Chapter 4

My parents rushed in at the sound of the crash.

The first thing they saw was Lily kneeling in the sharp shards, her legs bleeding and covered in burns.

"Slap!"

My mom’s hand whipped across my face. Her long nails scratched my cheek, leaving a stinging, burning trail.

She pointed a finger at me, screaming:

"Sera, are you insane?!"

"Lily just wanted some of your cooking! Even if you didn't want to make it, did you have to hurt her like this? She is your sister! How can you be so cruel?!"

My dad’s face was dark with rage, his voice booming through the kitchen.

"I regret ever bringing you back from that middle-of-nowhere town!"

"Why didn't you just stay there? You only came back to ruin Lily's life!"

Ethan arrived at the door and took in the scene.

He didn't ask if I was hurt. He didn't even look at my blistered, bright red leg.

Instead, he grabbed the divorce papers from the kitchen counter, aggressively scribbled his signature on them, and threw them violently at my chest.

"You want a divorce?"

"Fine! We're divorced! Get the hell out of this house! I never want to see your face again!"

I opened my mouth. I wanted to tell them so many things.

I wanted to say that Lily threw herself down.

I wanted to say she was the one who grabbed the hot dish and dropped it.

I wanted to say that my leg was burned, too. That it hurt so badly.

But they didn't give me the chance.

Ethan scooped Lily up in his arms and ran out. My parents followed anxiously, murmuring comforts like, "It's okay, sweetheart, we're going to the hospital right now."

Once again, I was left behind.

I looked down at my swollen, blistered leg, and then touched my throbbing, swollen cheek.

The pain was excruciating, but I couldn't cry.

I just felt numb.

Grabbing the kitchen doorframe, I forced myself to stand up.

I stuffed the signed divorce papers into my bag and limped out of the house.

I didn't even have the energy to look back.

All I felt was a profound sense of relief.

Fortunately, the airport had a first-aid station where they bandaged my leg.

I sat in the terminal lounge, closing my eyes, waiting for my gate to open.

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Ethan and Lily had returned.

Seeing the maids cleaning up the kitchen, Ethan asked with a dark expression, "Where is Sera?"

"She causes a scene and just runs away? Tell her to get out here and apologize!"

The maid froze, then replied quietly, "Mrs. Vance left a while ago."

"We don't know where she went. We offered to help dress her wounds, but she ignored us."

Hearing this, Ethan’s eyes darkened, a strange emotion passing through them.

Just then, Lily let out a soft groan of pain from the couch. My mom quickly said, "Ethan, forget about that ungrateful girl!"

"She does nothing but bully Lily. Today is Lily’s birthday, after all. Who cares if she ran off? It’s not like she won’t crawl back eventually."

Ethan was holding a tube of burn cream he had specifically bought an extra copy of.

His expression was tense. "I saw her leg got burned too. No matter what, she needs to treat it."

My dad snorted. "She probably went to a clinic herself. She’s just too ashamed to face us after what she did. Text her later and tell her to come home and apologize to Lily."

Ethan muttered an agreement, but he couldn't shake his uneasiness.

Lily tugged on his arm. "Don't be sad, Ethan."

"It's already dark. Since I'm hurt, let’s just blow out the candles and cut the cake early."

Only then did a smile return to Ethan's face.

The mansion filled with laughter once again. They gathered around Lily, presenting the lavish gifts they had carefully prepared for her.

Though they claimed to "share" the celebration, Lily was always the only one who got to wear the birthday hat and blow out the candles.

But I didn't care anymore.

The flight attendants were kind enough to bring me a wheelchair, making the boarding process much easier.

As I approached the boarding gate, my phone buzzed.

It was two notifications from the family SnapChat group. Ethan had sent two messages:

[Where are you? Get back here right now.]

[Lily is about to cut the cake. We bought one for you too this year.]

I stared at the screen and let out a quiet, empty laugh.

I didn't even bother to reply.

I tapped the screen and promptly left the SnapChat group.

Then, I blocked every single one of them—Ethan, my parents, and Lily.

Almost instantly, Ethan tried to call my cell.

As soon as I answered, his usual impatient voice filled the line.

"Sera, what is the meaning of this? Why did you leave the group chat? And why did you block us?"

"Lily already said she doesn't hold a grudge. Just get back here. It’s late, and you’re out there—"

I cut him off, my voice entirely flat.

"I'm not coming back, Ethan."

"We're divorced. You signed the papers yourself."

The line went quiet for a second. Then, Ethan screamed into the receiver:

"What do you mean you're not coming back?!"

"Let me tell you, Sera, stop throwing these childish tantrums—"

Before he could finish, a flight attendant gently leaned down next to me.

"Ma'am, the plane is about to take off. Please switch your phone to airplane mode."

"Thank you, I will," I replied.

Through the speaker, Ethan’s voice suddenly turned panicked.

"Take off? Sera, where are you going?!"

"Answer me, Sera!"

"Beep."

I didn't say another word. I hung up and powered off the phone.

Whether they loved me or not, I didn't care anymore.