As the evening shadows lengthened outside, I huddled motionless on the sofa.

Suddenly, there was a noise at the door as someone pushed it open and turned on the light.

When Kenny saw me, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes as he let go of Serena's hand.

"You're home..."

I sat up, coldly watching them, my face still marked by the tears from my earlier breakdown.

Kenny tried to approach me, reaching out to touch my hair, but I pulled away.

He sighed softly and sat down beside me.

"Alyson, Serena's terminally ill, and she doesn't have much time left.

"She's terrified, so I have to be there for her.

"Alyson, you've always been so understanding. Please don't be upset over this small thing, okay?"

"Small thing?" I thought to myself, "In his eyes, was our wedding and my grandmother's death all just insignificant? Does only Serena matter to him?"

I glared at him, feeling a surge of anger, and I even began to resent him. A part of me wished my father had never saved him.

"Kenny, what am I to you?

"How could you marry her on our wedding day and make me the scorned third party?"

I didn't understand why, despite my disappointment in him, my heart still ached so much when I questioned him.

Kenny's gaze shifted away from me and landed on Serena, his expression conflicted.

Serena, standing next to Kenny, handed me a glass of water, her eyes full of pity.

"Alyson, don't be mad at Kenny. This is all my fault.

"I just didn't want to leave this world with regrets. He only feels sorry for me.

"Alyson, I'm not trying to take him from you. Once I'm gone, Kenny will be all yours.

"Can't you be generous and let me borrow him for a few years?"

Serena's words sounded pitiful, but her eyes were full of triumph.

With a swift motion, I knocked the water glass out of her hand. I didn't use much force, but Serena fell to the floor immediately.

I stood up and looked down at her.

"I'm not falling for your pitiful act!

"I'm not your mother, so I have no obligation to coddle you!"

Serena lay on the ground, helplessly looking up at me with tear-filled eyes.

"Alyson, I thought you'd understand me. I didn't expect you to be so heartless.

"Didn't you use your grandmother to force Kenny into marrying you?

"For so many years, you've been using your father's death to blackmail Kenny and his family. You've gotten so many benefits, and you should be satisfied by now!

"Your grandmother, really, using that trick at her age. She's always whining about dying. How annoying."

I trembled with anger. I could tolerate them hurting me, but I couldn't stand them insulting my family.

In a fit of rage, I slapped Serena across the face.

Kenny immediately helped Serena up and then roughly shoved me. I hit the edge of the table and was in too much pain to stand.

"Alyson, if you're angry, take it out on me! Serena's sick. She can't handle this kind of stress!"

I glared at him fiercely. If looks could kill, I would have shattered him into pieces.

"Kenny, you ungrateful bastard. You two will get what's coming to you!"

Kenny froze for a moment as if feeling a pang of regret.

Serena sobbed, but when she looked at me, her eyes were full of malice.

"Alyson, why do you always bring up old things?

"Kenny knew how to swim by then. Even if your father hadn't saved him, he could've swam back on his own. Besides, there were other people there.

"Your family just took advantage of Kenny's wealthy background. Your father must have purposely saved him to make him feel indebted, so you could blackmail him for life!"

Back then, when our family went on a picnic, we happened to run into Kenny and his family.

Kenny, young and brash, insisted on swimming in the reservoir right after learning how.

The water in the reservoir was very cold, and just as he got in, the upstream gates opened, and he was quickly pulled into a whirlpool.

His family and friends stood on the shore, helplessly watching the raging current, all in a panic.

My father, a firefighter, didn't hesitate. He jumped in, fighting to pull the unconscious Kenny to shore. However, my father couldn't make it out himself.

"Do you think so too?"

I stared hard at Kenny.

Kenny turned his head away, saying nothing. His silence was answer enough.

A cold laugh bubbled up inside me.

I never imagined they would twist my father's sacrifice and the shattering of my family into some sort of scheme. I never thought Kenny would think I deserved this!

In a frenzy, I lunged at Kenny, slapping him hard across the face several times.

"Get out!

"Both of you, get the hell out of here!"

Serena defiantly stepped in front of me, her posture triumphant.

"It's you who should leave. Kenny and I are married now. This house is ours!"

I've encountered shameless people before, but never anyone as vile and disgusting as this!

"Kenny, do you think the same way?"

Kenny, his face marked by the scratches I had left, avoided my gaze.

"Well, we are married now. I can't just let Serena keep living in a rented place..." he mumbled.

Hearing his words, all hope I had left vanished.

I turned and walked to the toolshed, grabbed a hammer, and started smashing everything in the house I had carefully decorated.

Even though my parents had passed away early, my grandmother always taught me not to rely on others' favors and to be self-sufficient.

After the engagement, Kenny bought a house, and my grandmother took out all her life savings for me to decorate it.

I had transformed this house, bit by bit, from an empty shell into the home of my dreams.

I thought to myself, "If I can't have it, no one will."

Serena shrieked in terror, covering her head. Kenny tried to stop me, attempting to wrest the hammer from my hands.

I raised the hammer high, sneering at him. "If you come any closer, I'll smash you along with it!

"Kenny, think carefully. I have nothing left to lose, so I'm not afraid of you!

"Try me if you dare!"

Clearly, Kenny didn't have the guts. He dragged Serena out, cursing me as he slammed the door behind them.

I blocked Kenny's number, packed my things, and took my grandmother's portrait with me as I returned to her small home.

When I walked in, I instinctively called out, "Grandma?"

Only when I remembered that she would never again greet me with her warm smile, did I realize she was truly gone, never to return.

The house was as she had left it, except that a fine layer of dust now covered the once spotless furniture.

To the left of the entrance was a small table with two cute porcelain dolls on it.

My grandmother had been heartbroken over my parents' deaths.

She poured all her love into me, praying every day for my safety and well-being.

After Kenny and I became serious, her prayers included him as well.

She had bought the two porcelain dolls, saying they would bring us good luck.

These dolls were supposed to be taken to our new home, but Kenny dismissed my grandmother's beliefs as superstition.

"My fate is in my own hands!" he had stubbornly insisted.

I couldn't bear to tell my grandmother the truth, so I lied, saying we were too busy with work and didn't want the housekeeper to accidentally break them.

Hearing that, my grandmother kept the dolls for herself. She prayed for us every day, hoping we would be happy together.

But now, the person who loved me most was gone, and my relationship with Kenny was over.

And Kenny, who thought my grandmother was superstitious, had previously hung a charm on his phone.

"Serena gave it to me. She said it'd bring me good luck if I kept it for a month."

I thought to myself, "So, he doesn't completely disbelieve in these things. He just didn't believe in my grandmother.

Or, more precisely, he didn't believe in me."

The next morning, before dawn had even broken, someone pounded on my door.

When I opened it, I was shoved roughly to the ground.

Kenny didn't even look at me. His face was dark as he stormed into the house, kicking open every door as if searching for something.

After tearing through the place, he grabbed me by the collar and demanded, "Where's your grandmother?"

I glanced at my grandmother's portrait in the corner and thought, "My grandmother is already gone."

Seeing my silence, Kenny roughly grabbed my hair, yanking my head up to face him.

"Do you even know what your grandmother did?

"Don't think I'll let it slide just because she's old. She may have been old, but what she did was despicable."

A shock of anger surged through me.

My father and grandmother had both passed away, yet he continued to slander them.

"What did my grandmother do? Be clear with your words."

Kenny sneered, pulling out his phone and shoving it in my face.

"Take a good look. This is how disgusting your grandmother was! You're going to pay for this today!"

On the screen, a figure resembling my grandmother sneaked into a hospital, slipping something into the food.

"Serena is allergic to mangoes, and your grandmother put mango juice in her food, causing her to break out in a rash!"

I glanced at the timestamp on the video. It was recorded last night. By then, my grandmother had already been buried.

"That's impossible!"

Serena stepped out from behind Kenny, wearing a mask and looking frail.

"Alyson, I know your grandmother was just jealous that I had Kenny's love. I don't blame her.

"Why don't you bring her out so we can clear this up face-to-face?"

I pointed at the video, challenging them. "This is just a silhouette. What makes you so sure it's my grandmother?"

Serena put on a frightened expression and said, "I've always been kind to others, only having conflict with you over Kenny.

"If it wasn't your grandmother, then who else could it be?"

Kenny's face darkened as he advanced toward me.

"Alyson, you and your family are truly despicable.

"For years, you've exploited your father's death to keep demanding things from us. Now that you're not getting what you want, you resort to hurting Serena!

"She's just a helpless girl who wants to fulfill her last wish before she dies. Can't you show a little mercy?"

The familiar pain washed over me again, making even breathing feel like torture.

I pointed to my grandmother's portrait in the corner, my gaze cold and unwavering.

"My grandmother is dead. Stop slandering her!