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.

Seeing my pathetic state, Leo smirked and ground his foot into my hand, pressing down hard.

Milo, weak as he was, lunged forward and sank his teeth into Leo’s trouser leg in a desperate attempt to protect me.

Leo sneered. Without hesitation, he flung Milo aside with a force that sent him tumbling.

Then, with a sadistic glint in his eyes, he picked up a pair of scissors and stabbed his own leg—three times.

"Ah! Help—!"

His scream pierced the air.

Moments later, my sister rushed in, her face frantic with worry. My younger sister, in her panic, stepped on my already crushed hand as she ran to embrace Leo.

"What happened? Are you okay?!" she cried, holding onto him as if he were the most fragile thing in the world.

Leo buried his face in her arms, shaking as he sobbed.

"I... I just wanted to cut my brother the biggest piece of cake, but he accused me of trying to hurt him... Then—then he called the dog to attack me!"

As he spoke, he lifted his trouser leg, revealing the self-inflicted wounds. His cries grew more pitiful, his body trembling like a helpless victim.

My sister's face darkened with rage. She turned on me in an instant, her voice sharp as a knife.

"Jen, when did you become so cruel?! No wonder people humiliate you—maybe you deserve it!"

My younger sister looked at me, her gaze void of the warmth I once knew. Instead, it was filled with unfamiliar coldness.

"Brother… I never imagined you bullied Leo so much in private. No wonder he’s always afraid when he talks about you! Just how much have you tormented him?"

I said nothing.

Yet in their eyes, my silence was a confession.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

I had already given up.

Then my sister’s gaze shifted.

She locked onto Milo, lying motionless, barely breathing.

"If you did something wrong, you should be punished," she said icily. "Beat this beast to death."

A wave of disbelief crashed over me.

I dropped to my knees, my voice breaking.

"Sister, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Please, I’ll stay away from him—I won’t appear before him ever again."

"Milo is innocent! Have you forgotten? You bought him for me ten years ago, after Mom passed away!"

Desperation gripped me as I kowtowed again and again, my forehead slamming against the cold floor.

But my sister didn’t even flinch.

She merely gestured to the housekeeper. "Bring me a golf club."

Before she could take action, my younger sister spoke, her tone laced with conviction.

"I almost went into shock from leukemia. It was Leo who saved me with his bone marrow—so I won’t allow anyone to hurt him."

I froze.

Then… who should be blamed for the finger-wide scar on my spine?

For the fevers and chills I suffered every time the seasons changed?

But before I could make sense of it all—

The club swung down.

"No—!!"

A sickening crack filled the room.

Milo collapsed before me, a broken, bloody mess.

My sister nodded in satisfaction before walking away with Leo.

My younger sister lingered for a moment, her expression twisting with disdain as she glanced back at me.

"If you love that mutt so much," she spat, "then stay with it."

With a click, the door locked behind her.

I dragged myself toward Milo’s lifeless body, cradling him in my arms.

And in that moment—

My world shattered.

Mom. Dad.

My sisters.

Milo.

…Gone.

Outside, my sister spared no effort in tending to Leo.

She gathered medical experts from all over the city, ensuring he received the best care.

In the end, all he needed was some bandages and a rabies vaccine.

Only then did she seem to remember me.

For a brief second, the echoes of my screams resurfaced in her mind.

She reached for her phone, intending to call the housekeeper and order a replacement dog—one identical to Milo.

But before she could dial, the housekeeper came running, breathless and panicked.

"Miss… Miss! Bad news! The young master—he jumped from the attic into the sea with the dog! The only thing left behind was his phone!"