Sabrina lunged forward and seized Elena. "I stitched this dress with my own hands! Put it on, now. Don't push me."

Elena frowned and burst into loud sobs.

I stepped between them, taking the dress from Sabrina's grasp. "Don't frighten her, Sabrina. She's not used to colors like these. Don't blame her for that. She's just a child."

Sabrina's expression tightened into a scowl. "Picky, huh? Alex never makes a fuss over clothes. How dare she… Still, she has to wear this. The old priest blessed it. It'll keep her safe."

She bent down once more, her tone soft and coaxing. "This is a princess dress, Elena. Once you wear it, you'll be a little princess. Don't you want that?"

But Elena only clung to the hem of my clothes, pressing herself behind me. "No… I don't want to. I don't like the colors."

A wave of revulsion rose in my chest, but I forced it down and twisted my lips into a grateful smile. "Sabrina, it means a lot that you care for Elena this way. Why don't you leave the dress here? Once she has calmed down, I'll make sure she puts it on. I promise your kindness won't be wasted."

Sabrina was about to argue further when her phone rang.

"Get back here, quick! Alex's skin is torn again!"

I pretended not to hear Jerome's frantic voice and crouched beside Elena, gently wiping away her tears.

The instant Sabrina learned that Alex was in trouble, her eyes flicked from the dress in my hands to the earnestness on my face—a sincerity she couldn't doubt. Then, she rushed back home.

Once she was gone, I pulled out my phone and called my younger brother, Owen Reid. I invited him over to celebrate Elena's birthday.

The people Sabrina despised most were Owen and me. In her mind, all the Reids' wealth should go to Jerome alone. She never tired of asking why Mom and Dad hadn't been content with Jerome and why they had to burden themselves with a useless daughter and another son.

And yet, it was I who ended up the successful one. I married a man far better than her husband.

Meanwhile, Owen became nothing but a spoiled wastrel, squandering his life on alcohol, gambling, and women. In my past life, he knew everything Sabrina had done to me, yet he felt not a flicker of sympathy. Instead, he had just stood by her side, helping her claw at the Satchwells' inheritance.

Owen was rotten through and through. Even after he got the money, he squandered every last bit of it. His reckless indulgences finally caught up with him, leaving him with HIV.

In the end, everything played out just as Sabrina wished. The Reids were stripped down to Jerome alone. He, Sabrina, and Alex lived on comfortably, a tidy little family of three.

So, Sabrina wanted a healthy Alex? Fine. I'd hand her Mom's "precious boy" and watch if she could stomach him.

She thought she could trade her sickly son for my daughter? In that case, I'd let her get an Alex who was rotten to the core.

I was holding Elena and just about to cut the cake when the doorbell rang.

The moment Elena saw that it was Owen, her brows knitted together. In her eyes, Jerome, Sabrina, and Owen were nothing but vermin.

Owen always had a habit of laying his hands on Elena, and I hated having him anywhere near her. But now, I had no choice but to swallow my disgust and let him in.

The moment he stepped through the door, not even bothering to take off his shoes, he asked, "Herman's not home, huh?"

"Yeah. He's on a business trip."

At the mention of Herman's absence, Owen's face lit up. "Happy birthday, Elena! Now, hurry up and give me some pocket money."

Shameless was far too mild a word. What kind of man would ask a child for money?

"I invited you here to celebrate Elena's birthday. And you're asking her for money?"

Owen curled his lip. "You know I'm broke, Emma. I've got plans later, so just hand me some cash. Once I strike it rich, forget birthdays, I'll buy Elena her own island!"

I laughed. This was Owen—slick tongue and full of empty promises but always dressed up pretty.

Mom had always doted on him the most. Since we were kids, the best food and drink were laid at his feet first.

Had Jerome not had Alex and had Owen not been a freak, perhaps Owen would still be Mom's and Dad's favorite.

I had left the dress Sabrina sent, along with the new gold necklace I had bought, deliberately sitting out on the table. Sure enough, Owen's eyes landed on them right away. He strolled over to the table. "Emma, this gold heart pendant's got to be worth a fair bit, huh?"

He weighed it in his palm. "At least two ounces, easy."

"That's Herman's birthday gift for Elena. As for that dress, my friend brought it back from Serania. She told me that even secondhand, it could fetch around six grand. Elena had only worn it a few times before deciding she didn't like it."

Owen came over, grinning while cradling the dress and necklace in his arms. "Emma, why don't you let me hang on to these for now, huh?"

Elena didn't care much for the dress, but seeing the gold heart pendant in his hands made her burst into tears on the spot.

"Uncle Owen, that's mine."

He crouched, his hand reaching for her shoulder. I yanked her back before he could touch her.

"Fine, fine. If you like them so much, take them. Didn't you say you couldn't even spare a minute for Elena's birthday? What's next? Will you be too busy for dinner too?"

The moment I gave in, Owen's eagerness flared. He couldn't wait to turn the gold into cash, and the whole brother-sister act he put on with me vanished.

"I've got business to take care of. Just wait, Emma. When I make it big, you and Herman won't ever have to lift a finger again. I'll send you money every single day."

I watched him walk away, a slow smile spreading across my face.

I couldn't tell when Owen first started turning into a freak. Back when Elena and I were staying at Mom and Dad's, I caught him more than once sneaking off to the bathroom with Elena's clothes.

When he came out, the stains on them sent a jolt of terror through me. I never imagined he'd turn into that kind of man. After that, I never took Elena back to Mom and Dad's again.

I knew he'd do something vile with that dress. That was the only reason I forced myself to choke down my disgust and call him over.

After Owen left, I gathered Elena into my arms and held her tight. Deep down, I swore I'd guard my own home, no matter the cost.

As for the Reids, they could rot and fester in the mud, for all I cared. Owen and Alex were the family's golden boys. I couldn't wait to see the expression on Mom's and Dad's faces once their fortunes flipped.

After soothing Elena, I left her at home with the TV and hurried out to have a tailor make her an identical dress. Then, I filmed Elena in the dress and sent the video to Sabrina.

Her reply came as a voice note. She was absolutely brimming with delight. "She looks gorgeous! Elena really is a little princess!"

I pulled up the security feed on my phone.

Whenever Jerome or Sabrina wanted something, Mom would come to me, insisting she was broke. That was how I ended up paying for security cameras to be installed in Mom and Dad's house.

After they were installed, I hardly ever bothered to check the feed. Anyway, I figured it wasn't a crime to watch the feed. It was Mom and Dad's house, after all. Besides, I was the one who had paid for them.

On the screen, Sabrina twirled with her hands thrown up, giddy with excitement. Alex sat hunched, swallowed by misery. His gloved hands couldn't stop scratching his own skin.

Mom and Dad turned to Alex, their hearts aching. "Is this really going to work? Why is Alex still suffering so much?"

Sabrina smiled and bent down to plant a big kiss on Alex. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Elena's about to carry this burden for you. Get some sleep now. Our family will get better day by day. Once Elena is gone, you'll be fine."

Pity lingered in Mom's eyes, but seeing Alex in agony, she set her jaw and said, "Let her die. At worst, Emma can bear another child. Let it be my sin against Elena. I'll pay that debt when I die."

I nearly puked listening to them. I never expected Mom to show such obvious favoritism for sons. Was Elena's life worth less than nothing?

This time, I longed to see which of them would be left with the rotten fate in the end.

Sabrina snapped, annoyed, "Another child? Give me a break. Emma spoils Elena rotten and won't even open her wallet for Alex. The last time I asked her to buy him a hundred-thousand-dollar piano, she refused.

"She'd be better off not having kids at all. The Reids' money should go to Alex. He's the one who'll make the family proud. And don't get me started. Owen came by last week and swiped a bottle of fine vintage wine. That was from the Linskeys. Keep babying him, and I won't tolerate it."

I was smiling at the feed when Elena's scream split the air, high and piercing. It came from her room.