A satisfied smile curled at the corner of my sister’s lips—

but the next second, she threw her phone to the ground.

“This is too much! It’s unfair!”

“You’re the top student—how can the guaranteed admission go to Leo?”

“Bert, don’t worry! I’ll go to the principal right now and demand an explanation for you!”

I watched her put on her little performance, numb and broken inside.

As soon as she stormed off, the nurse pushed open the ward door.

“It’s time for your surgery,” she said.

She hoisted me into a wheelchair. With my pelvis fractured, I had no choice but to rest one leg awkwardly on the armrest.

But the moment we reached the corridor, a massive crowd swarmed in.

Reporters wielding cameras, microphones—

Familiar faces from school among them.

“Jen Sherman, is it appropriate for a college student to engage in group sex, leading to a ruptured lower body?”

“Jen, you’ve always been top of your class. But now, many suspect you earned your grades by selling your body. Do you have anything to say?”

“Jen, the school has officially revoked your postgraduate qualification, citing moral corruption. Any comments?”

Frozen in horror, I barely noticed the school thug sneering beside me.

“If I’d known you were this desperate,” he chuckled, “I would’ve had my turn earlier.”

Then, without warning, he yanked my loose-fitting pants down.

Under the harsh glare of the cameras, my disfigured body was exposed.

I tensed, terrified that the dark brown liquid seeping from my wounds would drip onto the floor.

“Oh my god, the stench! That’s disgusting!”

“Stop talking—I think I’m gonna puke out everything I ate three days ago!”

Flashes erupted as the cameras clicked relentlessly.

I clenched my jaw, shaking from sheer humiliation.

“Come on, everyone, take as many photos as you can!” someone laughed.

“This is the perfect cautionary tale—proof of what happens when you throw away your dignity!”

“No one should end up like Jen, ruining himself to the point of becoming worthless trash!”

Each word sliced into me like a dagger.

I wanted to escape,

but the nurse held my wheelchair in place.

There was nowhere to run.

I was trapped—nailed to a public execution, left to be trampled under their feet.

“Get out! Get out!”

A furious roar rang through the corridor.

My sister burst in, throwing herself in front of me.

She ripped off her coat, wrapping it tightly around my exposed lower body.

“You animals! You absolute monsters!”

Tears streaked down her face as she and my younger sister grabbed a fire extinguisher, their eyes burning red with rage.

Swinging it wildly, they drove the crowd away, scattering reporters in every direction.

The last time they fought like this, I had been bullied at school.

Back then, my older sister didn’t hesitate—she bashed the bully’s head open.

My younger sister followed up with a few ruthless kicks of her own.

Later, my father made them apologize.

But my older sister had only scoffed, “I won’t let anyone hurt my brother.”

My younger sister had declared, “I’ll always protect him. No one can bully my brother!”

That day, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

But now…

Watching the veins bulging in their fists as they seethed with anger—

I felt nothing.

Once the reporters were gone, my older sister knelt beside me, cradling me gently in her arms.

“I’m sorry, Bert… I should’ve come sooner.”

My younger sister reached out, gripping my trembling hands.

“Brother, don’t worry. I promise I won’t let those videos spread.”

Their acting was flawless—no cracks in their performance.

But I wanted to laugh.

Because to hand Leo the graduate school admission,

they hadn’t hesitated—

To rob me of my dignity.

To cripple me.

To destroy me.

Let me live under everyone's ridicule, never able to lift my head again.

Who are you putting on this act for now?

At that moment, the doctor rushed in with a stretcher. Before pushing me into the operating room, my sister gently rubbed my head, her voice filled with distress.

“Bert, be good. We’ll be right outside. It’ll be over soon.”

The cold surgical instruments pierced into my body, rolling and grinding as if tearing me apart from the inside. My heart turned as cold as the steel pressing against my flesh.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the ward.

The doctor stood by my bed, his voice heavy with regret.

“The patient’s condition was delayed for too long. His pelvis is permanently dislocated. He will likely never walk again.”

“The more serious issue is the severe damage to his lower body functions. He won’t be able to care for himself—he’ll need constant assistance.”

My sister’s eyes turned red, her voice trembling.

“No… this can’t be… How could this happen?”

“Doctor, please! Save my brother! He’s still so young… He can’t—”

Her voice broke. She pulled me into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Bert, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. If necessary, we’ll go abroad for treatment. No matter what, I’ll make sure you recover.”

Silent tears slid from the corners of my eyes.

I wanted to ask her—

Sister, are you satisfied now?

But before I could speak, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID, and despite her best efforts, a smile crept onto her face. Yet, as if remembering something, she hesitated to leave me alone in the ward.

So, she quickly pulled up a movie on the office computer and hurried out.

Left alone, I instinctively searched through the computer.

And then, I found it.

A private folder labeled [Leo].

I clicked on it.

My screen is filled with thousands of neatly organized photos—pictures of the three of them traveling together during winter and summer vacations.

9,999 photos in total.

Each one is carefully saved by duplicate.

One set documenting what my beloved brother ate and wore that day.

The other set recording the words he spoke and the songs he sang.

And then, I saw another folder—

The photos I had sent them.

Images of me at the school playground, in the cafeteria, in the library.

Every single one of them…

Sitting in the recycle bin.

Deleted.

Not a single one missing.

No wonder.

Every time I suggested traveling together, my sister always said work was too busy.

My younger sister always claimed she had club activities.

They weren’t actually busy.

They were off traveling the world—with him.

And while they were out making memories, I worked tirelessly to get into the School of Economics, pushing myself to excel, thinking I was helping my sister relieve her burdens.

Only for her to effortlessly hand my hard-earned postgraduate admission quota to someone else.

This realization struck like a bolt of lightning—shattering me completely.

I lay motionless in bed for a long time before finally reaching for my phone and dialing my mentor’s number.

“Professor, you mentioned before that you were organizing research projects abroad. I’ve made my decision—I want to join.”

His response was immediate.

“Good! I always told you that you should explore the world instead of being tied down.”

Yes…

For years, I had rejected countless offers from top universities abroad.

I couldn’t bear to leave my sister and younger sister behind.

But now, they have made the choice for me.

“Professor, I’ve truly made up my mind this time. But I have one request—I want my identity permanently erased.”

A brief pause. Then, his voice came back, steady and resolute.

“Understood. When do you want to leave?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Who’s leaving?”

Before I could end the call, my sister pushed the door open.

Her eyes flashed with unease.

I quickly locked my phone screen and answered calmly.

“Nothing. Just wondering how long it’ll take before I can be discharged.”

Hearing my answer, my sister visibly relaxed.

“Bert, the doctor said you need to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. There’s no rush to be discharged.”

Yet, for some reason, a flicker of unease flashed through her eyes as she spoke.

The next morning, I woke up to find that both my sister and younger sister—who had stayed by my side the night before—were gone.

Left with no choice, I climbed into my wheelchair and decided to go home to grab a few things.

But the moment I opened the door, I was met with a sight that sent a chill down my spine.

The maple trees in the garden—the ones I had painstakingly cared for over the years—had been completely uprooted.

In their place stood large, jarring patches of cacti.

Beyond them, the house’s massive French windows revealed a gathering of people I knew all too well.

My elder sister was pushing a ten-layer cake.

My younger sister held a diamond-studded crown.

Among the guests were classmates, teachers, and even employees from the company.

Everyone was there…

Except for me.

And then my eyes landed on the red banner hanging on the wall.

[Warmly congratulating Leo on his admission to graduate school!]

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

Still dazed, I barely registered the figure moving toward me.

Leo—dressed in an expensive suit, exuding an air of entitlement—spotted me in the crowd.

He immediately stepped forward, feigning concern.

“Brother, I heard you were seriously injured, and I wanted to visit you.”

“But…” He hesitated, then continued with exaggerated innocence. “But my sister told me you’ve been urinating and defecating everywhere… She said she didn’t bring you here because she was afraid you’d scare me.”

His voice carried through the air, loud enough for everyone to hear.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

At the back, my sister—who had been cutting the cake—froze at the commotion. She quickly hurried over, a flash of embarrassment crossing her face.

“Ah… Bert, why are you back? Didn’t the doctor say you needed to stay in the hospital and recover?”

I forced myself to ignore the whispers around me.

“I missed Milo, so I came back to see him.”

Milo—the puppy I had raised for ten years.

My sister knew how much he meant to me.

Her expression stiffened for a brief moment before she quickly pushed my wheelchair forward. “He’s in your bedroom.”

But before I could go any further, Leo stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Brother, today is my celebration party for getting into graduate school. You know how hard I’ve worked for this…”

As if on cue, the crowd turned their judgment toward me.

Murmurs grew louder.

People whispered that I had only achieved top grades through immoral means, almost robbing a real hard worker of his rightful spot.

But who was to blame for all the sleepless nights I had spent studying?

Still, I had no strength left to argue.

I simply nodded. “Congratulations.”

Satisfied, Leo finally let me pass.

As soon as I opened my bedroom door, my sister slipped away.

Inside, my room was in shambles.

And under the bed—

Milo lay there, barely breathing.

At that moment, the tears I had been holding back for so long finally broke free.

I finally understood.

The sea-view room my sister had built for me after my father remarried…

It was no longer mine.

This house, this place—I didn’t belong here anymore.

I had no intention of staying.

I would take only one thing with me—Milo.

Just as I reached for him, the door slammed open again.

Leo stepped in, holding a slice of cake.

His eyes, once filled with fake warmth, now burned with undisguised hatred.

“Jen,” he sneered. “Look at yourself now. What difference is there between you and this mutt?”

His voice dripped with satisfaction.

“I told you—I’d take everything from you. Your father. Your sister. Your younger sister. Everything that was once yours… now belongs to me.”

“Oh, and by the way…” He smirked, leaning in as if to share a secret.

“Do you want to know how your mother really died?”

I froze.

Leo’s smirk deepened.

“I made sure she saw the video of your father and my mother together. She was already battling postpartum depression…” He chuckled. “So she jumped.”

A red haze clouded my vision.

Fury surged through me, raw and uncontrollable.

I wanted to strangle him.

To end him.

But before I could do anything—

I fell.

Helplessly.

From my wheelchair.