"My dear, have you really thought this through?" The Kingsley couple's voices on the phone still held disbelief.

Three years ago, I had firmly told them that I couldn't bear a marriage without love.

Going back to the Kingsley family meant sacrificing my own happiness.

Marrying someone carefully chosen by the family was the best choice for both families.

Beatrice sighed, then said seriously, "Don't worry, even in an arranged marriage, you'll always be our daughter."

I stared out at the darkening sky and wiped my tears.

"Dad, Mom, I still need about a week to finish wrapping up things here."

"Alright, take your time. And be sure to say a proper goodbye to your adoptive brothers. You don't have to worry about the wedding—we'll take care of everything for you.

"Whatever happens, the Kingsley family will always be your support."

My eyes welled up. Timothy and Christopher had said the same thing to me once.

"Lena, don't be afraid."

"From now on, we're your family. We'll always be by your side."

The orphanage director, Mia Lane, smiled as she looked at them. "You boys better take care of your sister. Be men of your word."

Christopher had looked at me, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"I don't want to be her brother. I'm going to marry Lena when we grow up!"

From that day on, I was deeply touched by their sincere affection.

Timothy took care of me like an older brother, and whenever Christopher had something nice, he would immediately think of me and bring it to me.

They were my family and my lover.

So even when my biological parents found me, I didn't tell them.

True loyalty in high society was rare, and there was always so much drama.

This simple, warm happiness made it hard for me to leave them behind.

But it wasn't until Isabella showed up that I realized how terribly wrong I had been.

Isabella was the daughter of Olivia Smith, the family's maid. She had lost her father at a young age. Olivia also passed away from illness two years ago.

At Christmas, feeling sorry for Isabella being all alone, we invited her to spend the holiday with us.

After that, she started spending more and more time at our house. She also grew increasingly close to my brothers and my fiance.

One day, I subtly reminded her that Christopher and I were about to get married, hoping she would keep some distance.

But instead of a response, she left behind a letter and went abroad by herself. The letter was filled with expressions of envy toward me and reluctance to part with everyone.

Christopher immediately turned cold toward me. "You really can't tolerate anyone, can you?"

Timothy, who had always looked after me, was also deeply disappointed.

"Helena, you're so selfish!"

They firmly believed that Isabella needed love more than I did. So, they gave all their affection to her.

-

This wedding had been my dream since I was a child.

The wedding dress, the ring, even the pattern on the invitations—I had designed them all myself.

I couldn't help but close my eyes. I stood alone, facing the stares of everyone at the wedding, and the calm composure I once had finally crumbled.

"What's going on? This is the first time I've seen a wedding get canceled halfway!"

"Did the groom run off?"

"Why did the bride's brother leave, too?"

"Who knows? If even her own family abandons her, she must have done something shameful and unforgivable!"

"Just look at her face—she doesn't look trustworthy!"

A tidal wave of slander came rushing at me.

And those two men, the ones who promised to always protect me, at that moment, became two sharp knives stabbing straight into my heart.

After cleaning up the mess, I returned to the new house Christopher and I were supposed to share. As soon as I opened the door, I was shocked to find someone inside!

"Lena, long time no see!" Isabella greeted me. She was wearing a light, revealing nightgown that showed off her graceful figure.

She stepped out of the room that was supposed to be mine and Christopher's, an apologetic, yet provocative smile on her face.

"Tim and Chris were worried about me, so they asked me to stay here."

I looked around the room, which I had so carefully decorated, now invaded by Isabella. All the matching furniture and items I had selected were thrown haphazardly into the study, replaced with her personal belongings.

"Chris said this room has a great atmosphere. I just had surgery abroad and need to recover, so he gave me this room," she added.

A flash of suspicion flickered in my eyes as I realized—this was the very room Christopher and I had planned to share as newlyweds.

Just then, the door opened again. Timothy and Christopher walked in, carrying a cake and flowers. There was a faint hint of displeasure in their eyes as they looked at me.

"What are you trying to do now? You've already kicked Bella out once," Christopher said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"Bella is now part of our family. This is her home too," Timothy said coldly as he looked at me.

I stood there without a word—Timothy had given me this villa as a gift.

He had told me that he would always be my family. As long as he was around, I would always have a home.

But after that, Isabella came to live in this very villa.

Out of respect for Olivia, I had agreed to let her stay. But as soon as she found a place, Isabelle was to move out.

However, Isabella didn't stop there. She took my things without asking, and even ended up in bed with a drunken Christopher, wrapped in his arms.

When that happened, I reached my breaking point and slapped her hard across the face.

But instead of backing me up, Christopher shoved me to the ground.

"Bella doesn't have any family left. She sees us as her brothers," he said, his voice firm. "You've had us by your side since you were a child. Bella's been through so much more than you!

"You're older than she is. Can't you at least treat her like a little sister?"

I looked at my bleeding palm, a shard of glass embedded in my hand. For the first time, I felt like a stranger in Christopher's presence.

Now, Isabella was back again, occupying my bedroom with Christopher and acting like the lady of the house.

"Helena, I've given you everything all these years and raised you to this point. You should be grateful! Now, Bella is my sister! You have no right to make her leave! If you hadn't forced her to go abroad, her condition wouldn't have worsened.

"You're staying in the study. Let Bella recover, then we'll talk," Timothy warned me, his tone icy.

Christopher's eyes were full of suspicion as he looked at me. "Bella needs care right now. We're not even officially married anyway. If you keep causing trouble, this wedding is off!"

I stared back at them, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

If I were the old Helena, maybe my heart would have shattered. But now, all I felt was disappointment.

This place no longer welcomed me. It was time to return to the life that belonged to me.

Since I had already decided to leave, I didn't bother responding.

I turned and walked into the study.

My things were scattered across the room in disarray. These were things I had carefully chosen and designed.

They represented my hopes and dreams for the future.

I silently threw the wedding items that Isabella had ruined into the trash.

Christopher nodded in approval. "Those things are worthless. We can always buy new ones for the wedding later."

A shadow of bitterness flashed in my eyes.

What was worthless wasn't just these items. Also, there would be no "later".

This place was no longer my home.

Before I left, there was only one person I wanted to say goodbye to.

After that, I would have no more ties, no more attachments.

The cemetery caretaker recognized me and smiled as he greeted me. "Hello, Miss. Back to see Ms. Lane again?"

Every year around this time, I made it a point to visit Mia.

I placed a bouquet of white lilies in front of her grave.

"Mia, I'm leaving."

A gentle breeze swept by. In the photo on her tombstone, she still looked as warm as ever.

After that, I left the cemetery and wandered aimlessly down the street.

The sweet scent of baked goods wafted from a nearby cake shop.

I suddenly remembered the cakes Timothy and Christopher had bought for me a long time ago. Even though the frosting was cheap, it was the truest form of sweetness.

My phone vibrated incessantly, and I opened it to see birthday messages for me.

It came from the Kingsley family members, accompanied by a large sum of money. Even though I refused to return to the Kingsley family, they still routinely sent me holiday greetings and gifts every year.

Isabella had posted something two hours ago. It was a photo of three movie tickets, the latest ones.

Before I realized it, I found myself standing in front of the old orphanage. It had been turned into an amusement park, and even at night, it was still bustling with activity.

"Lena!" Isabella spotted me and came running over, a smile on her face. "You're here too? I'm a little down today, and Tim and Chris insisted on bringing me out to have some fun."

Her sudden closeness made me instinctively uncomfortable.

Then, a strange smile flashed across Isabella's face. She suddenly grabbed my hand and fell backward.

A speeding electric bike came out of nowhere, knocking us both off our feet.

From Timothy and Christopher's perspective, it looked like I had pushed her into the path of the bike.

All the way to the hospital, Timothy and Christopher's faces were visibly dark. Isabella's forehead and leg were bleeding, but they didn't spare a glance at me, even though my face had gone as pale as a ghost.

The electric bike had run over my right hand, and it felt like it didn't even belong to me anymore.

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse informed Timothy that there was only one doctor on duty that night.

"Get Bella into surgery first! She's a young woman—she can't have scars!" Christopher shouted as soon as he stepped into the hospital.

Isabella's injuries, though shocking at first glance, were superficial and mostly just scrapes. It was something any person with basic first-aid knowledge would recognize.

The nurse glanced at my twisted hand. "Mr. Spencer, we can treat Ms. Stewart's injuries, but this young lady's condition is more severe. If she isn't treated immediately, her right hand…"

"Just start with Bella's surgery!" Christopher and Timothy's voices were in unison, their tone firm and final.

My face had turned ghostly pale. If I lost this hand, I wouldn't be able to hold a paintbrush again.

"Tim, Chris... Can I please get surgery first? My hand hurts so much!" I pleaded.

"Helena, why are you doing this to Bella?

"Don't forget—you're an orphan! If I hadn't taken you in, you would've starved on the streets!" Timothy shouted. "From today on, Bella is my sister. Don't even think about hurting her!

"If it weren't for you, Bella wouldn't have been hurt in the first place! Your injury didn't even break skin! Stop acting like it's a big deal!"

He slapped me, sending me crashing to the ground. My face drained of color instantly.

It wasn't until my hand hung limply at an unnatural angle that he finally realized something was wrong.

"Lena... are you okay?"