt.

I let out an awkward laugh and said, "It's alright, Mom. He's doing a great job. My brother has always hated me like this. Sometimes, I wonder if he wants me to die that badly."