Colette bit her lip and lowered her gaze, masking the jealousy flickering in her eyes. Then, she obediently opened the car's back door.

Frederick had originally planned to take me to the hospital. But out of nowhere, Colette piped up from the back seat, "Ana, when I fell out the window five months ago, I was bleeding from the head, too. I still get headaches now and then. If you're feeling unwell, make sure you tell the doctor everything."

In an instant, Frederick's expression turned cold. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel before making a U-turn.

"Anastasia, if it weren't for Colette's mercy, you'd already be behind bars!" he snapped. "I don't think you need to go to the hospital anymore.

"She's been dealing with headaches for five months because of you. So, to make things fair, you should suffer through five months of pain as penance."

…

In no time, we pulled into the driveway.

After five months away, the house no longer felt like mine.

The yard I had poured my heart into, once full of lilies, was gone, replaced by a bed of red roses—Colette's favorite. Beside it, the swing I had built now carried a sign that read, "Reserved for Colette only".

Inside, Helen Kerr, the housekeeper who had watched me grow up, was nowhere to be found. In her place stood a stranger.

The new housekeeper didn't even acknowledge my presence. Instead, she went straight to Colette, took her bag with both hands, and practically lowered her head in reverence.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Burke. I made your favorite spaghetti."

Colette's lips curled into a satisfied smile. Even so, she put on an innocent act just for me.

"Ana, this is Karen Walker. She only started recently, and since you were away in the mountains, she mistook me for the lady of the house," explained Colette. "Don't take it personally, okay?"

I ignored the smugness beneath her words. All I could see was the bracelet on Karen's wrist.

It was the only keepsake my mother had ever left me. I had locked it in the bedroom safe, and only Frederick and I knew the combination.

Before he left me out in the wilderness, I had begged him to give it back. However, he told me I'd get it once I realized my mistake.

But now, the bracelet that should've been safely locked away was wrapped around someone else's wrist.

Colette followed my gaze and noticed what I was looking at. She covered her mouth, then let out a chuckle.

"That was a gift from Freddie. But I think it's a bit old-fashioned."

As she spoke, she unclasped the bracelet and handed it to me. "Ana, if I'd known you liked it, I wouldn't have given it to Karen. Here, it's yours."

I was about to take it when Colette let go. In the next second, the bracelet shattered on the floor. Just like that, the last thing my mother had left me was gone.

I took a deep breath, then raised my hand and slapped Colette hard.

Frederick immediately caught her before striking me just as hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Anastasia?" he barked. "It's just a damn bracelet! It broke, but so what? I can buy you ten more just like it!

"Five months ago, you didn't hesitate to push Colette out the window. She was seriously hurt because of you. Even now, she still gets headaches! What's so wrong about me taking her in to look after her? Why do you hate her so much?"

If this had happened before, I would've thrown a fit the moment Frederick started defending another woman. But this time, I just held my burning left cheek and looked at him with cold indifference.

It was Frederick who stared back at me in surprise.

"Why aren't you making a scene?" he asked.

Frederick's words made me chuckle. Back when I used to get jealous, he thought I was being ridiculous. And now that I didn't care, he suddenly asked why I wasn't making a fuss.

Without another word, I headed upstairs.

…

That afternoon, I overheard Frederick scolding Karen.

"Whatever happened before, I'm willing to let it go. But if you still can't figure out who the lady of this house is, you can pack your things. Understand?"

Karen's voice came quietly from the doorway, "Yes, sir."

Moments later, Frederick opened the door, the family doctor trailing behind him.

The left side of my face was still slightly swollen, the shape of a handprint clear and red.

Frederick's expression shifted uneasily. He pressed his lips into a line, then said coldly, "Come here. Let the doctor have a look."

Even though the wound on my head had already scabbed, it still throbbed.

The doctor went through the motions of examining me. After a while, he smiled smugly and commented, "Ms. Sherman, I've seen plenty of cases like this. The wound on your head is self-inflicted, right?

"You're just trying to make Mr. Burke feel sorry for you. Well, too bad you didn't do it hard enough. The cut's superficial and already scabbed."

As he spoke, he parted my hair to show Frederick.

The doctor continued, "Mr. Burke, she's fine. The wound would've healed on its own. But Ms. Reeves… That's another story.

"She fell from a second-floor window some time ago and hit her head badly. It wasn't fully healed, and now someone's slapped her. She just told me she's feeling dizzy and nauseous."

Right on cue, Colette bit her lip and leaned weakly against the doorframe.

They played their roles perfectly. It was enough to make anyone feel sorry for her.

Almost immediately, Frederick's expression darkened. He didn't even give me a chance to defend myself. Instead, he grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the door.

"What the hell happened to you, Anastasia? Apologize to Colette now!" he barked.

I stumbled from the push, knocking over an antique vase. Its shards sliced into my hand, and before I knew it, blood dripped from my fingers.

I looked up, raised my bleeding hand, and said calmly, "Frederick, this is the third time today you've hurt me."

His expression changed again at my words. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and reached out to touch my wound.

"Anastasia, I never meant to hurt you…"

Nearby, Colette and the doctor exchanged a glance. A beat later, she feigned panic, crouching beside me and taking my hand.

"Ana, if you don't want to apologize, then don't. But why pretend to lose your balance and knock over the vase? Please stop hurting yourself. Freddie and I both hate seeing you like this."

Right then, the doctor knelt beside me as well.

He added, "Ms. Sherman, is this because I said you didn't hit your head hard enough? So now you've shoved your hand into broken glass just to make it look worse? Come on. This is a waste of medical resources!"

Frederick's gaze toward me shifted sharply when he heard their words. Perhaps deep down, he believed I was just as manipulative as they claimed.

Even at that point, Colette and the doctor kept insulting me.

"You're so petty!"

"I can't believe how unreasonable you are!"

My palm stung from the glass, but I ignored it and got to my feet. With shards in hand, I slapped Colette twice. Then, with what little strength I had left, I struck the doctor.

"Anastasia, have you lost your mind?" Frederick shouted.

He shoved me aside and rushed to check Colette's face.

I collapsed to the floor again.

This time, Colette cried genuine tears. She cupped her bleeding cheek, terrified of a permanent scar.

I let out a bitter laugh. Little did they know, once they came in contact with my blood, they would be exposed to radiation, too.

After that, I wiped the blood on my clothes and turned to leave. However, after just a few steps, I blacked out.

…

When I came to, I overheard the specialist telling Frederick, "Ms. Sherman's condition is unusual. Her skin is soft and weak, as if it's rotting from the inside.

"Logically, she should be dead by now. But somehow, she's still alive. It's a miracle. That said, I don't think she has many days left."