Watching the two of them put on such a sincere performance in front of me,
I could only let out a bitter smile.
But the ones who truly betrayed me,
who hurt me more than anyone else,
are you?
I closed my eyes weakly. After a long silence, I spoke, already knowing the answer.
“Sister, when will the operation start? The pain is unbearable…”
Upon hearing this, my sister suddenly slapped herself hard, her voice trembling with guilt.
“Bert, I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault for being so useless… I couldn’t even invite a top medical expert to treat you.”
“I just don’t trust any other doctors. What if they make a mistake and leave you with permanent complications? You’re still young… You’ll get married and have a family in the future…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go to her in person and kneel if I have to. I swear, you’ll have the surgery first thing tomorrow morning.”
She then turned to a nurse.
“Please, give my brother the best anesthesia available. He’s terribly afraid of pain…”
But as the nurse lifted my sleeves, her face turned pale.
She gasped at the sight before her—my body, covered in deep bite marks, raw wounds oozing blood, and in some places, even exposed bone.
She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
“You monster! In all my 20 years of medical experience, I’ve never seen such cruelty!”
Then, turning to me with deep sympathy, she said,
“Young man, I’ll have to inject anesthesia into multiple wounds. Just hang in there.”
The next second, a thick needle—wider than my finger—pierced a festering wound.
I couldn’t take it anymore. The pain was excruciating.
My sister hurriedly shoved her hand into my mouth, afraid I might bite through my tongue.
She also gripped my palm tightly, allowing my nails to dig deep into her arm, leaving behind sharp, red marks.
In that moment, they still acted as though they loved me as they always had…
But I couldn’t feel a trace of warmth anymore.
When I regained consciousness, only ten minutes remained before the guaranteed admission results were announced.
From the bathroom, I overheard my sisters whispering.
“Sister,” one of them said, covering her mouth, “I already spoke with the school. Bert has officially withdrawn his application for the guaranteed admission slot. So… should we release those videos of him being humiliated online?”
Her voice wavered slightly, but her determination was unwavering.
“Post them!”
“We need every student to see them so that Leo can secure the graduate school spot without question. As for Bert, his reputation is already in ruins… This last step won’t make a difference.”
Without hesitation, my sister nodded and immediately contacted a media company.
Tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down like shattered pearls.
I couldn’t believe it.
My own flesh and blood—my sisters—were willing to push me into the abyss for a stepson.
Memories of that nightmare and the sickening sensation of those men touching me crashed over me like a tidal wave.
My entire body began to tremble.
Just then, my sister walked in and saw my reaction.
She rushed to me, holding me tightly, and pulled out her phone. With a cheerful tone, she started a live broadcast.
“Bert, it’s all over now. Come on, let’s watch the graduate school admission results together! It has to be you!”
“When the time comes, Alex and I will send you to school together.”
Her voice was warm, reassuring.
But I only stared at her blankly and whispered,
“Sister… can I still study?”
“Yes! Of course, you can!” she answered instantly.
But as soon as the words left her lips, she averted her gaze, unable to meet my eyes.
Because deep down, she knew better than anyone—
It was impossible.
I would never sit in a bright, pristine classroom again.
The sister who once swore to protect me after our father remarried,
The sister who vowed she would never let anyone hurt me,
Had crushed me with her own hands.
Even the sister who had followed me around since childhood had become my executioner.
And then, through the phone’s speaker, the principal’s excited voice rang out:
“Let us all congratulate Leo Lamb for securing the guaranteed admission to graduate school!”
