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.

I had no idea how I ended up on the street.

Why didn't anyone pick up my calls?

My hands shook as I struggled to find that one photo on my cracked, old phone.

"Carol, you're incredible, earning enough to buy your own phone and even taking a photo with us. You're definitely the toughest one of us all!"

That was the only picture I had with my brothers.

I cherished that phone like a treasure, never replacing it even though smartphones were everywhere these days.

In the end, what good did it do? It was just one photo with them, while they had countless with Jasmine...

They were all fakes!

The screen, already splintered, was beyond repair after I tossed it in frustration, much like the bond I once shared with them.

I had sacrificed so much for them, dropped out of St. Albion University to ease their load, worked myself to the bone with three jobs a day until I was sick, I even missed my chance to move up and out to a thriving city, all because I skimmed on my injury trying to save them.

All this while, my pain meant nothing to them. While I suffered, they spoiled another girl without a second thought about me.

I dragged myself to an empty corner, bleeding anew. The piercing wind numbed the pain in my legs.

Right before I lost consciousness, clarity hit me, and a fierce will to live surged through my veins.

Surviving was the ultimate revenge.

I started from the bottom, scavenged for scraps, rationed myself to one bun a day, and even dragged my injured legs through the city. When the pain became unbearable, I held myself tight and bore with it. I even wrapped my bleeding wounds with whatever rags I had. As the coins in my hand slowly added up, nearing the sum I needed for treatment, a long-lost smile crept across my face.

That day, a buddy of mine who picks up recyclables around gave me a shout. He told me about that massive movie theater opening up, looking for folks to come clean the place. He said there would be a ton of empty bottles to snag afterwards.

I was all in, no second thoughts. It was a heck of a trek and still pitch black outside, but I started hobbling my way there.

When I got there, I was about to check in when I spotted four familiar figures.

I recognized that sassy voice in a heartbeat.

"Hey, let's bring Carol along. Bet she's never even seen a screen."

"She didn't bother with college, she's just a no-good cripple. Why should we waste a fancy movie on her? Please."

"Jasmine, sweetheart, don't let that waste of space scare you by showing up here."

"What happened to the cleaner we were promised? Get this place spick and span, Jasmine can't have a speck of dirt on her."

If they didn't love me, why did they insist on keeping me tied down with family ties?

Right before the movie started, I tightened the bandage on my leg and made my way over to them. "Good evening, ladies and gents, I am..."