On my birthday, my stepsister smashed my late mother's portrait in front of everyone, stomping her high heels on my mother's face. Trembling with rage, I slapped her for the first time in my life. That night, I was kidnapped, dragged to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city, and tortured for twenty-four hours. They used iron bars to crush my hands and feet. Gasoline was poured over me as I screamed in agony. "Mr. Sterling said you offended Miss Bella, so we need to teach you a lesson." I was shocked. Bella was the woman Sebastian Sterling, the heir to the Sterling empire, cherished above all else. On the brink of death, my fingers brushed the tiny distress button hidden in my hair. It was given to me by my most trusted personal doctor, Dr. Sebastian Sterling. He had promised, "No matter where you are, I will come to save you." Just as I was about to press the button, a familiar voice crackled over the kidnapper's walkie-talkie. "She passed out? Leave her alive. Don't actually kill her." It was Sebastian. He was the mysterious heir to the Sterling family all along! My blood ran cold. ... The noises from the other room faded. I closed my eyes, weak and defeated, letting the darkness swallow my consciousness. Sebastian had been my doctor for two years. His gentleness, his concern, his every approach—it was all just to stand legitimately by Bella's side. No wonder every time I argued with Bella, an "accident" would follow. A fall where no one was looking, a dress inexplicably tearing, food poisoning, sudden allergies... Every time, he stood by, calmly documenting my pain, calling it "desensitization therapy." He was never protecting me. He was protecting Bella. Lying on the cold concrete, amidst the excruciating pain, everything suddenly made sense. I thought of my secret, unspoken love for him... Laughter mixed with blood bubbled up from my throat. When I woke up again, the smell of disinfectant filled the room. Sebastian sat by the bed, brows furrowed. "Why didn't you call for help?" I turned my face away. The conversation I heard in my delirium churned in my mind. He orchestrated everything, yet he could still feign concern? "Water?" His voice was soft. "The doctor said you need rest." Before he could finish, the door was kicked open. My father stormed in and slapped me hard across the face. "You ungrateful brat! Because of you, Bella missed her music competition!" I clutched my burning cheek, tasting iron in my mouth. "Kidnapped?" My father sneered. "Making such a scene, only to show up at the front door yourself? I say you staged the whole thing!" I licked the blood from the corner of my lip, my eyes drifting to Sebastian. He paused mid-pour, then continued as if nothing happened. Bella, eyes teary, chimed in, "Sister, even if you're angry, you shouldn't hurt yourself like this. Seeing you like this breaks my heart..." My stepmother, Elena, wiped away fake tears. "Chloe, Bella was so worried when she heard you were kidnapped, she didn't even go to her competition. Thank god you're okay!" "Where did you learn such dirty tricks?" My father raged. "First hitting people, then staging this drama. You're a disgrace to the family!" I opened my mouth, then laughed. How ridiculous. No matter what I said, my father wouldn't believe me. Since the day Bella walked into this house, his and my brother's hearts had belonged to this outsider. My brother, Liam, stood by with a look of disgust. "Chloe, you've gone too far! You hit Bella and made her worry. Apologize to her!" This was my biological brother. "She smashed Mom's portrait first," I rasped, my voice firm. "I will never apologize." Slap! Slap! Two more slaps. My father was trembling with rage. "Won't apologize? I'll beat you until you admit your mistake!" Sebastian stepped in to stop him, then turned to me, whispering, "Just apologize. We're all family. Wait until your father calms down, then explain." Family? How ironic. They were a family. I was just the extra. Sebastian's hand rested on my shoulder, seemingly gentle but forcing me off the bed with undeniable strength. "What?" I sneered. "You're going to force me?" "Kneel and apologize!" My father barked. The next second, a force pushed me to my knees. I looked up, meeting Sebastian's complicated gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice low. "Just apologize. You were in the wrong first." In that moment, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart alive. For Bella, he broke my limbs, let me suffer torture, and now hypocritically demanded I apologize. I struggled to stand. Suddenly, a metallic taste filled my throat, and the world spun. 2 When I woke again, the hospital room was dark and silent. I checked my phone. Photos of Sebastian shopping with Bella and the news of my father buying her a manor filled the screen. Strangely, my heart remained calm. My phone buzzed. A message from Sebastian. Rest well. Bella isn't feeling well, I'm staying with her for a few days. I smirked. Busy? He just found an excuse not to face me, the person he loathed. An auction news alert popped up. My blood froze. My mother's favorite jade bracelet was listed. The day I was discharged, no one came for me. Dragging my unhealed body to the auction house, I saw Sebastian and Bella sitting intimately together as soon as I entered. "Sister!" Bella waved. "Come sit next to me!" Sebastian started to speak, but I turned and walked to a corner. When the translucent green jade bracelet was presented, the crowd gasped in awe. "One million!" "Two million!" When the bidding reached five million, I raised my paddle without hesitation. "Eight million!" Bella's face soured. Sebastian walked over quickly, face grim. "Chloe, don't be stubborn. Your sister likes this bracelet, why..." "Even if I have to sell my car and house," I looked him in the eye, "I'm taking this bracelet." He looked at me with a complicated expression, then returned to his seat. I saw him typing on his phone, and my heart sank. "Eight million going once! Eight million going twice!" "Sky Lantern!" A man in a suit burst in. "Mr. Sterling lights the Sky Lantern for Miss Bella!" Bella flushed with delight. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. Back home, Bella flaunted the bracelet on her wrist. "You wanted this, didn't you, sister? Too bad. What I want, someone always hands to me on a silver platter." She suddenly took it off, dangling it in front of me. "Hehe, I have too much jewelry. I don't really need this one. Want it?" "What's the condition?" My voice was tight. "How about... you crawl and bark like a dog?" She giggled. "Dream on," I stared at her. "What a shame." She smiled, and her fingers opened. Crash! The bracelet fell from the second floor, shattering into pieces. "You!" I screamed, losing control. Suddenly, she slapped herself hard across the face. "Sister, Mr. Sterling gave me this bracelet! Even if you like it, you can't just snatch it! If you can't have it, you destroy it? You're too much!" Sebastian rushed up the stairs, eyes cold and sharp. "Chloe, are you bullying Bella again?!" Bella teared up. "Sister, why won't you let me go? Dad and Liam are good to me because we're family..." While speaking, she moved closer to me unnoticed by Sebastian. Then, she shoved me hard. Caught off guard, I fell backward, tumbling down the stairs. 3 I lay on the floor, warm blood trickling down my forehead. Sebastian's expression shifted. Just as he was about to move, Bella laughed lightly. "Sister, playing the victim again?" Sebastian stopped, frowning. "Let's go. She brought this on herself." I lay on the cold floor until late at night when the housekeeper found me and called an ambulance. Checking social media, I saw Sebastian helping Bella choose a new designer bag. As my nominal doctor, he didn't care if I lived or died. Pain pricked my heart. I smiled bitterly and closed my eyes. Half-asleep, I heard the door open gently. I heard Sebastian whispering instructions. "Tomorrow's date with Bella, prepare the best custom suit. And pick out a few pieces of jewelry worth millions." I kept my eyes closed, motionless. After being discharged, I made a call to a number I hadn't used in years. Returning home, I opened my door and froze. All of my mother's belongings were gone. "Sister!" Bella stood at the door, smiling. "Sorry, didn't think you'd fall that hard." Liam sneered beside her. "Stop acting." "Where are my mom's things?" My voice trembled. "Those old things?" Bella tilted her head. "I saw you were always depressed holding onto them, so I burned them for you." "Who let you touch them!" I raised my voice. "I did!" My father walked over with a baseball bat. "Your mother's been dead for ten years, and you're still clinging to that junk! I think your brain is broken!" "Do you know how she died?" I couldn't hold back anymore. "If it wasn't for you and Bella's mother..." Years ago, my father was fooling around with Elena. My mother went looking for him in the rain and died in a car accident. My father immediately brought Elena and Bella into our home. "Shut up!" The bat struck me hard. I ran out the door into the pouring rain. Unknowingly, I arrived at the old street my mother used to take me to. I curled up by a dumpster for the whole night. At dawn, a Bentley pulled up at the corner. The window rolled down, revealing Sebastian's profile. He pulled a yellowed photo from his pocket. The girl in the photo wore a white dress and had a bright smile. It was Bella. He remembered that in this dark alley, a girl in a white dress had saved him from thugs. He put the photo away and told the driver, "Watch closely. Bella should be here soon." Hearing "Bella," I smirked self-deprecatingly. How could he be looking for me? Sebastian waited from morning till night, but Bella never showed up. Night fell. Sebastian called someone, sounding disappointed. "Bella, I waited all day. Why didn't you come..." On the other end, Bella sounded like she just woke up. "Oh, sister is missing, the house is a mess..." Sebastian hung up and suddenly noticed me. He strode over, grabbing my wrist. "Why are you here?!" "Let go!" I struggled. "Come back with me!" His face was dark. "The family is in chaos because of you!" "Our contract ends tomorrow," I shook him off. "My business is none of your concern." He paused, then hardened his tone. "There are still 24 hours. I am still your doctor. You are unstable. You must come with me." Before he finished, his phone rang abruptly. He stepped aside, lowering his voice. "Mr. Sterling, the 15-carat engagement ring you ordered has arrived. We need you to come..." Hanging up, the gloom on his face vanished, replaced by unconcealed joy. "I have urgent business. Go back yourself." Whenever it involved Bella, I was always the one sacrificed and discarded. After Sebastian left, my phone exploded with news notifications. I stared at the screen, my breath catching. 4 The top trending topic read: #Details of Sterling Heiress's Childhood Assault Revealed#, followed by a glaring "EXPLOSIVE" tag. My fingers trembled violently. Memories I had deliberately buried came flooding back. When I was twelve, with my mother barely cold in her grave, my father slapped me in public for Bella again. I ran into a rainy alley, only to be dragged into the darkness by three drunks... The men's laughter, the sound of tearing fabric, my father's disgusted look afterward—these fragments were like knives, still buried deep in my heart. Clatter. My phone hit the ground. I stumbled home. The villa was empty. Only my father and Sebastian knew about this. My father cared too much about his reputation, so that only left... I called Sebastian over and over, but no one answered. In the evening, Sebastian and Bella returned. I rushed over, grabbing his collar. "Why did you rip open my scars for the world to see?! Why did you expose me?!" He shoved my hand away in disgust. "What are you crazy about now?" "Every therapy session, you asked for details. I thought you were helping me..." Tears streamed down my face. "Instead, you broadcast my most painful secret!" Bella cooed, "Dr. Sterling, ignore her. Sister's mental state has been bad lately. She bites everyone." "Look at you now, hysterical," Sebastian said coldly. "No wonder you were..." He stopped abruptly. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but it was too late. I ran back to my room and locked the door. For three days, I didn't eat or drink, lying in bed with my eyes open. On the morning of the fourth day, I got dressed and went to the concert hall. Pushing open the doors, I saw two rows of black-suited bodyguards. In the center stood the Sterling family butler, holding 999 roses. Beside him, trays of jewelry glittered under the lights. "Mr. Sterling sent these to wish Miss Bella a successful performance." Bella walked elegantly onto the stage. As soon as she touched the harp strings, her face changed. "Who did this?!" She shrieked, scanning the audience. Her gaze locked on me. "Sister, was it you?!" "Miss Chloe," the butler stepped forward. "Mr. Sterling ordered that if anyone disrupts Miss Bella's performance..." "What?" I interrupted softly. "Break my hands and feet again?" Sebastian, standing in the corner, changed expression. My father rushed over, kicking me hard in the waist. I fell to my knees, hearing a bone crack. "You animal!" My father roared. "How dare you harm your sister!" My stepmother wiped fake tears nearby. "She's twisted because her past was exposed. Taking it out on Bella." Reporters swarmed, flashbulbs blinding me. Sebastian stood in the crowd, looking at me with undisguised annoyance. I laughed softly. The sound silenced the hall. "Since everyone is here," I said quietly, making everyone hold their breath, "Today, I, Chloe, officially sever ties with the family." My father's face turned purple. "Are you insane?!" "Since Bella arrived, you never celebrated my birthday again. She smashed Mom's portrait, and you blamed me without checking the cameras." I turned to my brother. "We have the same mother, yet you watched her burn Mom's belongings." Finally, I looked at Sebastian. "My psychiatrist? Who were you with when I had an episode?" "All these years, no one truly believed me or cared about me." I pulled out a prepared dagger. The crowd erupted. "Stop her!" As Sebastian rushed forward, the blade plunged deep into my chest. Blood sprayed onto his face. Bella screamed. In the last moment of consciousness, I heard Sebastian screaming my name. Finally, I could be free.
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