I was in a car accident while saving my brothers. However, instead of gratitude, they urged the doctors to amputate my legs.

"Carol, we're sorry," they said through tears. "We're useless… but don't worry. Even if we have to sell our blood or our kidneys, we'll make sure you're taken care of."

Right after surgery, they abandoned me in a shabby apartment. Blood seeped through the sheets as they looked at me with teary eyes—then left in a hurry, claiming they needed to earn money for my treatment.

I did not want to drag them down anymore. Enduring the pain, I crawled to the rooftop of a tall building, planning to end my life.

That's when I saw it—inside a luxury hotel, a grand celebration was taking place. My brothers were there doting on another girl.

She was eating an extravagant cake I had never even dreamed of, wearing a designer princess gown worth a fortune, sparkling with jewels. Everyone called her the Smith family's one and only princess.

They had even hired a world-class symphony orchestra to play Happy Birthday just for her.

While I lay bleeding in a dingy apartment, they would not spend a few dollars on bandages for me.

I watched as my eldest brother gently fed her cake, his eyes full of tenderness. "Jasmine, only you deserve to be our one and only little sister."

The second brother placed a tiara on her head with care. "Even for the smallest birthday, we won't let you suffer a single moment of disappointment."

The third knelt to help her into a pair of crystal shoes. "Jasmine, you're our most precious darling."

Then, standing on the stage, Jasmine held up the black credit card they had gifted her and smiled sweetly.

"Brothers," she said, "Carol lost her legs saving you. Maybe you should go see how she's doing?"

My eldest brother let out a mocking laugh. "She's not worth it. Now that she's crippled, she'll never be able to compete with you again. She got what she deserved."

As my injured leg dragged the ground, I crawled into my cramped room and collapsed among the scattered trash. Blood soaked through my legs as it stained the fabric of my pants. This pair of pants was the only birthday gift I had in twenty years. They were rough, but new. A rare gem lovingly stitched by my brothers' hands.

The doctor had warned me — no more, or risk a fatal infection. However, I wore them anyway, a testament to my brothers' sacrifice.

Debts from our parents' passing left us with nothing. We did not even have enough for a warm coat. My brothers, though, sold their blood just to buy this pair of pants. I could not bear to ask for more after that. That was why I only sang myself a birthday song in the dark, wrapped in my blanket.

I grew up scavenging, flipping through dumpsters for bottles to sell. Grateful for whatever tossed-out scraps to fill my stomach. I avoided hospitals, no matter the injury. I sprinkled flour on my wounds, praying they would heal, all to spare my brothers any more strain.

My coat, twenty winters old, was fashioned from an abandoned blanket.

Classmates sneered, but I always kept my head high.

"We're poor, but we've got to stay hopeful," my brothers would say.

Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, I learned their talk of hope was all a lie. They were not poor at all. They showered Jasmine — a delicate girl sheltered in the luxurious greenhouse — with everything they had.

My patchwork life could not compare to her silken existence, my street-rumbles far cries from her princess gowns.

Blood and tears dripped on the floor beneath me, painting a shocking shade of red.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out what I had done wrong, why they showered her with love and left me with nothing.

"Carol, we're back! Come see what we've got for you," my oldest brother,James, called out, his voice soft and warm, as if he had not just snubbed me moments before.

I scrubbed the blood from the floor and dragged myself into a corner to hide under a pile of junk. My eyes landed on his faded clothes, and for a second, I wondered if the pain I felt was all just a nightmare.

"Carol, look, we saved you some cake scraps from the hotel. It's super sweet. Eat up, it'll help you feel better," he said, shoving a box of jumbled cake pieces into my hands.

I would have leapt for joy before all this. Hugging my brothers as tears streamed down my face, telling them how much I loved them.

However, then, all I felt was exhaustion.

Just a moment ago, they were doting on Jasmine, splurging on a fancy orchestra for her entertainment.

I bet while I lay awake at night, trying to ease their load, Jasmine was nestled in her plush bed, lost in dreams.

"Check this out. A handmade New Year's card just for you, for our favorite little sis. It'll keep you company while we're out working," my second brother, Ryan, said as he pulled a pink card dotted with ink stains from his pocket.

They lavished her with luxury while all I had was a tattered piece of paper.

I bet even the paper was a castoff from Jasmine.

I felt like a clown, grateful for their handouts, oblivious to the fact that I had become the punchline in their private jokes.

I stayed silent for far too long, so my third brother, Nathan, wrapped his arms around me in a panic. Ryan came up, pressing his hand to my forehead. "Carol, are you running a fever? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"You look pale… and there's blood on your lips. Did you bite them because you couldn't stand the pain in your leg?"

They knew about the pain, the pain that had me chewing my lips to pieces.

"Carol, oh Carol," they sobbed, "this is all our fault. We wish we were the ones hurt."

"I'm so useless. If only I could give you my leg..." James lamented.

"I should have taken better care of Carol. I deserve the worst!" Ryan cried.

They were a mess of tears, slapping their own faces until they were streaked pink.

I did not get it.

They claimed to care, but the moment they turned their backs, they became strangers.

I remembered being so hungry I stole a cake and got a beating for it. My brothers threw themselves over me, begging for them to stop.

They took the hits until they bled. They never abandoned me.

Back home, they never said a harsh word.

Yet those same brothers, who supposedly loved me, had lied to me my whole life. They watched me struggle while they scrimped and saved on my behalf.

Jasmine? They treated her like a princess, without a single care in the world.

The pain in my legs worsened, and I could not stop myself from digging into the flesh with my hands.

Their worried faces flashed before me, asking what was wrong.

I swallowed the taste of blood and managed a weak smile.

"It's nothing. I just had a dream where a princess-like girl was celebrating her birthday. Her brothers brought in a whole orchestra to play for her. She had the tallest cake, and a dress prettier than any I've ever seen. They even gave her the black card just like that.

"The New Year's celebration was just a distant echo for me, alone in my rented room, surrounded by a sea of discarded items. "

I caught the flicker of guilt in my brothers' eyes as they exchanged uneasy glances.

They started their well-rehearsed charade.

James had tears streaming down his face, bent before me. "Carol, we've let you down. We worked overtime to pay for your leg treatment, but we had to leave you here after the surgery. We couldn't be by your side."

Ryan gently patted my head as his eyes brimmed with tears. "Carol, we may not have much, but we've given it our all. We want to give you the best. Dreams can't measure up to the love we have for you."

"Come on, the frosting's melting. Eat up," urged Nathan, pushing the cake towards me.

However, the sweetness on my tongue turned bitter, like sugar-coated poison. I barely managed a bite before setting it aside.

"Carol, why did you stop eating? You need sugar to recover from the blood loss after your surgery."

The irony was not lost on me. Jasmine had her orchestra, why didn't I have a medical team?

My fingernails pressed into my palm, I steadied myself before speaking. "I need to be in a hospital."

My leg had not stopped bleeding since the operation. Pus started seeping through the dressings. I had kept silent, bearing the pain, not wanting to burden my brothers.

I had even scavenged for scraps, hoping to trade them for a chance at proper medical care.

"Why the hospital? You seem fine. We're still scraping together funds for your last surgery," they said, their eyes avoiding mine. All of them had a mix of concern and reproach in their gaze.

My heart turned heavy, and I could feel a tremor running through my entire body.

Jasmine's tiara was worth a small fortune, yet all I asked for was a simple 150 dollars bandage treatment to save my own skin.

James gave the others a knowing look and said to me in a soothing tone, "Hey Carol, how about we go get you some bandages tonight?"

"Yeah, bandages are way safer than the agony of surgery. We'll give you a piggyback ride and even get you some painkillers. You won't feel a thing," chimed Ryan.

Nathan gave me a reassuring pat.

I squeezed my hand to steady myself and gave them a nod. I did not want to suffer, and the meds would give me some relief. Plus, the bandages would help keep it clean and in place.

My brothers had just started to unwind when their phones erupted with the same catchy tune, "Baby Jasmine's brothers! Baby Jasmine's brothers!"

That distinctive female voice sent them scrambling for their phones, which they quickly silenced before exchanging worried looks.

"Carol, we just got a call from the site. They need us to pull an all-nighter mixing cement," James lied.

"Right, right, we all got the call. Looks like it's pretty urgent," Ryan added.

"Carol, you'll have to tough it out tonight. You've done it before, and one more day won't kill you. Just don't go wandering off on your own, okay? It's too risky with your leg," Nathan warned.

They did not even wait for my reply before they left, leaving nothing but their retreating shadows.

Staring down at my legs, I whispered to myself, "Is it true…"

Clutching onto hope, I began the arduous task of dragging myself forward with my arms.

A glimpse of a familiar princess dress passed through the old wooden door. The girl leapt into the welcoming arms of the brothers. "Brothers!" she exclaimed.

James expertly swept her up and twirled her around, while Ryan and Nathan were utterly charmed by her tinkling laughter.

James held her gently as she stepped down, his voice a mix of mock anger and concern. "What are you doing here? This is no place for you — it's a dump here. You're too delicate for this, you could get sick. You were supposed to stay in the presidential suite, remember? What if Carol finds out..."

However, I knew this dump all too well, it had been my home for twenty years.

"I just missed you guys, and I wanted to be with you," I said.

Jasmine clung to my brothers' hands, her lips forming a pout as she tried to charm them. "Can you take me to a movie tonight? It's been three whole days since we last went."

The brothers exchanged troubled looks, their eyes flicking back to the humble rental house.

Jasmine's frown deepened, and when they turned back to her, tears started to stream down her face. "Aren't I your only sister?" She turned her watery eyes to Ryan. "You promised you'd never make me sad."

She held her head high, looking lost. "Don't you love me the most?" Nathan was flustered.

"Of course, we do! You're our only sister, Jasmine. No matter what happens, you're the one we'll always protect. No one will ever hurt you," Ryan said, cutting her off.

"Is Carol asking you to spend time with her? I get it, she's done so much for you. Go be with her," Jasmine said, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to hold back her tears.

"No, it's not like that," they rushed to explain. "If you want to watch a movie, we have to make sure it's the best movie night ever. Just go back and rest for now, and we'll come get you when everything's ready."

Jasmine's face broke into a smile in an instant, her cheeks flushed as she hugged one of my brothers, whispering, "I knew it, you guys only love me."

As they walked away, their happiness faded into the distance. My heart felt like it was being shredded. The ground beneath crumbled. My nails bent back and started to bleed from the pressure.

"What are you still doing here, you cripple? I haven't seen this month's rent yet. Get out!"

The flimsy door was kicked in. I looked up in terror to see hands covered in tattoos reaching for me, yanking me out onto the street.

"Please, no! Just give me a moment, I'm almost there, I'll have the money soon!"

I crawled to the landlord, gripping the hem of her pants, pleading for mercy.

Her face softened a bit at my gesture, and she held back the others, barking, "How do I know you're not just buying time? Pay up half now, or find yourself a nice spot on the sidewalk to sleep!"

Desperate, I fumbled for my phone and called my brothers, my voice shaking, "I swear I'm not lying. I've got three brothers, they're just forgetful, they must've forgotten, please just wait..."

"I'll give you one last chance!"

However, James hung up the call just as quickly.

The icy automated voice on the phone sealed my doom.

I stayed there, dazed, trying Ryan, but got no response. When I tried Nathan, the call was cut off, my phone crushed underfoot.

"I knew you were lying! If you really had three brothers, would they leave you all alone? I've been lenient with you, a young girl, hurt and all, letting you slide month after month. However, since you've been back, I haven't gotten a dime of rent. I've been more than fair!"

I crawled over and clutched the broken pieces of my phone to my chest.