A Canvas Stained with Tears

The day before the painting competition, I was dragged into a dark alley by a gang of beggars—more than a dozen of them. When they finally left me there, broken and discarded like a piece of trash, my bladder had ruptured and my arms and legs were shattered.

When they found me, my body was barely holding on. My brother, Ferry Jain, flew into a rage, offering a hefty reward for anyone who could find the culprits. Meanwhile, my childhood friend—Chris Hoffman—immediately chartered a private jet, bringing in a team of top-tier foreign specialists to perform emergency surgery on me.

But as they wheeled me toward the operating room, I overheard something that froze my blood.

"Ferry, wasn't hiring those beggars to beat Nindy Jain just so Bella Swan could steal her painting a bit too extreme?" Chris whispered.

Ferry let out a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he were the one burdened by suffering. "Nindy just doesn't know when to stop. She's already the esteemed daughter of the Jain Family, yet she still insists on competing with Bella for fame and fortune. She should've learned to step aside."

His voice took on a sharper edge as he continued, "Bella locked herself in her room and refused to eat or drink the moment she heard Nindy was back. She used to rely on me the most and I won’t let anyone bully her—not even Nindy."

Chris hesitated. "But... Nindy is your sister."

Ferry scoffed, as if that was merely an inconvenient detail. "With our family's wealth and power, even if she's been... tainted, there will still be plenty of men willing to marry her. Once Bella secures her gold medal in the painting competition, I’ll make it up to Nindy later."

Make it up to me? I felt hot tears slip silently from the corners of my eyes. What future is left for me when my life is already ruined? This house, filled with lies and betrayal, has never truly been my home.

——

"Mr. Jain, Miss Jain’s injuries are severe," the doctor interjected urgently. "If we delay the surgery any longer, she could be crippled for life—permanently incontinent."

But my brother’s response was ice-cold. "I said no surgery. Are you deaf?"

Chris stiffened, his voice laced with unease. "Ferry, Nindy is already no threat to Bella. In this state, she can’t compete with her anymore. Are you really willing to let your own sister spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair?"

"What’s wrong with that?" Ferry’s tone was indifferent. "Even in a wheelchair, the eldest daughter of the Jain Family is still superior to those lowly commoners. At least this way, she’ll finally learn to accept her place and stop making things difficult for Bella. And even if I never marry, I’ll take care of her for the rest of her life."

His hand, warm yet suffocating, rested on my frozen fingers as he gazed at me with what could only be described as mock affection.

"I promised Bella she would stand on stage for the painting competition tomorrow. The surgery can wait until after that."

My stomach twisted in agony—not just from my broken body, but from the cruel realization that this had never been an accident.

Everything— The ambush. The beating. The betrayal. It was all orchestrated by my own flesh and blood. And the boy who once promised to marry me? Even he was protecting a girl he had only known for a month. The pain of despair was a blade twisting deep in my bones.

I must have been crying, because Chris suddenly gripped my trembling hand, his voice choked with emotion. "Nindy, does it hurt? Just hold on a little longer—I won’t leave your side."

Then he shoved open the door and stormed out, yelling at the staff. "Where the hell is the medical team?! Didn’t I tell you to give her more anesthetic? Why is she still in so much pain?!"

Ferry flinched at the outburst. When he turned and saw my tear-soaked pillow, his expression twisted into something that looked an awful lot like guilt.

"It’s my fault..." he murmured, stroking my hair in mock remorse. "I should’ve protected you better. Don’t worry, I’ll hunt down those bastards—no matter where they run, they won’t escape my wrath."

His grief looked so real, so convincing, that for a moment I almost believed him. But I knew better now. I was nothing more than a pawn in the web of lies he had spun. And there was nothing I could do to escape.