Paula opened her mouth to say something, but I interrupted her, "When I came home, covered in bruises, why didn't any of you ask about me?

"You didn't come to save me. You just took Eden away. You didn't show up after one day, or two, or even after a whole month. Did you really think the abductors would still believe they could get a ransom?"

The more I spoke, the more hurt I felt, and the tears began to fall uncontrollably. This was the surprise that awaited me upon my return to the Sainsbury family.

"If that's the case, then get rid of the child!" My birth father, Dale Sainsbury, slammed his foot down in frustration, and in his rage, he shattered a cup. "Get rid of it. It has to be done!"

No matter whose child this was, they had been asking me to go for an abortion long enough. Every time, I'd resisted with all my strength.

But this time, I changed my mind.

Seeing them still furiously blaming me for embarrassing the Sainsbury family, I spoke coldly, "Fine, I'll go. We'll go to the hospital today."

The room fell into stunned silence at my words. They all stared at me, wide-eyed.

After a long pause, Craig said, "Alright, I'll contact the best doctor right now." His gaze was a little scattered.

"Ouch, my stomach hurts so much!" Eden screamed all of a sudden. Instantly, everyone rushed to her side.

…

I sat alone in the hospital corridor, waiting for Tyree's diagnosis.

"The results are in, Ms. Larson. Where are your family members?" Tyree asked.

"It's fine. I came alone. My parents are getting old. You can just tell me, Dr. Cameron."

"Alright then." Tyree hesitated for a moment before handing me the diagnosis. "You have a grade four brain tumor. The child can't be saved, no matter what. We'll have to…"

I felt a ringing in my ears, as though I had entered another world. I couldn't hear Tyree's further explanations.

Was I going to die? At 20 years old?

I sat there, my grip tightening on the diagnosis, as if holding onto the last thread of my crumbling world.

The entire hospital was filled with the smell of disinfectant. Amid the flowing crowd, anxious or exhausted faces became the backdrop of the moment.

But my eyes were fixed on the paper in my hands. The words on it exuded an undeniable coldness.

Just then, a burst of chaos broke the silence in the hallway.

I turned my gaze toward the sound and saw Craig forcefully push open the double doors before rushing down the corridor.

Eden, pale and clutching her abdomen, was walking slowly behind him.

Dale and Paula stood by her side, with Paula supporting her shoulder and Dale anxiously making a call, seemingly contacting a doctor.

The loving parents were helping their precious daughter. They were the ones who truly loved each other. They were a family supporting one another.

This scene struck me deeply. Some things just couldn't be forced.

I was Cindy Larson, and I didn't belong to the Sainsbury family. I reaffirmed this in my heart.

I shifted slightly, trying to stay out of sight, but it was impossible to avoid their attention. Especially Craig, whose gaze felt like a blade, cutting right through me.

Did he want to eat me alive?

At that instant, it felt like countless unsaid words collided between us, and it all came out as his sharp question.

"What are you doing here? Eden didn't eat or drink because of you, and now her stomach problems flared up. What do you want now?"

I stared at him blankly, as though he were a stranger.

Behind him came Eden's quiet sobs, almost emphasizing each word he had spoken.

"Please, Cindy. Stop hurting Eden. Please!" Paula's voice, tinged with resentment, crushed my already fragile nerves.

"You're all mistaken." I shook my head, almost as if bidding farewell to the family I once belonged to. "I'm not so free that I'd come here to see you."

Perhaps, after everything, the Sainsbury family had become a gradually fading silhouette to me.

After saying that, I walked toward Tyree's office without another word.

The biopsy results came back, confirming a grade four brain tumor. Surgery wouldn't make a difference anymore.

Tyree's voice echoed in that sterile white room.

At that moment, I felt less fear than before. My mind was unusually calm. It was quite different from what I had expected.

First, I would go for an abortion, and then I would start the chemotherapy and follow-up treatments.

In that decisive moment, I felt strangely relieved.

I tucked the diagnosis back into my bag, preparing to admit myself to the hospital.

Just then, Craig appeared again. His accusatory gaze was harsh under the cold hospital lights. "What are you really here for? I won't let you hurt Eden!"

"Move!" I had already made up my mind. Since I was no longer part of the Sainsbury family, I would sever all ties with them completely—just like they had done to me.

Maybe, deep down, I shared the same cold blood they did.

I shrugged off Craig's hand and turned to leave. The anxiety, helplessness, and fear of the uncertain future turned into a complex emotion I couldn't fully describe, but I knew it was real.

I had to fight this battle alone. I no longer expected help from those who never intended to protect me.

Before, I had envied the way my parents and Craig treated Eden, but now I no longer cared.

The noise of the hospital faded away, and all I could hear was the steady beat of my own heart.

Three days later, the abortion procedure took place as scheduled.

That day, the hospital corridor was eerily quiet. There were no relatives filling the space with their endless advice—just the occasional sound of a cart rolling by and soft whispers.

The operating room lights were on. As I lay on the table, I felt the cold sting of the needle and the rapid numbness spreading throughout my body.

My consciousness faded as I drifted through a series of shallow dreams, with countless memories swirling in my mind.

When I finally opened my eyes again, it was the next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, gently spilling onto the bed.

I blinked and looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling. A sense of disorientation washed over me.

"If death is like this, it doesn't seem that hard to accept," I murmured with a bitter smile.

When Tyree arrived, he brought both good and bad news. "The abortion surgery went smoothly, but..."

He hesitated. I shifted slightly, signaling him to continue.

"But the cancer cells have already spread. Now, we can only try to buy some time."

I instinctively nodded, without much emotional reaction.

Leaving it to Tyree was the best outcome I could secure for myself.

During my hospital stay, I often sat in the chair by the window, watching the ebb and flow of people outside. Through that, I felt a sense of peace as though I were disconnected from the world.

Throughout this time, no one from the Sainsbury family came to visit, just as I had expected.

After completing the radiation therapy, I was discharged from the hospital. I felt as light as a feather. In truth, I had lost 24 pounds.

As I was preparing to leave, Tyree reminded me, "The radiation's done. Next, you need to start chemotherapy. Stay positive."

I smiled bitterly and nodded. I knew full well that time, for me, was just a form of empty comfort.

Just as I was adjusting my emotions and getting ready to leave, I received a call from Eden.

"If you're going to leave the Sainsbury family, then do it decisively." Her voice was sharp, impatient, and laced with a hint of deliberate authority.

She asked to meet me at a café to return my belongings.

20 minutes later, I walked into the café. Eden had clearly been waiting for a while, as her impatience was evident.

She sat by the window, tapping away on her phone with a frown. Her face was a picture of frustration.

When I sat across from her, she glanced up and looked at me coldly. "Everything's here." She handed me a bag. Her tone was flat and devoid of emotion.

I took the bag without a word. For some reason, the things that had once belonged to me now felt so unfamiliar.

"Thanks," I said, unsure of what else to say.

Eden scoffed, "Thanks? I should be the one thanking you for giving me the space to survive all these years by leaving the family."

She was skilled at using gentle cruelty; she often switched between angelic and demonic personas.

I sighed softly but didn't argue. The past felt heavy, and a simple "thank you" couldn't undo it.

Eden and I had endured the same hardships. We had been abducted together. She had even told the abductors that I was the true heiress.

Her moods, shifting between good and evil, were always unpredictable. I used to long to imitate her, hoping to win the family's affection.

But now, her barbed words couldn't wound me because I had finally escaped from that family I had been forced to love and fight for.

In some ways, life had finally returned to my hands.

Not wanting to get tangled in further conversation, I stood up to leave. But just as I was about to walk out of the café, I saw Craig enter.

Eden's expression immediately turned to panic, perhaps worried that Craig would see the ugly side of her.

"Craig, w-what are you doing here?"

"Did you clear out Cindy's room?" Craig asked.

"Oh… I-I was worried she didn't have any undergarments with her, so I..."

The deception behind her and the act of playing the good person made me sick, so I turned and walked toward the door.

I never expected Craig to suddenly step forward and block my way as I prepared to leave the café.

Frowning, I stared at him in confusion.

"You're leaving just like this? You're truly heartless. You don't even care about your parents." His voice was hoarse, and a displeased expression spread across his face. "Look at you now. How can you compare to Eden? You're really embarrassing us."

His words were like a hammer, cruelly striking at my heart.

In the four years I had spent with the Sainsbury family, I had always tried to please Craig, even going to great lengths to win his approval.

Yet, he had never tried to understand my inner suffering.

If explanations could help, I wouldn't have needed to leave the family.

I fell silent, no longer trying to explain. Any defense at this point seemed futile.

With the bag of belongings in my hand, I walked directly toward the door.

Craig's lips twitched, as if something had triggered him. "I'm not done yet. Who said you can leave?"

I had constantly tried to please him for four years. Naturally, he wasn't accustomed to me giving him the cold shoulder.

As I opened the glass door, it seemed like Craig finally hit some kind of breaking point.

He reached out to grab me, but instead of catching my arm, he accidentally pulled my long hair.

With a soft snap, my brown, curly hair fell to the ground, revealing the bald scalp beneath.

Everyone in the café froze, and Craig and Eden were both in shock.

"Why did you shave your head?" Craig, unsure of how to handle the unexpected scene, paused before asking. "Are you crazy? Don't you care about your appearance anymore?"

His voice was filled with confusion and anger, and his words echoed loudly in the café. The other customers looked on, stunned by the sudden outburst.

Eden, standing beside him, had a look of triumph in her eyes. Her tone dripped with disdain as she sneered. "What's your game this time, Cindy Larson? Are you trying to make a statement like those who shave their heads for charity?"

I looked at her and Craig calmly, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "Don't you know what it means to start over from scratch?"

I reached out and pointed directly at Craig. "Give me my wig back."

Craig remained silent. The wig he held in his hand felt like a scorching piece of iron, leaving him unsure of what to do.

Seeing the situation, Eden stepped forward and snatched the wig from his hand. As she tossed it into my arms, her eyes were filled with unrelenting hostility.

I calmly put the wig on. After all, a frail woman wandering the streets with a shaved head would definitely stand out.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Eden, you really don't have to be so scared. I won't be returning to the Sainsbury family."

I smiled as I spoke, but my tone was firm. "Not in this life, and certainly not in the next."

"I-I'm not scared! Mom, Dad, and Craig only love me." Eden's voice was tinged with panic. Though she screamed forcefully, I could hear the unease beneath it.

"Is that so?"

Noticing her internal unease, I smiled faintly at her. All the lingering obsession I once had dissipated at that moment.

In those four years, I came to the clearest realization—I didn't belong to the Sainsbury family.

At that moment, I didn't feel angry, nor did I feel sadness. Instead, I walked out of the café with the confidence of a winner.

I had spent 17 years with my adoptive parents. Before I was lost, I was the apple of the Sainsbury family's eye. Even after I came here, I remained as the Larson family's precious daughter.

The Larsons had treated me as their own, and I had spent my childhood in peace. That was where love and warmth truly resided.

Four years ago, Craig found me, and the Larson family thought that being in the Sainsbury family would give me a better life, so they agreed to let him bring me back.

Two years ago, my adoptive father, Peter Larson, passed away. A year ago, Lila passed away, leaving me an orphan with parents.

Since then, I'd never returned to the small, humble house.

This life was too painful. In the next life, I only wanted the life I had before I turned 17.

…

"Never thought I'd run into you here."

I sat on the couch in the cemetery management center. Across from me was a handsome young man.

He turned out to be Kevin Graham, a neighbor from Lila's hometown. I used to call him "Kev" when we were younger. Now, he was actually a cemetery sales advisor here.

Once a person knew the time of their death, it was inevitable that they would start making arrangements for what came after.

I had come to choose my plot, right next to where Peter and Lila were buried. I wanted to be their real daughter in the next life.

"We haven't seen each other since you left four years ago. What are you…?" Kevin seemed a little nervous, fiddling with his fingers. I was the first client he'd ever served here.

"Brain cancer. It's terminal. I want to be buried next to Lila," I said bluntly. Only numbness could shield me from the deep pain in my heart.

During my childhood, I was a spoiled little princess, always calling for Kev and riding on his back like he was a horse.

The good old days felt like they were long gone. How tragic that my once-beautiful self would now be seen by my childhood friend in such a decayed form.

He had seen me at my best, and now, he would see me at my worst.

"Cindy, I-I'm really sorry." Kevin's voice was low and full of sadness.

"It's alright. Everything will pass," I said with a forced smile. My gaze returned to the boy I had once relied on so much.

Kevin didn't say anything else, nor did he try to comfort me. He probably had seen enough death to be numb to it by now.

The shock, perhaps, was only because it was the first time he had encountered someone buying the plot for themselves.

"This urn's quality is good, and the price is reasonable." Kevin was very serious as he explained the details. He even picked out a practical, affordable urn for me.

"Thank you. I'll go with your arrangements." I thanked him. It was oddly comforting to meet an old friend at the end of my life.

"Could you come with me to see... my parents?" I asked.

"Sure." Kevin hesitated for a moment, then suddenly grasped my cold hand tightly in his. He seemed both nervous and pained, as if some emotion was about to spill over.

But a person on the brink of death shouldn't burden anyone else. I struggled, pulling my hand away from his.

We suddenly felt the refreshing air, just like the times when we used to run through the fields while laughing in the warm breeze of sunset.

Back then, I was carefree. But now, it seemed like that person had long been buried in some forgotten corner of the world.

As we walked toward Peter and Lila's grave, I whispered their names, "Dad, Mom..." Tears welled up in my eyes.

Their tombstone was stained with blood.

The sight before me struck so hard that everything went black.

The once simple and humble tombstone was now defiled with disgusting, bloody graffiti. I rushed toward the grave.

The blood-stained words read, "Cindy Larson is a shameless woman, and the parents who raised her are animals!"

What kind of hatred or grudge could make someone deface Peter and Lila's grave with such vicious words?

My vision went black. I collapsed to my knees, desperately trying to wipe the words off.

"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. I've failed you. You can't even rest in peace. It's my fault. How could this happen? I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry!"

Peter and Lila had never wronged anyone and never made enemies. Everything had its cause and effect. It could only be my actions.

The rage and sorrow surged within me. My mind was a blur, and my body involuntarily shrank back. I felt like I could see the whole world mocking my helplessness.

"Cindy, be careful!"

Kevin's voice snapped me out of my shock. He rushed over and caught me just before I collapsed.

"Water… I need water... Why?" My voice trembled as I spoke. I struggled to keep my sanity.

Kevin quickly turned around and ran back to the office to fetch a water bucket and cloth. He then helped me clean the bloodstains.

My hands were scratched, and my pale clothes were stained red.

The rain fell heavier, soaking me through. Kevin desperately tried to carry me down the hill.