The attentive Shawn was the first to notice the whip marks on my back and my missing teeth. When he learned they were from my adoptive parents beating me, he burst into tears.
He held my hand and said, "Sharon, I'm sorry."
There was no play for favoritism. Everyone in the family did their best to treat us equally. Whatever Shawn had, I also had. Whatever Shawn didn’t have, they would bring it to me if I ask.
Although I could always sense a slight barrier between us, I was content with this life of well-fed, well-dressed and loved.
Seeing this, Sheryl clenched her fists.
"Sharon, I knew you had bad intentions. My parents and Shawn were so kind to you back then, but you... After all these years, you're still trying to provoke me with that lousy painting. Sharon, you're so shameless! You deserve a horrible death!"
Sheryl stood up angrily, intending to smash the videotape. But the second before her fist fell, she froze in her tracks. Because, in the video, I had revealed a second painting.
This one was of Shawn. He lay there peacefully, his eyes closed, surrounded by pure white lilies. The date was June 10, 2015. The day Shawn died.
I spent two years of peaceful and tranquil life at the Bridgerton Family's. My missing teeth were filled and the burns on my body healed. The scars from years past gradually faded. Just when I thought everything was moving in the right direction, Shawn committed suicide.
Before he died, he left behind a suicide note. Every word was filled with apologies. Only then did I realize that for those two years, Shawn had been subjected to online bullying. Unscrupulous media outlets, seeking attention, fabricated a story about a real young master being swapped with a fake one.
They said Shawn's parents had ruined my life. How could he have taken my place and lived such a good life?
After two years of online bullying, after seeing the horrific wounds on my body, guilt finally overwhelmed this kind and sensible little man. He chose death to atone for his sins.
I remember this sentence in his suicide note. "When my books were shredded and a dead mouse appeared in my drawer, I thought about going home to talk to my parents and sister. But when I saw the scars on Sharon's body, I was speechless. What I've been through is not even one-tenth of what she endured. I shouldn't distract my parents and sister anymore, I shouldn't take away the attention that rightfully belongs to him."
So, on a quiet night, Shawn quietly took his own life. He was truly kind, leaving everything he had to me before his death. He didn't even make a sound, afraid to disturb everyone's rest.
It wasn't until dawn that my mother saw Shawn's body. She broke down in tears, traumatized. My father's hair turned gray overnight and he looked decades older. Sheryl, on the other hand, vented all her hatred on me.
She grabbed my hair and knocked me down in front of Shawn's portrait, demanding questions.
"Why?! Why did you do this? Shawn is such a gentle and kind person. After you returned to this family, he's been so tolerant and cautious. Why did you force him to death?"
I didn't know what to explain it.
