Seeing me take off the white dress stained with red wine, he frowned.

“I heard from my mother about what Emma did. Don’t take it to heart, she’s just a child, she loves you,”

David said, the explanation unchanged after nine years.

I thought, even when Emma comes of age, she will still be a little child in David's eyes.

I smiled and sarcastically remarked:

“But in that child’s heart, I’m just a murderer.”

David’s face showed displeasure:

“Don’t say that, she could never think that way.”

I took a few steps back, putting more distance between us, and started to zip the back of my dress in front of the mirror.

“I’ll help you,” he said, without waiting, and took the zipper from my hands.

His fingertip warmth touched my back, making me feel a slight itch.

Had this been in the past, I would have blushed, my heart fluttering, even aroused.

But now, it only made me gross.

“Be patient with her,”

he murmured, his breath brushing my neck.

I pushed him away sharply:

“I have something to say to you.”

David furrowed his brow:

“Can’t it wait? The family banquet has already started.”

“No.” I said firmly, “Today marks the ninth year, and I’m leaving.”

“You’re talking nonsense,” David shouted angrily.

I looked at his face, tense with anger, the air freezing for a moment.

But I didn’t back down and repeated:

“It’s been nine years, David, I’m leaving.”

David glared at me:

“Have you had enough of making a scene? Emma is just a child, don’t take it to heart. Today’s an important family event, the elders are here. I’ll talk to her later.”

He grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me out. I forcefully jerked my hand free.

“Wasn’t it you who was persuaded by my father? That’s why you stepped back and gave me these nine years? Now that I want to leave, you’re unhappy?”

I raised my voice, continuing to argue.

Before he could respond, an angry voice came from behind:

“Ashley, can you stop throwing tantrums at the wrong time?”

Without turning around, I knew it was my father.

Back then, Father and David had agreed that once Emma turned nine, I could leave.

But now, why are they stopping me?

“I’m not throwing a tantrum, Father, you said after nine years, I could leave.”

I was tired, but I had no choice but to explain repeatedly.

Father scoffed:

“Did you have to bring this up today, of all days, during the family banquet?”

“Alright, Ashley didn’t mean it.”

David immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

Had this been a few years ago, I might have blushed, my heart racing at his defense.

But now, I clearly understood that this was just his dirty trick to make me stay.

To continue playing the role of Lily’s replacement.

“Let’s go, to the banquet.”

David said to me.

I silently let him pull me into the banquet that had already started.

Emma was playing happily with her cousins.

But when she saw me, her face immediately darkened.

“Look, Emma, your mother is here!”

The younger Smith family members all knew about my position, shamelessly teased.

Emma sneered:

“She’s not my mother!”

I stood right beside her, and David sighed, pulling Emma closer:

“Don’t speak like that, Ashley is your mother, and she’s always taken good care of you.”

Emma’s face turned red with anger:

“No! She’ll never be my mother! Listen, everyone, this woman killed my mother!”

The elders, who were also core members of the family, turned their disdainful eyes toward me:

“She’s not the child’s stepmother?”

“Why doesn’t she like her so much?”

“Looks like she didn’t treat the child well.”

“Apologize to her right now.”

David ordered Emma, but there was no sincerity in his voice.

I stopped him:

“Forget it, no need.”

I expressionlessly walked out of the banquet hall.

I had long gotten used to it; no matter what I did.

David’s heart would always belong to Lily.

And Emma would always see me as the sinner who took her mother’s place.

“Do you really have to cause a scene today?”

Father quickly walked up to me, his voice full of anger and disappointment.

“Father, what more do you want from me? Haven’t I done my duty for nine years? Is that not enough?”

I had grown tired of these repeated explanations.

“You and Lily are biological sisters, wasn’t it only right for you to tolerate her child? If Lily were still here, she would never have been so unaware of reason!”

He scolded me sharply.

I shrugged, having lost all patience for today’s farce:

“Well, it’s too bad, Lily is already dead.”

Father raised his hand to strike me.

I grabbed his wrist:

“Father, it was you who changed the marriage partner, after Lily died, it was you who forced me to help continue this marriage, so now what do you still want? Do you try to force me to do something that harms the family’s interests?”

Father yanked his hand back, disgustedly looking at me:

“Do as you wish, Ashley! This is why no one will ever love you, not even your own mother wants to see you!”

He turned and left.

A sharp pain pierced my heart, leaving me dazed.

I hadn’t seen my mother in nine years.

Since she lost her favorite daughter Lily, she had never come to see me, not even at the family dinner.

I felt immense pain, and no wonder others thought I was jealous of Lily.

Because I truly had nothing.

“Sorry, I’ve prepared a gift for you.”

A childish voice came from behind.

I turned around and saw Emma standing there, a naive smile on her face, holding a wrapped gift box.

Looking at her, she had some resemblance to David, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge in my heart. I smiled and said:

“You don’t need to be so polite.”

Emma giggled:

“I’m happy to give you a gift, open it and see!”

I took the gift box, opened it, and was immediately hit with a foul smell.

Inside the box lay the corpse of the little bird I had raised, a bullet hole through its body.

It had already lost its life.

“If you don’t leave me and Dad, next it’ll be you!”

Emma’s face wore a harmless smile, as if her threat was nothing but a childish joke.

My body went weak, and I felt the coldness and lifelessness from the bird mirrored in my own self.

I wanted to touch it, but my hands trembled and froze in place.

It was the only thing in this house that belonged to me.

For these nine years, I had poured all my loneliness and sorrow into it.

“Don’t make me angry, and don’t let Dad get upset with me!”

Emma’s true face showed as she spoke with a menacing tone.

Watching her stomp off, I focused on the gun that had been used on my bird.

The gun Emma had was still the one I gave her, a gift I had specially picked out for her.

Just because she admired the gunmen who transported goods in the family.

My attempts to please, to make peace, had turned into a weapon to hurt me.

Looking at it now, I couldn’t hold back the tears in my eyes.

“Why are you standing in the cold? Ashley, don’t catch a cold!”

David’s voice came from the door.

He immediately walked up behind me, draping his coat over my shoulders, but I threw it off immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

He asked, puzzled.

When I saw the dead bird in the box, a look of disgust flashed across David's face.

“Your daughter came to ‘apologize,’”

I said calmly.

David furrowed his brows even deeper:

“She’s also your daughter.”

I scoffed, almost breaking down:

“She hates me, David! She killed my bird.”

“Alright, let’s go inside. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have a proper talk with her. You can bury the bird. She’s just a little girl, it was a joke.”

David, unaware of my emotions, just wanted to cover up Emma's mistake.

I dodged his touch and walked toward the garden with the bird.

I couldn’t let my bird stay outside all night, getting ruined by other animals.

David followed behind, complaining about my stubbornness, but still stayed with me as I buried it.

After burying the bird, I walked back into the house.

The family dinner was already over, and the guests had all left.

The night had deepened, and the wind had picked up.

I couldn’t help but sneeze, and David quickly supported me.

We walked into my room, and he asked me to sit on his lap — I felt a wave of disgust.

“What do you want to do?”

I asked coldly.

David sighed:

“Ashley, it’s just a bird, I’ll buy you a new one, okay?”

“I’m leaving, David. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

I said firmly.

David stiffened:

“Emma is still just a child. I don’t trust anyone else to take care of her. Besides, where will you go? You have no one else.”

I shrugged:

“That’s my business. I no longer have a place here.”

David sighed:

“How about you give me a child? That way, I can guarantee the future for you and the child. If you give me a child, no one will speak ill of you, and Emma can have a brother or sister.”

I smiled bitterly.

For these nine years, I had been humble to the dust, abandoning all my pride.

But in the end, he only wanted me to give him a child.

In the end, it was all to protect Emma and trap me in this house.

“I’ve already told the maid all the things to look out for with Emma. She’s been studying with the family tutor. She no longer needs me.”

I said.

David kissed me, and didn’t press me further:

“Rest for now. Tell me your decision tomorrow morning.”

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I packed my luggage, my mind full of the image of my beloved bird.

The sun quickly rose. I took a quick shower, dragging my suitcase out the door.

Finally, I was leaving.

Slow claps echoed in the yard, followed by a familiar, mocking voice:

“Ah,”

Nora drawled, leaning against the pillar, her delight unhidden.

“You finally figured it out?”

I sighed, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Nora was David’s mistress, and Emma’s favorite person after Lily.

I ignored her and kept walking forward, but she blocked my path, eyeing me with interest.

She crossed her arms:

“Nine whole years, you’ve been like a maid in this house, waiting for a man who never loved you. Now, after all these years, you’re finally leaving?”

She laughed lightly:

“You’re really dumb, only now realizing David and Emma will never love you. In this house, you’re just a worthless object.”

I met her gaze, my expression calm and unchanged. Those emotions had long been dulled by time:

“Then enjoy it.”

“Do whatever you want, it’s no longer my concern.”

Her smile grew more arrogant:

“Oh, I will. Don’t worry,”

She leaned in close and whispered:

“I’ll be moving in soon, replacing you.”

Before I could respond, the front door was suddenly pushed open.

David walked out, followed by Emma.

The next second, Nora’s attitude made a completely.

She gasped dramatically, dropping to her knees, desperately grabbing my skirt like it was her lifeline.

“Donna, don’t go!”

She cried, her voice full of despair.

“Emma needs you. No one else can take care of her.”

I looked down at the scene she was putting on for me, numb.

“Emma loves you, she really loves you!”

She continued crying, her voice choking.

“She’s still just a child! Please, don’t leave her. I apologize for everything I’ve done, please.”

David impatiently sighed loudly, clearly losing patience.

“Stop talking nonsense! Don’t make a scene here, go inside.”

His gaze remained cold, just like before.

“If you want, I’ll buy you another bird. Don’t make things difficult for Nora.”

I clenched my fist, about to speak, but Emma ran to Nora, hugging her.

“Nora, get up.”

She whispered softly, wiping away her fake tears.

Then, she turned her head, her gaze landing on me, burning with intense hatred.

“You’re the one who used evil to kill my mother! Now you want to hurt Nora too! You’re just jealous, no one loves you, you evil woman!”

When Emma looked at Nora, her expression softened immediately:

“Don’t be sad, be my mother. Ashley doesn’t deserve to be in my life. She should have left long ago.”

She looked back at me, her eyes filled with disdain:

“Ashley, your heart smells just like sewer water, so my dad will never love you.”

She smiled cruelly, “I’m happy you’re leaving.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, and took one last look at the child I had raised for nine years, treated as my own.

“Nine years, and you still hate me this much. I guess there’s no reason for me to stay anymore.”

Without saying another word, I turned and resolutely walked forward.

Just as I was dragging my suitcase toward the gate, Emma picked up a gun and aimed it at my head.