They wanted me to live in disgrace, drowning in the contempt of others, unable to lift my head.
And now... who were they putting on this act for?
A doctor rushed in with a stretcher, pushing me toward the operating room. Before I was wheeled inside, Marco gently ruffled my hair, his voice was full of tenderness.
"Be good, Elaina. We’ll be right outside waiting for you. It’ll be over soon."
Shortly after, the cold, sterile instruments invaded my body, twisting and churning.
And just like that, any last remnants of warmth within me were extinguished.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the hospital ward.
The doctor’s voice was heavy with regret. "The delay was too long. The damage to her pelvis is permanent—she likely won’t be able to walk again. As for the uterus, we had to remove it."
"The most severe issue is the extensive damage to her lower body. She will no longer be able to take care of herself and will require constant assistance."
Marco’s eyes turned red. "No... No... How could this happen...?"
"Doctor, please, I'm begging you—save my sister! She’s still so young... She can’t..." His voice broke, and in the next moment, he was holding me tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Elaina, I swear I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life. If needed, we’ll go abroad for treatment. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you just like before."
Silent tears slid down my cheeks.
I wanted to ask him—
"Brother, is this the outcome you wanted?"
But before I could say anything, his phone rang.
The moment he glanced at the caller ID, the corners of his lips twitched upward, unable to suppress his joy.
Yet, perhaps feeling guilty, he hesitated to leave me alone in the room.
So instead, he hurriedly pulled up a movie on his work laptop before rushing out.
Left alone, I was overcome by a strange impulse.
I browsed through his computer files and discovered a private folder labeled [Val].
Clicking into it, I was met with an overwhelming sea of photos.
Thousands of images—9999 to be exact—all taken over the past few years during summer and winter vacations.
Every single one captured moments of the three of them—Marco, Colson, and Valerie—traveling together.
Each photo was saved in duplicate.
One set was carefully labeled: [My dearest little sister—today she ate this, wore that.]
The other set bore a different title: [My proud elder sister—today she said this, sang that.]
Meanwhile—the pictures I had sent them—of myself at the school track, in the cafeteria, the library—
They were all in the recycle bin.
Not a single one was missing.
It all made sense now.
Every time I asked to travel with them, Marco had said he was too busy with work.
Colson had claimed he had club activities.
But the truth was, they weren’t busy.
They were just traveling the world with someone else.
And I—I had spent years pushing myself to excel, struggling to get into the best economics graduate program, all so I could ease Marco’s burdens.
Only for him to hand over my future to another person without a second thought.
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. I felt myself shattered completely.
For a long time, I lay in bed, unmoving. Then, I picked up my phone and dialed my mentor's number.
"Professor, about that research project abroad... I’ve decided to accept the offer."
There was a brief pause before he responded with enthusiasm.
"Good! I knew you should go abroad instead of staying stuck at home!"
Yes.
I had turned down countless opportunities over the years—because I couldn’t bear to leave Marcos and Colson behind.
But now, they had made the choice for me.
"I just have one request," I continued. "I want my identity permanently erased."
A short silence ensued. Then, he agreed. "Understood. When can you leave?"
"I'll leave the day after tomorrow," I answered firmly.
"Who’s leaving?"
The call had barely ended when the door swung open. Marco stood there, his expression was unreadable.
Obviously, he had heard everything.
A flicker of panic crossed his face.
I swiftly locked my phone screen, keeping my expression neutral.
"It’s nothing," I said smoothly, my voice steady. "I was just asking how soon I can be discharged."
