Seven Years of Lies

"Me? When did I ever ask her to go out and buy medicine for me? Which part of what I said made it about her? Why don't you just say she offered on her own?"

After living under the same roof for seven years, I finally saw clearly where Ian's heart had always belonged.

"Enough!"

Ian's shout cracked through the room, sharp and furious. I had never seen him lose control like that before, and for a second, I froze.

"I know you're petty, but Evie is your sister. You shouldn't treat her like this. Go back to your room."

He shoved me out the door. My head was already spinning, and I lost my balance, crashing hard to the floor. The pain that shot through me cleared my mind a little—but the four of them just stood there and watched coldly. Not one of them moved to help me up.

"Lexi, you can barely stand. Ian's just being kind. He wants you to get more rest."

Watching the four of them stand together against me like I was some outsider, my face burned with humiliation. My life felt like a complete failure.

And so, I turned and went back to my room.

When I woke up the next day, my head felt even hotter. I struggled to sit up and grabbed a thermometer.

102.2°F.

I didn't even know when the fever had started. If it kept going, I really might burn my brain out.

I let out a bitter laugh just as Ian suddenly pushed the door open and walked in. When he saw the thermometer, his brows knit slightly, as if he were concerned.

"You've got a fever this high, and you didn't take any medicine? What was all that fuss last night about, then? I've already sent your parents and Evie off. There's cold medicine at home. Just take some yourself."

Then he turned and left without another word.

I went to the cabinet and searched for the medicine. After digging around for a while, I finally found a tiny packet of cold medicine. Just as I was about to take it, I noticed it had already expired.

Maybe it was the fever, but my vision blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't hold back anymore. I crouched down and started crying.

I didn't know how long had passed before I finally stopped. When I stood up, my head swam, and I braced myself as I prepared to go out and buy medicine.

That was when I heard Ian, who had just come back, talking to Evie on the phone.

"You've got a fever too? You need to take care of yourself. You still have to sing when you get back, right? You can't ruin your voice."

"Ian, you're the only one who really cares about me. Mom and Dad just tell me to take more medicine."

Ian chuckled softly, clearly pleased by her words.

"Ian… about my situation… When are you going to tell Lexi?"

"Don't worry. All her money is with me. When I get back, I'll transfer it to you. There's no need to tell Lexi. Honestly, you're too naive. Why would you trust a classmate enough to take out an online loan for him? Now you're 380 thousand in debt, and you still don't want to report it?"

'Three hundred eighty thousand?'

I had worked nonstop every week, never even daring to go to the hospital when I was sick. After seven years, I had only managed to save 400 thousand. And now she said it so casually—as if just like that, most of it was gone.

And back then, Ian had clearly told me this money was for our future together.

"When we save up a million, we'll go back home, buy a house, and find stable jobs. We'll live a quiet, peaceful life."

He had held my calloused hands back then, looking at me with such tenderness.

Heat surged in my chest, as if mirroring the anger boiling inside me.

"Oh, Ian… they promised they'd pay me back. I just didn't want them to end up with a criminal record. I had no choice but to come to you. You mustn't tell Mom and Dad—they'd definitely call the police and get my classmate arrested. He's still just a kid."

Ian sighed helplessly and started reminding Evie not to be so soft-hearted again, warning her that she'd only get cheated again next time.

At that, I wondered, 'So they're using my money to pay off her debts?'

Taking Back My Life

I kicked the door open in a burst of anger.

When Ian saw the fury on my face, he froze for a moment. "What's wrong with you now? Weren't you running a fever? You've still got the strength to stand. Don't tell me you were faking it."

"Ian, you took my admission letter back then, didn't you? And my songs… You gave every single one of them to Evie, didn't you? And now you're even planning to use my money to pay off her debt? Have you no shame at all?"

Ian's gaze flickered, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. Then Evie's voice came through from the other end of the call.

"Oh, come on, why are you making it sound like yours and mine? Lexi, we're family. Ian's going to marry you sooner or later anyway. Letting him use your admission letter to study wouldn't have hurt you, and besides, he didn't even end up going. And I'm your sister—I'm just borrowing your money to get through this. I'll pay you back, I promise."

I let out a cold laugh. "When you need me, I'm your sister. When you don't, I'm just some stranger named Lexi Collins. In all these seven years, have you ever once reached out to me?"

"Lexi, we're blood. Why does any of that matter? Family is family."

"Family?" My voice trembled with anger. "Do you know what I've been through out there? Do you know what it's like to be looked down on? To be so broke you can't even afford a meal? You don't know anything. All you know is how to play princess at home, using my money to go to college. And me? I should've been there too. I should've been studying composition properly. But look at me now."

Ian hung up before Evie could say another word. "What's gotten into you? Stop making a scene and go back to your room."

His expression was already full of impatience as he looked down at his phone.

Then, all of a sudden, mine vibrated. It was a bank notification. Three hundred eighty thousand had been transferred out of my account.

I rushed forward, grabbing his collar, my eyes burning red with rage. "You already set up the transfer on your way back, didn't you? Do you have any idea how long it took me to save that money? Seven years and eight months! I never took a single day off—what right do you have to touch my money?"

I was weak from the fever to begin with, and Ian shoved me down effortlessly.

"I never realized you were this unreasonable. Wasn't that money supposed to be our shared savings anyway? What's wrong with using part of it for your sister? It's disgusting that you're this cold to your own family."

As if that wasn't enough, he kicked me hard in the stomach. Tears sprang to my eyes instantly, my body reacting before my mind even could.

Ian turned and walked away without so much as a backward glance. Before leaving, he threw one last warning over his shoulder. "Stay away from your sister. I already married you here. What more do you want?"

I lay on the cold, filthy floor for half an hour before I finally managed to crawl back to my feet. The moment I stood up, nausea surged through me. I stumbled into the bathroom and retched until my vision blurred.

Only then did I finally understand what kind of people I had spent all these years loving. Letting out a bitter, self-mocking laugh, I went back to my room, grabbed the little cash I still had left and my phone, and rushed out the door.

I booked the earliest flight back home. On the way, I passed a pharmacy and gritted my teeth as I bought over a hundred dollars' worth of strong medicine. Only after swallowing it did my body finally begin to feel a little better.

I turned and looked once in the direction of the apartment. It was only five hundred yards away. And yet, last night, not one of them had been willing to walk that distance to buy medicine for me.

I called the landlord and told her I was terminating the lease. I wouldn't be renewing it. There was still a man in the apartment, and she could throw him out directly.

"Oh, sweetheart, are you sick? Your voice sounds terrible. You need to get proper rest. And don't worry about the man in your apartment. I'll throw him out for you. Is he your ex-boyfriend? I always thought there was something off about him."

I gave a faint, bitter chuckle, acknowledged softly, and after saying goodbye to the landlady, boarded the plane.

When I landed, I saw that Ian had called me seven times and sent 18 messages—every single one demanding to know when I was going back.

"What's going on? Why did the landlord kick me out?"

I ignored him. Just as I was about to leave the airport, my eyes caught the massive screen overhead.

'Rising musical genius Evie Collins releases new single Goddess, earning widespread acclaim.'

I froze in place.

If the ad hadn't lingered for five full seconds, I wouldn't have believed it. Ian had already handed the song I had finished just three days earlier… to Evie.

For the past 22 years of my life, it seemed like everything I did had been paving the way for Evie.

Now, it was time to make them pay for everything they had done to me.