Selena's gaze was filled with mockery.

Now that she was thoroughly disappointed, she no longer had any expectations for Ian. She calmly uttered two words.

"Got it."

Ryan, however, looked at her in disbelief. "Ian took such good care of you all these years, and that's all you have to say? Selena, ever since Mom passed away, you've been acting so strange.

"Vanessa nearly lost her life because of you, and you haven't even shown any concern for her. I get it now. You blame Vanessa for stealing our family's love from you, and deep down, you're hoping she dies, aren't you?

"She's already suffered so much, yet you're still jealous of her? When did you become so evil?"

Hearing this, Selena suddenly found it laughable.

If Vanessa had truly intended to take her own life by overdosing, then why was the dosage so precisely controlled? Why was it just enough for her to be found by the Carter family in time?

For years, Vanessa had been using such despicable tactics to slowly steal the affection of everyone in the family. By now, it was second nature to her.

Besides, no matter how much Selena explained, it would be pointless. Just like now, she hadn't even said a word, yet she had already been branded as the villain.

Even staying silent was a crime.

As Ryan was about to leave, his voice turned cold, as if he had completely given up on her.

"Do you know how much I wished that the person who donated blood for me that day was you, and not Vanessa? You're my real sister, but when I was in danger, you hid away. I hate you."

With a loud slam of the door, Ryan walked away without ever looking back.

Six months ago, Ryan had been hit by an out-of-control car. He had lost a massive amount of blood and had been in critical condition.

The hospital's blood supply had been running low, and they had still needed forty seven ounces of blood.

Originally, Zachary and Selena had planned to donate together.

But after just seven ounces, Zachary had started shouting that he couldn't take it anymore and had the doctor remove the needle.

Selena, on the other hand, had already been losing consciousness after twenty seven ounces.

But thinking of her younger brother lying on that hospital bed, she had clenched her jaw and forced herself to hold on, letting the doctors take a total of forty one ounces from her.

When she had woken up, she had found herself in an unfamiliar ward. There hadn't been a single person by her side.

It turned out that Zachary, wanting his son to get along with the newly arrived Vanessa, had lied and told Ryan that it was Vanessa who had saved his life by donating blood.

After being discharged, Selena had forced herself to go find Ryan and explain everything. But all she had gotten in return was a slap across the face.

With tears streaming down his face, he had screamed at her, demanding to know why she wasn't there when he needed her the most.

Why did Vanessa have to give him so much blood, nearly losing her own life in the process?

Fighting back the bitter chill in her heart, Selena had told him to check the hospital records. He would know the truth then.

But to this day, he had never done so.

Instead, he wholeheartedly believed that a fifth of his blood came from Vanessa. In his mind, his own sister was nothing but a cold-blooded traitor who had abandoned him.

No matter what she did or said, it was always seen as malicious.

It didn't matter anymore. Selena was done explaining. She was done with all of it.

Selena sat on the couch in the empty house.

There wasn't a trace of warmth left in this place.

Outside, the wind howled against the windows. She closed her eyes and covered her ears.

But she still couldn't escape the suffocating pressure that pressed down on her. It felt so strong, as if it could crush her at any moment.

Since no one in this family cared about her or needed her anymore, she might as well disappear forever.

Selena's phone buzzed.

It was a post from Vanessa, letting everyone know she was fine.

"Thank you all for your concern. I'm okay now. And thank you, Ian, for always being by my side when I need you. I'll use the rest of my life to repay you."

The attached photo showed Vanessa lying in a hospital bed, her fingers intertwined with Ian's as he sat beside her. They looked like the perfect couple.

Selena barely glanced at it before locking her phone and tossing it aside.

She and Ian were over.

Whatever Vanessa's intentions were—whether to flaunt her victory or provoke her—Selena didn't care. She would feel neither joy nor sorrow.

That night, she made herself a warm dinner and went to bed.

For the first time in years, with the house empty, she finally slept soundly.

The next morning, she brewed herself a cup of hand-ground coffee, sat in a wicker chair in the yard, and listened to the morning radio as she stretched.

For the first time, free from the weight of family burdens, she truly enjoyed the feeling of simply being alive.

She should have done this long ago.

After breakfast, she returned to her room, intending to gather all the gifts Ian had given her and send them back to him.

But as she went through them, she realized there were barely any.

The few gifts he had given her over the years were nothing but cheap trinkets, things that had meant the world to her at the time, things she had carefully stored away in a drawer like treasures.

Yet now, as she pulled them out, she saw they had yellowed with age, mold creeping along their edges.

It was just like Ian's so-called love.

Selena shook her head.

Ian was a germaphobe. He wouldn't want them back.

So, she tossed everything into a metal bin, along with every photo of them together, and set it all ablaze. The flames roared, devouring every last trace of the past.

Once this was over, she went to collect the paperwork to withdraw from school. She planned to spend the last few days traveling and clearing her mind.

She was scrolling through travel guides when Ian showed up.

Unlike her, relaxed and at peace, he looked like he hadn't slept all night.

Ryan had told him about the returned gifts and how Selena had barely reacted. He didn't believe it. He knew how much she had loved him. He couldn't accept that she would be so indifferent.

However, he saw the burned gifts and photos in the metal bin outside.

These were things Selena had once cherished, but now she had discarded them like garbage.

"Why did you burn everything?" His voice trembled.

Selena lifted her gaze to his pale face.

"They were moldy, so I burned them," she said in a flat voice.

Ian froze. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he scoffed. "You did this on purpose. You knew I'd come, so you put on this whole act, trying to play hard to get, hoping I'd come back to you. Selena, why do you always have to be so unreasonable?"

He turned to leave, frustration boiling over, until his eyes landed on the papers on her coffee table.

It was the withdrawal paperwork.

His mind went blank.

"You're withdrawing from school? Was it because we asked you to hand over the patent to Vanessa?" His voice was shrill.

"Say something. Where are you going?"

Panic surged through him as he grabbed her arm.

Selena was right in front of him. He could see her and touch her. Yet, for some reason, he had this feeling that she would disappear forever.

Selena wasn't planning to tell him the truth just yet.

"I'm a little tired. I'm taking time off from school for a few days to travel nearby. I won't go far."

She turned her phone around and showed him the travel guide she had been reading.

Seeing that she wasn't lying, Ian finally relaxed a little and let go of her arm. "That's more like it. I knew you wouldn't be so petty. It's just a patent. You can always come up with another one."

Just then, his phone rang. It was Ryan from the hospital.

"Ian, where did you go? Vanessa woke up and freaked out when she didn't see you. Her condition got worse, and now she's throwing herself against the walls. She's bleeding a lot. Get back here now!"

Ian rushed to leave, but before stepping out, he turned back to remind Selena, "Go ahead and travel if you want, just don't go too far from home."

Selena smiled without saying a word.

'Don't worry. I won't go too far. Just far enough that you'll never find me.'

As he passed by the pile of burned ashes in the courtyard, Ian frowned, feeling strangely uneasy. But he quickly brushed it off. She had already been so heartless. There was no reason for him to feel guilty about someone like her.

Yet, he still couldn't shake the feeling that Selena was hiding something from him.

'Don't overthink it. Where could she even go? Right now, taking care of Vanessa is what matters. I can't afford to get distracted.'

With that thought in mind, Ian turned away and left Selena behind once again.

-

Over the next few days, Selena joined a tour group and visited all the major landmarks in the city. Everyone around her was her age, and the atmosphere was lively. They watched the sunset from mountaintops, sang songs, and barbecued under the stars.

Here, there was no family to disappoint her and no love to break her heart. The more she experienced, the more she realized that people should live for themselves.

The last stop of the trip was a high-end restaurant by a garden.

Selena found a seat by the window, ready to enjoy a quiet afternoon.

The restaurant doors swung open.

It was Vanessa.

Today was also the day she was due to be discharged from the hospital.

The entire family was here to celebrate.

They took the most prominent table in the room. There were gifts, champagne, and a cake. Everything Selena had never received was now laid out in front of Vanessa. She was like a princess with endless treasures at her feet.

Zachary poured Vanessa a drink.

Ian frowned at the sight. "Zachary, Vanessa just got out of the hospital. She shouldn't be drinking."

"Oh, come on," Zachary scoffed. "If she doesn't drink with me, this wine will just go to waste. If that's the case, why don't you drink on her behalf?"

"Don't worry, Ian." Vanessa leaned in close to Ian, her voice soft. "Zachary is in a good mood today. I don't want to spoil the fun. Just a little won't hurt."

The way she pressed close to Ian made it obvious that they were a loving couple.

Ryan immediately chimed in, "Forget the drink. Why don't you two just kiss instead?"

Zachary's eyes lit up. "Now that's a good idea. If you kiss, I won't make Vanessa drink."

Vanessa's face turned bright red, but she didn't refuse. Instead, she glanced up at Ian, her gaze filled with coy anticipation.

Ian felt his throat go dry under her heated stare.

As he hesitated, Vanessa suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

Ian was caught off guard and instinctively wanted to push her away. But as her soft lips pressed against his, her warm body molding against him, he finally gave in to her advances. His breath quickened, and his resolve crumbled. He kissed her back just as passionately.