The year I turned eighteen, my brothers adopted a new sister. And that’s when I, with my clouded mind, became a nuisance. If her painting got dirty, it was my fault. If she caught a cold, it was my fault. Later, when she was kidnapped because of me, my brothers finally broke. “Skylar, please, for our sakes, will you die for Lily?” I looked up, seeing the redness in my brothers’ eyes, and simply said, “Okay.” So, under the cloak of night, I secretly slipped away, exchanging myself for Lily from the kidnappers. And I was thrown into the churning ocean. I thought I would die, but I didn’t. Instead, I met Lucas Vance. He never once scorned my simple mind, treating me like precious porcelain. I truly believed he was different from my brothers. But then, one rainy night, six years later, Lucas carried a girl, soaking wet, through the door. I overheard whispers that she was his first love, the one who had framed him, landed him in prison, and then vanished abroad without a trace. … My simple mind didn’t grasp the full meaning of this, nor could I decipher the pity and sympathy in others’ eyes. I only saw Lucas and the girl, drenched to the bone, and rushed over with a towel, my worry etched on my face. “Dry off… cold… medicine… bitter…” The next second, my hand was harshly slapped away, the towel fluttering to the floor. Lucas, who had never once raised his voice at me in six years, now looked at me with a chilling, savage gaze. He spoke, his voice a low warning, “Get away from her. Don’t touch her!” I froze, stunned, my hand unconsciously touching my bleeding knuckles. I looked up, meeting Lucas’s eyes, which were filled with nothing but the girl in his arms. A wave of confusion washed over me. It felt like… I was about to lose my home again. Immediately, the household doctors, already on standby, swarmed in. They habitually, anxiously, surrounded me. One was about to bend down to bandage my hand when Lucas’s furious reprimand cut through the air. “Are you all blind? I called you here to save Eve, not to fuss over some idiot!” The doctors froze, and even the servants, secretly watching the drama unfold, were stunned. For the past six years, the word “idiot” had been strictly forbidden in the mansion. Lucas would go ballistic if anyone ever dared to call me that. There was a time when a maid, feigning kindness in front of him, would privately sneer and curse at me behind his back. She called me an idiot, a shameless parasite. She accused me of clinging to Lucas, usurping Mrs. Vance’s position, and making him a laughingstock among his business associates. During that period, my arms and thighs, hidden beneath my clothes, were often intentionally bruised by her, old injuries overlapping with new ones. But I never dared to tell Lucas. I feared he would lash out with a knife, just like he had when we were vagrants, ready to fight anyone who wronged me. Injuries hurt. I didn’t want Lucas to hurt, nor did I want him to be misunderstood as mentally unstable because of me. So, even when the pain made it impossible to eat or sleep, I endured it. But then, Lucas eventually discovered the wounds. He raged, a furious storm, and swiftly dealt with the maid. Yet, that very night, he held me, weeping heartbrokenly, his voice choked beyond recognition. “Skylar, next time, don’t keep secrets from me, okay?” “Don’t be so cruel to me. Don’t shut me out of your world.” “Can you try to trust me a little more, please?” Lucas’s crying face looked strangely familiar. In a daze, I reached out to wipe his tears, comforting him anxiously. “Don’t cry, don’t cry, brother. It’s Skylar’s fault; Skylar will change, she will change…” Lucas froze. The next second, his arms tightened around me, his voice seeming to constrict with the movement. He said, “Skylar, I’m Lucas Vance, not your brother. You’ve mistaken me again.” Lost, I snapped back to reality, then guiltily lowered my head, accustomed to apologizing to him. “I’m sorry.” That night, Lucas, distraught by my mistake and my undisclosed injury, held me, stewing in quiet anger all night. But the next morning, he was back to his routine, cooking for me, waking me up, and gently wiping my face. He even hired a professional medical team to stay at the villa, solely for my check-ups and treatments. The servants in the villa had all been replaced, each personally interviewed and hired by him. So, Lucas’s deep regard and care for me were well-known to these doctors and servants. Which made it all the more shocking that after six years, the first person to call me an idiot was Lucas himself – the husband who had cherished me as if I were a fragile treasure. But everyone’s stunned silence lasted only a moment. After all, this villa was Lucas Vance’s domain. He now cared for the girl in his arms, so the doctors abandoned me and turned their attention to her. I blew on my throbbing hand, watching the scene unfold before me, a familiar, hazy feeling washing over me. My nose stung, and a warmth pricked my eyes. It truly was… so similar! So similar to when my brothers had all rallied around their adopted sister. They hadn’t seen the scalding on my leg, nor the tears in my eyes. They’d only been angry, exhausted, scolding me, questioning if I could be more sensible, and stop causing them so much trouble. A sudden dread seized me. If my brothers could treat me like that, what about Lucas? Would he too start to grow impatient with me? Disgusted by my foolishness, perhaps even screaming at me, like my brothers had, asking why I wouldn’t just die? My vision blurred. I blinked, and a tear splashed onto the carpet with a soft pat. I looked down, staring blankly at it for a long time. When I looked up again, the living room was empty. Lucas had carried the girl back to our bedroom. Fearing I would anger Lucas again, fearing I would hear him tell me to get lost, I didn't dare go upstairs. Instead, I curled up on the sofa. It was strange. I felt cold, yet my body seemed to be burning up. My consciousness drifted, and I thought I heard footsteps. I looked up, hopeful, thinking Lucas had finally remembered me. But what greeted my eyes was a girl with disheveled hair, wearing my pajamas. My gaze fell upon her exposed neck, and I froze. It was covered in mottled red marks, thick and numerous, some even bearing teeth marks that had broken the skin. The girl shyly adjusted her clothes, her voice laced with embarrassed annoyance. “Oh, I’m sorry. Lucas was… a bit too eager. Please excuse me for this display.” After a brief pause, she met my gaze and uttered the familiar title: “Mrs. Vance.” I froze, thinking Lucas had, as before, lost his temper and hurt someone. Fearing the girl’s anger, I dragged my weak body, rummaging through boxes and drawers in a corner of the living room. Then, under the girl’s curious gaze, I carefully retrieved several adhesive bandages. “Bleeding, put these on, won’t hurt anymore!” “Don’t… don’t scold Lucas, don’t be angry, okay?” The girl’s face initially registered surprise, then, after a moment, she let out a sudden giggle, her eyes taking on a strange glint. “Outside, they make you out to be some kind of legend, saying you have Lucas Vance wrapped around your finger! I thought you were truly formidable!” “Turns out, you’re just an idiot!” I froze, pressing my lips together, a deep ache in my chest. Actually, I never used to care about these things. When others called me an idiot or a fool, I’d simply pretend not to hear, smiling foolishly up at them. But Lucas cared profoundly. So, through his repeated defense of me, I gradually learned to feel anger. I looked up at the woman, my voice serious. “Apologize. Don’t call me an idiot.” A sneer flickered across the girl’s face as she slowly approached me. The next second, she raised the steaming cup of water in her hand, her expression menacing, and splashed it towards me. The scalding water that had once burned my calf still ached terribly whenever the weather turned bad. So, instinctively, I reached out and pushed the woman. A sharp cry of pain suddenly echoed in the air. “Ah! My hand… it hurts so much… Lucas, boohoo… it hurts…” Before I could even comprehend what had happened, a sharp, stinging pain erupted on my face. The resounding slap reverberated through the empty living room. My head snapped to the side, and I stood frozen. I looked up, meeting Lucas’s cold eyes, his right hand still raised. My ears rang, and a wave of nausea swept over me. I felt so awful, so awful, but Lucas, who had always been so kind to me, didn't notice a thing. He bent down, carefully lifting Eve onto the sofa. Then, he turned, his gaze cold as he asked, “Skylar, have I been too lenient with you?” “Come here, apologize to Eve.” Six years ago, I constantly made mistakes in front of my adopted sister. When paint got into my eyes and blurred my vision, causing me to accidentally knock over her painting, I had to apologize. When my simple mind embarrassed her in front of her classmates by picking her up from school, I had to apologize. When I somehow mistakenly wore her dress at a birthday party, making her cry, I had to apologize. So, when I rescued a dying Lucas from the roadside, I instinctively apologized. If he coughed, I apologized. If he was injured, I apologized. Even when he was angry and sad because I called out for my brother in a dream, I apologized. It was Lucas, again and again, holding me, correcting me, saying, “My Skylar is the best Skylar in the world; you don’t need to apologize to anyone.” For six years, Lucas corrected me nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine times, curing my habit of apologizing to everyone. And now, it was Lucas who said, “Skylar, don’t be temperamental. Apologize to Eve.” I looked up, staring at Lucas for a long time. So long that he started to look uncomfortable, wanting to avert his gaze. Then, slowly, I walked to Eve. I bowed, my head low, and said, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake!” I’m sorry! Skylar made another mistake. Perhaps I bowed too quickly. When I straightened up, my vision swam. I seemed to hear Lucas’s startled cry. The next instant, my body went limp, and I lost consciousness. … “My Skylar! The cutest, most beautiful child in the world, the apple of her brothers’ eyes, their precious treasure.” “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, it’s not our Skylar’s fault. Big brothers will take our Skylar to buy cake to calm down.” “Skylar, come here, let your brothers hug you…” Joyful, exuberant scenes flashed through my consciousness, frame by frame. Not far away, my older brothers, Caleb and Adrian, stood with open arms, their faces wearing my familiar smiles, seemingly waiting for a hug. So, I took heavy steps and ran towards them. Caleb, Adrian, Skylar had such a terrible, terrible nightmare… But before I could reach them, the illusion shattered instantly. The next second, a girl appeared between Caleb and Adrian. They smiled, introducing her to me. “Skylar, this is Lily, your sister. Will you let her play with you from now on, okay?” “Skylar, don’t bully Lily…” “Skylar, apologize to Lily…” “Why, why wasn’t it you who was kidnapped?” “Why wasn’t it you who was threatened to die, but innocent Lily?” “Skylar, we beg you, just die? Will you just die? Please don’t cause us any more trouble!” One moment, it was Caleb and Adrian’s hateful, red eyes. But the next, I was being held between my two brothers, sitting on the eaves. They were smiling, pointing at the stars in the sky for me, their voices light with joy: “Caleb and Adrian, we’ll always be Skylar’s guardian stars.” Brothers, do guardian stars also fall? I called out for my brothers, crying as I woke up, meeting Lucas’s shadowed eyes. “Skylar, you… called out for your brother in your sleep again…” He raised a hand, reaching towards me. The next instant, I closed my eyes, recoiling sharply, instinctively adopting a defensive posture. Lucas froze, and I dared not move. After a long silence, I heard his hoarse, strained voice, asking in disbelief, “Skylar, are you… afraid of me?” Seeing his expression, I instinctively apologized. “I’m sorry…” But the words only seemed to deepen the sorrow on Lucas’s face. He spoke, his voice thick, “Skylar, don’t apologize to me.” I remained silent. Lucas glanced at me, closed his eyes for a moment, then, with great effort, continued, “Skylar, I’m sorry. Last night, finding out the truth so abruptly, I lost control and hurt you.” “I’ve already… punished myself.” “So, Skylar, please don’t be afraid of me, okay?” As he spoke, Lucas stripped off his shirt, revealing a back covered in whip marks. My eyes widened. I sat up abruptly, tears streaming down my face in distress. “Hurts… hurts… no, no punishment…” Lucas smiled nonchalantly, reaching out to grasp my hand, his eyes sparkling. “I knew it. Skylar cares about me most; she wouldn’t want me to hurt.” “So, Skylar, will you forgive me, okay?” My mind was entirely filled with the sight of Lucas’s injured back. Hearing his words, I nodded frantically, wanting him to apply medicine. But before I could speak, Lucas’s grip on my hand tightened involuntarily. When he spoke again, his words were different. “Eve and I are childhood sweethearts.” “We went to the same elementary school, the same middle school, and then the same university, from childhood to adulthood.” “We dated for seven years, got engaged at eighteen, and planned to get married right after graduation.” “But then, my family ran into trouble, and Eve slandered me, landed me in prison, and left without a word.” “I used to wish she would die, but this time, when the Thorne family fell on hard times, she came back. That’s when I found out.” “Everything she did back then was forced by her family. She’s had a truly hard life all these years.” Lucas spoke with such intensity that it was impossible to interrupt him. So, I remained silent, blinking, listening to him recount this past I knew nothing about. When he spoke of Eve’s youthful antics, his lips curved into a soft smile. When he mentioned Eve’s suffering abroad, his brow furrowed with tenderness. By the end of his story, his long-held hatred had transformed back into his initial, pure love. Finally, Lucas concluded, saying, “Skylar, I can’t let Eve down. She’s suffered so much all these years.” I nodded, cooperatively asking, “What do you need me to do?”
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