When I was being sexually assaulted by a strange man, my brother Sebastian's lavish wedding was taking place downstairs. I called him for help. His cold, disgusted voice came through. "Playing the victim again? Dora, why don't you just die!" I hung up and leaped from the top floor. I landed on the statue at his wedding venue. The statue's wings pierced through my body. I used my last bit of strength. Smiling at Sebastian, I said. "Don't worry... I'm going to die now." Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sanatorium. I saw Sebastian with his head down, on the phone. Light and shadow fell unevenly on his familiar yet strange profile. My nose couldn't help but sting. After our parents died, Sebastian and I had relied on each other growing up. He was my strongest support. But I hadn't seen him in three years. The attending physician grabbed me, his clammy breath spraying on my neck. "Dora, about the treatment process—you need to learn to keep your mouth shut, understand?" A chill ran down my spine. I nodded obediently. "I understand." The doctor led me by the hand into the reception room. Sebastian's gaze slid over our clasped hands. His expression showed not a ripple of emotion. He wasn't like this before. Our parents favored sons over daughters, and I grew up under Sebastian's protection. When I was little and craved sweets, he'd secretly use his allowance to buy me candy. When I was naughty, he would shield me in his arms. Letting our mother beat him instead. After our parents died, Sebastian protected me even more carefully. If any man so much as looked at me, his blood pressure would spike. He'd scold them angrily. But now, I was no longer the sister he cherished and protected. Because I had killed the woman he loved most—Melody. Three years ago. On the eve of Sebastian's wedding. Melody and her sister Natalie were in a car accident. Melody died on the spot. And Natalie told Sebastian. "Dora called and told us to drive in the rain to buy cupcakes. That's why we got into the accident." That day, Sebastian ignored my protests. He slapped me twice. "Dora, how could you be so greedy? Don't you know Melody was pregnant! You killed the two people I loved most!" That day, his eyes were bloodshot. He wanted nothing more than to sew shut my mouth—so gluttonous and full of lies. Until Natalie's understanding father stopped Sebastian. "Natural disasters are worse than human error. Don't blame Dora." Only then did Sebastian reluctantly let me go. After Melody's funeral, Sebastian went abroad to manage the business she left behind. To let Sebastian focus on work, Natalie's parents took me in. And my nightmare began.
Sebastian led me toward the parking lot. He didn't say a word the entire way. The Sebastian who used to remind me to be careful even when walking was gone. And I was terrifyingly quiet. I used to have endless things to talk about with Sebastian. But not anymore. Because I was sick. After Sebastian went abroad, Natalie wanted nothing more than for me to die immediately. That year I was a senior in high school, in the same class as Natalie. She would bully me with others every day. One day, she had a group throw me into a sewage ditch in the rain. She said I was a sewer rat, unworthy of living in her family's home. Then she brought me to an abandoned factory. Her three followers stripped off my clothes and pressed cigarette butts hard into my arms. Hearing my anguished screams excited them. Those disgusting bodies pressed onto me one after another. They complained about how dirty and smelly I was from the filthy water while violating me at will. And Natalie turned on her phone, recording every expression and movement with her camera. Afterward, they threatened me with the video not to report it to the police, then left. I dragged my broken body up and called Sebastian. Crying, I said Natalie and her followers had bullied me. Sebastian paused. "Dora, you owe the family a life, but they took you in without holding a grudge. Natalie was very close to her sister. She's just venting. Why are you being so unreasonable? Don't you know how to be grateful?" In that moment, my heart shattered along with my filthy body. I gripped the phone and finally told him the truth. "Sebastian, it wasn't ordinary bullying... Natalie had people sexually assault me in turns. Please come back and take me away from this family, okay?" But my desperate pleading didn't earn Sebastian's sympathy or trust. Because Natalie produced a forged gynecological examination report. In black and white, it was crystal clear. "No bodily fluids detected, no evidence of sexual assault... old hymenal tear." When Sebastian received the photo of the diagnosis. His roar nearly burst my eardrums. "Dora! You degraded yourself! You already slept around with men and now you're falsely accusing Natalie! You've disappointed me so much!" Sebastian hung up. And never contacted me again after that. That day, I dragged my broken body home. I scrubbed my skin raw until it bled. I had thought about ending my life. But when I thought of Sebastian. I retreated from the idea. I couldn't die, because Sebastian only had me as family. If I died, Sebastian wouldn't be able to go on living. I hid all my grievances, studied desperately, and tried my hardest to stay alive. All I thought about was. After the SATs end, after Sebastian returns home. My days would get better. But Natalie didn't give me that chance. Three days before the SATs. She tied me up and threw me in a field during a torrential downpour. I developed a high fever and missed the SATs. And she sent me to a psychiatric sanatorium. She told the doctor I frequently self-harmed and then played the victim in front of others. That day, I was diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome. A condition where people seek attention and sympathy through lies or self-harm. All my injuries were classified as self-inflicted, all my protests classified as lies. I was admitted to that hellish sanatorium. I stayed there for two years.
Sebastian brought me to the cemetery. Kneeling before Melody's tombstone, I could no longer control my tears. Sebastian tossed me a few tissues. "How dare you cry in front of Melody? Put away your cheap tears, don't defile her tombstone." He didn't know I wished more than anyone that she was still alive. That way she could tell everyone about the phone call I made to her before the accident. I was only reminding her the weather was bad and to come home early. I never said anything about asking her to buy me cupcakes. I wiped away my tears and apologized to Melody's photo. "Melody, I'm sorry." The attending physician said as long as I learned to be compliant, Sebastian wouldn't hate me anymore. Sebastian was my only family left in this world. It didn't matter if I was wronged, it didn't matter if he misunderstood me. As long as he didn't abandon me. After I knelt down, my sleeve rolled up. Sebastian suddenly gripped my wrist tightly. He pulled up my sleeve. My arm was covered with horrifying scars. From whipping, from knife cuts, and from cigarette burns. Below the scars, there was even a tattoo! "Self-harm, tattoos, smoking—Dora, do you have to degrade yourself like this? "Just to make me feel sorry for you, you hurt yourself this way? "If you don't love yourself, then just go die!" I wanted to explain, but in the end I held it back. Everyone knew I had Munchausen syndrome. Sebastian wouldn't believe any truth that came from my mouth. All my injuries, and that tattoo. Were all forced on me by Natalie after Sebastian went abroad. In those dark days. Natalie trampled me at will. She thought this would make me want to die. But I didn't. My endurance made her worse. My resilience drove her crazy. Later, Natalie went mad and force-fed me laxatives. She watched me lose control in front of everyone. She pinched her nose and walked toward me. Whispering to me. "Dora, do you know why I hate you so much? Because you ruined my relationship with Sebastian." Natalie said she and her sister both liked Sebastian. But because I was more attached to Melody, Sebastian fell in love with Melody. "Dora, I hate Melody, and I hate you too. You don't know this, but that day it was my suggestion for her to buy cupcakes..." So it was clearly Natalie's suggestion that took her own sister's life. Yet she pinned the blame on me. That day, she led me away in front of the entire school. Everyone said Natalie was kind, to endure my foul odor from losing control and take me away to clean up. But no one knew. She threw me into a field during a torrential downpour. That day I went back and developed a high fever. I called out Sebastian's name. This completely enraged Natalie. She pulled up those videos on her phone. "Dora, if your brother saw how wanton you look in these videos, would he still like you?" I forced myself up to grab her phone. But she suddenly threw herself down the stairs. That day, Natalie's mother sent Sebastian the surveillance footage of me pushing Natalie. Natalie suggested taking me to a psychiatric sanatorium for treatment. Sebastian agreed without a second thought. He trusted the family too much. So he had no idea what I went through. Looking at Sebastian before me. I recalled the day our parents died. He held me and said. "Don't be afraid, Dora. From now on, no matter what happens, Sebastian will protect you." My eyes stung. I tried to explain to him. But then I saw him caressing Melody's tombstone. "Melody, I'm back. Mom and Dad want me to try things out with Natalie. Would you bless us?"
My throat tightened. I swallowed all my protests. I didn't know how I got in the car. When I came to, we had already arrived at the family's villa. The family had prepared a lavish dinner to welcome us. Natalie passed by me, whispering in my ear. "I specially made cupcakes for you. You must eat them all." My stomach convulsed. After Sebastian went abroad, Natalie would prepare cupcakes for me every meal. Under her intimidation, I had no choice but to eat them. And every time I ate them, it made Natalie's mother break down. Gradually, Natalie's mother looked at me with increasing hatred. Eventually, even when she witnessed Natalie bullying me with her own eyes. She would choose to turn a blind eye. So when the family sent me to the sanatorium. I even felt somewhat relieved. Because I wouldn't have to eat cupcakes anymore. But what I didn't expect was that when I got there, not only did I have to eat them. They were also laced with things. The attending physician put meat worms and cockroaches in the cakes. He even used rat meat and snake meat to replace the fruit. Forcing me to eat. When I refused, he'd use a cattle prod. Later, I'd be so scared I'd wet myself just hearing the word cupcake. Only then was the attending physician satisfied. I sat at the table, trembling all over. Natalie's mother sighed. "Dora, the way you're acting makes your brother think you've suffered so much in our home." Sebastian looked at me coldly. "Dora, what are you being fragile about now? You can't even eat a meal without wanting me to feel sorry for you?" Before, whenever I sat at the table in a daze. Sebastian would always thoughtfully ask if there were no dishes to my taste. But now, my pain was treated as affectation. I forced down my nausea and picked up that cupcake, eating it in large bites. Sebastian froze for a few seconds. Suddenly he snatched my bowl and slapped me twice. "Dora! Melody died because of this thing, and you can still eat it!"
My face stung. But I felt a sense of relief in my heart. Because the bowl was knocked over, I didn't have to eat anymore. Natalie cried out and rushed over to shield me. Choking up, she said to Sebastian. "Sebastian, don't do this. My sister has been gone for three years. You should let go of the past, and let go of Dora's mistake too." With that. She brought me to the bathroom to clean up. As soon as we entered, she pinned me against the wall. "Dora, you see now, don't you? You're nothing in your brother's heart! Complaining won't help!" My body slowly slid down. "Natalie, I won't tell Sebastian anything. Sebastian took me to the cemetery today. I already admitted it was my fault in front of him and apologized to Melody." Natalie yanked me up viciously. "You went to the cemetery?" A trace of triumphant laughter slid through my eyes. I knew she was angry. Natalie grabbed my throat. "What are you smiling about? Smiling because I have no place in his heart?" As she spoke, she pulled out a razor blade from somewhere. She grabbed my wrist and slashed it directly. Blood gushed out. Natalie screamed! "Sebastian, Dora's trying to kill herself!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "388502", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster