If it had been before, I would've begged Christopher and Anthony for forgiveness.

My parents died trying to protect me, and my grandmother resented me so much that she refused to raise me. That was how I ended up in the care of the Scott family who were close family friends.

As I lived under someone else's roof, I grew up painfully aware of my place. Back then, whenever there was a fight between us, I was always the first to lower my head and chase after them with apologies.

They'd feel bad, pull me close, and promise to protect me—to spoil me like a princess, never letting me feel hurt again.

During the 17 years of getting along with them, I ended up dating the steadier, more reliable Anthony. Christopher, on the other hand, blew up in anger. But even as we turned adults, he still treated me like his younger sister.

But soon, everything changed.

Teresa Smith, Anthony and Christopher's mother, went overseas for treatment, and I, like something old and no longer needed, was thrown away and forgotten. The wedding I'd been dreaming of for years had turned into a complete joke, just like me.

The guests laughed louder than the music. Someone even shouted from the crowd, "Dump her already! She doesn't even know her place!"

Christopher and Anthony stood above me like judges at a trial, waiting for me to break down and beg. There was not even a trace of warmth in their eyes.

I lifted my chin and smiled. "Well then, congratulations to the three of you. Congrats on your wedding."

The room fell silent.

Christopher, red with fury, raised a hand to slap me. "What's wrong with you? You know how important a woman's reputation is. Why would you spread rumors about Erica? You've ruined everything!"

He knew.

He knew this was the wedding I had poured my heart into planning. Still, he stood there and humiliated me for Erica's sake.

Then, our eyes met—mine glassy with tears—and something in him froze.

But I didn't. I turned on my heel and walked away.

Panic flickered across Christopher's face. He made a move to follow, but Anthony stopped him with a steady voice.

"Let her go. What could she possibly do? She's nothing but an orphan. Where could she even go without us?"

Christopher hesitated for a beat. Then, he stormed after me and shouted into the corridor, "How dare you leave? The Scott family should've raised a dog instead of you!"

I didn't respond. I just kept walking while tears flowed down my face. Behind me, I heard him cursing before heading back to the banquet.

Soon, the noise faded. I stepped out into the street and got into a waiting car.

"Let's make it official." When I finally held the marriage certificate in my hands, everything felt surreal.

I'd met Levi Carter through work and rejected his advances before. Yet somehow, in the strange loops of life, I ended up marrying him.

Now that we were legally bound, I decided to use the next five days to put the past behind me for good.

Back at Scott Manor, I started packing. However, my history with the Scott family ran too deep. I'd never be able to repay the money they claimed I owed them.

Feeling uneasy, I called Levi. Without hesitation, he wired me the funds. He asked only one thing in return.

"Help me plan a spectacular wedding, the kind that gets broadcast nationwide." His voice was low and had a hint of laughter in it.

I stared at the dreamy sketches of a wedding I never thought I'd have access to and felt something tugging at my heart.

Levi gave me connections to wedding planners and executives I could've never reached alone. Everything at the venue could be changed in my direction.

It felt like he was determined to lift me up like I was something worth showing off.

Meanwhile, the Scott family had handed all their best resources to Erica. All I ever got were the scraps. Even the plans I worked so hard on had Erica's name slapped on them without shame.

The thought made my smile fade.

Anthony wasn't wrong. I had been dependent on them once.

But not anymore. I'd learned something—love wasn't about control. It was about giving someone the freedom to stand on their own.

Then, on the fourth night before the wedding, I heard the soft rustling of voices outside my room while I was drifting to sleep.

"I told you she couldn't leave us. All that tough talk, but look at her—back like a lapdog."

I forced myself to sit up, only for Anthony to snatch the draft I'd been working on. "Our wedding's right around the corner. What are you still planning for?"

He had no idea the draft wasn't for our wedding, but for mine with Levi.

Without a word, I took it back.

He frowned, but his voice softened as he said, "Erica just wanted to surprise you. We're getting married on Sunday anyway… Don't be mad, okay?"

Of course, it was Erica who planned the wedding. It always was. Be it anniversaries or birthday parties, any event that had my name on it, she'd ruin it and twist it into her own stage.

She always ended up the star, while I sat in the corner, eating smashed cake and watching the spotlight shine on her.

Even now, they'd left me alone for two whole days without a single word or message, all because of Erica.

I was so exhausted, I didn't even bother lifting my head as I mumbled a response.

Anthony let out a sigh of relief.

From the hallway, Christopher stepped inside with hesitant steps. "Scarlett… we went too far earlier. The Scott family will always welcome you. I'm sorry."

As soon as I nodded, Anthony relaxed and pulled out a gift box. But when he opened it, what lay inside was a pair of used high heels.

They froze, as if the box had caught fire in their hands, and panic rose in their eyes.

I looked at them, and the corners of my lips lifted in a smile that wasn't really a smile at all.

Christopher sheepishly lowered his head as he closed the box, but he grumbled under his breath. "It's probably something a guest left behind by accident… The boxes looked too similar, I must've mixed them up."

Then, Anthony, who once swore he'd never hide anything from me, stepped in to back him up. "Yeah, you know how some guests like to feel... at home."

"At home"? Since when did guests get to ride around in their private car?

Ever since Erica showed up, the passenger seat had practically become her throne. She'd sprawl out like a queen with her bare feet resting on the cushion that I carefully selected.

And yet—I didn't care anymore.

However, my compliance made them uneasy.

"You seem off, Scarlett. You're really not mad?" Then came the warning. "If you've got something to say, say it to us. Don't take it out on Erica."

I shook my head. "No… I just don't think I should be making a scene anymore."

They exchanged glances, thrown off by my calmness. To them, it had been a while since I'd acted this obedient.

Suddenly, both of their phones chimed with that special ringtone. They instantly lit up and glanced at each other in excitement. They were ready to leave immediately.

I lowered my eyes. "Aren't you going to give me the gift?"

They froze. The excitement drained from their faces and was replaced by disgust. Without a word, they flung the box in my face.

"Do you even care about what's important? God, how did we not realize sooner how shallow you are?"

I felt blood trickle down my cheek.

They paused, unsettled for a second, but they didn't stop.

"Open it yourself. There's bandages in the first-aid kit."

With that, the front door slammed shut behind them.

The clock ticked past midnight, and there were only three days left.

I whispered into the stillness, "You know… today's actually my birthday." It had finally reached the extent that they'd forgotten about my birthday. But maybe that was better. At least now, there was no one left to mock me for hoping.

…

I booked a flight for Sunday. It was raining that morning as I made my way to the cemetery.

When I was young, I begged to go hiking for my birthday. That same day, a mudslide buried my parents alive.

For years, I couldn't forgive myself. I believed I'd killed the only people who ever loved me.

I carried that guilt into adulthood, and Levi was the only one who stayed by my side to provide me words of comfort.

"They love you. That's why, even as the mudslide came, they held you above their heads. They wanted you to be happy."

I cried like I hadn't cried in years. No one had ever said that to me before. All anyone ever told me was that it was my fault. Even Anthony and Christopher never dared speak of it.

I asked Levi to wait at the gate as I needed a moment alone with Mom and Dad.

But when I reached the grave, I froze—Anthony and Christopher were already there.

I hadn't seen them visit in three years—not since Erica arrived. For a moment, I thought maybe they'd finally remembered.

But then... I found that they had dug out my parents' urn.

I rushed forward to stop them. "What the hell are you guys doing? That's my parents' grave!"

They hesitated when they saw me. Guilt flashed across their faces, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Erica's pet spider died. This is the best grave in the cemetery. We found your parents another place."

"But they're my parents!" Tears spilled down my cheeks as I screamed, my voice raw with heartbreak.

Then, Erica appeared from nowhere, shoving me aside to shield Christopher. "You psycho! Don't you dare touch Christopher!"

In the chaos, the urn tipped over. However, Anthony and Christopher rushed to hold Erica instead of the urn, and they knelt to inspect her foot.

I lunged forward and held the urn tightly while tears streamed down my face.

Anthony and Christopher used to be loved by my parents just as much as I was, and now, they were tearing up their graves… over a pet spider.

Erica let out a theatrical cry, but for the first time, they didn't rush to her.

Christopher seemed shaken when he saw me in tears.

Anthony knelt beside me and pulled me into his arms. "Scarlett… the dead are gone. You need to let them go."

I raised my hand to slap him, but Erica let out a scream and dramatically threw herself in front of him before collapsing to the ground.

"It's okay, Anthony, it's fine even if I'm scarred—as long as Scarlett forgives me..." She dropped to her knees and sobbed like she was in a movie.

But I had barely touched her—it was nothing more than a pat. And just like that, their pity for me turned into hatred.

Christopher shoved my head into the mud while Anthony forced my legs down, pinning me in front of the urn.

"You killed your parents, and now you want to hurt Erica too? How could someone like you ever deserve their love?" Every word stabbed like a blade.

Behind them, Erica smiled sweetly. Then, she grabbed the urn and smashed it to the ground.

Anthony clenched his jaw. "I'll have someone clean up your parents' ashes. But first, we're going to fix that attitude of yours."

I screamed and crawled toward the fragments, but I was only to be dragged away again.

Just as everything was crumbling around me, I saw Levi standing at the far end of the cemetery.

My heart leapt, and my voice cracked with desperation as I cried out for help.