On my eighteenth birthday, my brother Seth brought back my twin sister. She had been snatched from me by kidnappers as a child.

She claimed she had nothing, not a single thing to call her own.

Seth gave her everything: my room, my dresses, and my awards.

He even gave her my childhood fiancé, forcing him to break off our engagement and marry her in a wedding that would take the world by storm.

I tried to resist, but Seth scolded me for being childish.

"She's your blood sister, yet you complain about every little thing. If you can't learn to be kind, I can't call you my sister anymore."

My sister, Serena, fell into the swimming pool later that day and nearly drowned. When she woke up, she cried to our brother, claiming I had pushed her.

My brother, Seth, was furious. He sent me away to a remote mountain village.

"If you can't learn to be kind, you'll spend the rest of your life here, atoning for your sins.

"You can come back only when you kneel before Serena and apologize."

Five years passed. Serena and my fiancé held a high-profile engagement ceremony.

The entire city celebrated their grand love, certain they would have a happily ever after together.

Then, Seth finally remembered me. "Sylvie, five years have passed. Have you learned kindness yet?"

I nodded calmly with a blank expression on my face.

"Seth, I will kneel before her and apologize."

He smiled, praising me for finally being sensible. However, he did not know that I had received a critical medical notice.

I had only five days left to live.

…

After Serena's extravagant engagement party, my brother suddenly remembered I was still in the remote mountain village, inside a strict training regime.

Guilt gnawed at him. After a day and night of driving, he arrived at the village.

The village chief flattered him.

"Mr. Jones, we followed your instructions and implemented a rigorous labor-based education program. For the past five years, your sister has strictly adhered to it every day.

"She's completely tamed her spoiled noblewoman temper and now truly understands the hardships of Miss Serena. She's become the model of a well-behaved heiress!"

My brother looked relieved.

"Well done. It's good she's obedient. Sending her to the countryside was not in vain."

The village chief's son brought me forward.

The cold wind cut me to the bone. I was wearing only a thin long-sleeve shirt and pants. The loose fabric whipped in the wind, revealing my frail, skeletal frame.

Seth frowned, reaching out to take my hand.

I shivered slightly and bowed deeply to him with utmost respect. "Hello, Seth."

His hand fell empty. He just stared at me.

On the way here, he had imagined this moment in countless ways.

He thought I might run to him, crying, throwing myself into his arms, telling him how hard these five years had been and begging him to take me away.

Perhaps I would glare at him in anger, furious that he abandoned me in a remote mountain village for five years.

However, he had never imagined this: me standing before him, bowing respectfully, and saying only, "Hello, Seth."

For the eighteen years before the punishment, I had been nothing but spoiled and arrogant.

He watched me silently. After a long moment, he took a small box from the driver and opened it before me.

"Sylvie, this is your twenty-third birthday gift from me."

Inside was a pair of diamond earrings.

I clenched the box as a pang of sadness hit my chest.

He had forgotten that I had never liked diamonds.

Serena was the one who liked them.

Bitterness rose, but I carefully accepted the box.

It was enough that he remembered my birthday, even if he had chosen the wrong gift.

Then, Seth led me to the car.

Before I could open the door, the back window rolled down, revealing Serena's dazzling face.

"Seth, have you met up with Sylvie?"

Her makeup was flawless, and her expression was confident and gracious. She wore a fur coat, exuding wealth and commanding presence.

I, on the other hand, looked pale and wretched, dressed only in clothes others had thrown away.

Serena tilted slightly to the side, revealing the luxurious, dazzling diamond necklace on her chest, then a gentle smile bloomed across her face.

"Just a few days ago, Seth bought this diamond set at the auction as my birthday gift.

"Serena, you know I don't like small diamonds, so he gave the earrings to you instead.

"After all, we share the same birthday."

The earrings she did not want were now in my hands.

Before I could say anything, she snatched them from me, admiring them herself.

"I suddenly feel like my ears are empty. This necklace doesn't look right without earrings. Sylvie, why don't you give them back to me?"

I froze for a moment and looked at my brother.

Seth stared at me coldly. His eyes were warning me to behave myself and listen to my sister.

All traces of the warmth he had shown me earlier were gone.

My chest tightened with bitterness, and my eyes reddened before I could stop myself.

"Okay. I'll give them back to Serena."

Only then did Seth look satisfied. He believed I had truly changed, that I was no longer the arrogant girl I used to be.

He became more convinced than ever that sending me to the countryside for five years had been the right decision.

"Sylvie, you really have improved. Hardship has made you sensible, just like your sister."

Then, he opened the car door for me.

Just as I was about to get in, Serena suddenly covered her nose and shrank back.

Her brows knit tightly. Her face was pale as though she might suffocate.

"Sylvie, how long has it been since you showered? You smell awful. I feel like I'm going to be sick."

The moment he heard that, Seth's expression changed. He grabbed my arm and yanked me violently out of the way.

"Serena, are you feeling unwell in any other way?

"If you can't stand her smell, then she won't ride with us. It's not far. She can walk back by herself."

My frail, dying body slammed hard against the ground. Pain exploded through me, as though my organs had shifted out of place.

My knee struck a rock. My vision went black, and for a long time, I could not get back up.

However, Seth never looked at me again.

After pulling me away, he opened the car window to air it out, then quickly closed it and turned on the heater for Serena.

He was afraid that she would feel cold and get sick.

Meanwhile, I stood there in nothing but a thin layer of clothing, yet he acted as though I did not exist, not sparing me a single word of concern.

Eventually, I forced myself to my feet and began walking toward the Jones residence, dragging my heavy body forward.

Five days.

I only had five days left.

Soon, I would finally be free.

I would never have to endure my brother's cruelty again.

'Seth, you hate me, right?

'I'll disappear from your life forever very soon. Will that make you happy?'

The next night, I arrived at the gates of the Jones residence.

It was almost a thousand miles from the mountain village. There was no way I could have walked that far.

Fortunately, kind strangers had given me rides along the way.

It had passed the midnight. Neither my brother nor Serena was home.

The guard took pity on me and let me inside when he saw me standing alone outside.

"Miss Sylvie, your old room now belongs to Miss Serena. Mr. Jones has arranged another room for you."

He casually led me to the maids' quarters.

The room was small and dark, without even a window. It was more like a storage closet than a bedroom.

I held my only piece of luggage and stood blankly in the doorway, silent, not stepping inside.

Serena would not even allow me to have this room.

Sure enough, after the guard left, Serena suddenly appeared before me, sobbing.

"Sylvie, I'll give your old room back to you, okay? I'll do anything you want as long as you don't take my new room!"

Seth hurried after her and pulled her into his arms.

"Serena, don't cry. What's yours is yours. Sylvie won't take it from you."

Then he glared at me furiously.

"Sylvie, you haven't changed at all. You're still the same spoiled, arrogant brat!"

Seth shot me a furious glare.

He was about to say he regretted bringing me back, that I deserved to suffer in the countryside for a few more years or never come back at all!

However, when he turned his head, he saw that a thin layer of frost had formed on my hair as I stood silently in the bitter cold wind some time.

He hesitated for a moment,

"Sylvie… You…"

I stood perfectly still, my back straight, and my expression indifferent.

"I'll behave. I won't take anything from Serena."

He was stunned into silence, at a loss for words.

Serena bit her lip. Her expression twisted for just a moment before she forced a smile.

"I misunderstood you. Sylvie, can you please forgive me?"

She spoke as she stepped closer, as though wanting to take my arm and beg for forgiveness.

Beneath the cover of her sleeve, her long nails dug viciously into my flesh.

The pain made it hard to breathe.

Serena expected me to react as I had five years ago, to hit her back the moment she pinched me.

However, she had it wrong.

During those five years in the countryside, I endured beatings and scoldings every single day.

I was pinched, kicked, and had my hair pulled. I had grown used to it, even numb.

I gave her a faint smile and gently pulled her hand away.

"You didn't do anything wrong. There's nothing to forgive. Everything I have belongs to you."

Her face stiffened. Then she asked through clenched teeth, "What about Nathan? Will you give him to me, too?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

Everything.

The room, my brother, and the Jones family.

Also, my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, whom I had known since we were three and loved since I was eight.

All of it.

It would be hers.

Serena remained quiet for what felt like an eternity. When she finally came back to her senses, she put on a show of concern.

"You don't like Nathan anymore?"

I paused for a moment and secretly let out a bitter laugh.

Of course I did.

Nathan and I met at three. We confessed to each other at eighteen. But in fact, I had loved him for more than a decade.

He loved racing. I trained desperately to keep up with him until a crash left me hospitalized for three months.

He liked girls who could dance. Hence, I began learning at eight years old, just to show him my best self.

I loved him with everything I had, believing my sincerity would move him.

However, when my brother sent me away five years ago, I went to him in tears, begging him to help me.

Back then, I had devoted most of my youth to the boy I loved, yet he closed the door on me without a glance.

"My heart belongs to Mr. Jones' sister, not to some cast-off of the Jones family."

At that moment, my entire world came crashing down.

My brother sent me to the countryside. At first, the village chief merely ignored me.

A few months later, when no one from the Jones family came to take me back, he began scheming how to discipline me and make me suffer.

They forced me into the fields every day, giving me the hardest, most exhausting work.

They gave me barely enough food to survive.

They even allowed the village's single men to sneak into my room at night to assault me.

The village chief said, "The Jones family doesn't want her anymore. Do whatever you like, just don't kill her!"

For five long years, I was trampled and humiliated.

The village doctor said my body was failing.

At most, I had five days left to live.

And now, a day had passed.

As I pushed those memories aside, I looked at Serena and shook my head gently.

"I stopped liking him a long time ago."

The girl who had once been so in love with Nathan had died that night, five years ago, when her world fell apart.

Serena did not expect me to say that.

However, Seth seemed satisfied. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Sylvie, you've truly grown up. I'm glad to see the change in you.

"Since you no longer like him, I'll find you someone even more worthy to be your fiancé."

Someone better than Nathan?

I wanted to ask him that, but I already knew the answer.

If there were truly a better fiancé, why had he torn Nathan away from me and given him to Serena?

Bitterness churned in my chest, and I endured it numbly and silently.

Seth noticed my silence and did not know what to say for a moment. He reached out to lead me into the room.

However, the moment he grabbed my arm, he realized my clothes were far too thin, and my body was as cold as ice.

He froze, then hurriedly ordered the maids to bring me warm clothing.

He also had someone quickly prepare a guest room in the villa for me to stay in.

As I watched the maids rush into cleaning, a hint of guilt flashed across his eyes.

"Serena has had a rough life since childhood. She doesn't like anyone living near her. Your old room is the most sound-absorbent.

"You can stay in the guest room for now. Once Serena chooses a new room, you can move back into your original one."

In other words, as long as Serena refused to leave my room, I would have to live like a guest in the temporary room.

I met Seth's guilty gaze and noticed Serena's smug expression. I nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Seth."

Five years ago, I had been the Jones family's only daughter. Seth had doted on me unconditionally as his only sister.

Countless high-society heiresses in the country envied my bright and lively life.

Even the entertainment media had spread the news far and wide.

"Sylvie Jones: The One True Heiress of a Top-Tier Family!"

The old me could not tolerate even the slightest unhappiness. Now, I could endure all the pain and despair in the world without flinching.

Seth was dumbfounded for a moment. A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

He looked at me, hesitating to speak, but the instant Serena linked her arm with his, he forgot everything he meant to say.

He said, "Serena hasn't seen you in five years. There's a lot you two need to talk about. You sisters should go to the room and chat. I have company matters to attend to."

After giving his instructions, he didn't forget to warn me, his tone turning stern.

"Sylvie, control your temper. Don't take it out on Serena."

Then, he left.

The moment he was gone, Serena dismissed the maids and shoved me into the room. She suddenly yanked open my clothes, exposing the crisscrossing scars covering my body.

When she saw the large patches of wounds, a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Her words were full of mockery.

"Sylvie, you're still a Jones. How could you do something so disgraceful?

"Even if Nathan doesn't like you anymore, you shouldn't be so shameless as to sleep with all those country bumpkins.

"Or is it your nature to be this promiscuous?"

She covered her mouth in feigned shock and stripped off my clothes completely.

Her long, exquisitely manicured nails dug viciously into my scars, tearing open the scabs that had barely formed.

"As expected, Nathan has good taste, choosing me as his fiancée. Otherwise, the Jones family's reputation would have been completely ruined by you.

"Sylvie, you're already this miserable. Why didn't you just die in those mountains?"

Why had I not died in that remote village?

Perhaps it was because I could not let go of Mother.

Even if I had to die, I wanted to see her grave one last time.

Serena noticed that I was lost in thought, and she slapped me viciously across the face. Then she held up her hand, showing off the enormous heart‑shaped pink diamond ring on her finger.

Her face was full of pride.

"This ring was personally given to me by Nathan at our engagement banquet. It symbolizes that our love is as eternal as a diamond."

Her expression was filled with smug triumph, and every word she spoke mocked me that Nathan had never loved me. Everything back then had only been my wishful thinking.

That was the truth.

He had never loved me. The one he loved was Mr. Jones' sister.

I paid no attention to Serena's ridicule. I quietly put my thin clothes back on and prepared to rest.