Chapter 4

Mom and Dad rushed into the kitchen at the sound of the crash. The first thing they saw was Chloe kneeling in the broken ceramic, blood dripping from her sliced legs.

Slap!

Mom raised her hand and struck me hard across the face. Her manicured nails dug into my cheek, leaving a burning trail of agony.

She pointed a shaking finger at me, screaming:

"Nora, are you completely insane?!"

"Chloe just wanted some soup! If you didn't want to make it, you could have just said so! Did you really have to hurt her like this?! She's your sister! How can your heart be so venomous?!"

Dad's face was purple with rage, his voice thundering through the room:

"I regret the day I ever brought you back from that backwater town!"

"Why didn't you just stay there and rot?! Why did you have to come back to this family and torment Chloe?!"

Julian arrived at the doorway, scanning the scene.

He didn't ask if I was hurt. He didn't spare a single glance at my blistered, red, scalding-hot leg.

Instead, he grabbed the divorce papers from the coffee table, scribbled his signature aggressively across the bottom, and hurled them violently into my face.

"You want a divorce?!"

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

I parted my lips, wanting to say so much.

*Chloe dropped it on purpose.*

*She tried to snatch it from my hands and tipped it over.*

*My leg is burned. I'm bleeding too.*

*It hurts so bad.*

None of them gave me the chance to speak.

Julian scooped the weeping Chloe into his arms and sprinted out the door. Mom and Dad hurried anxiously behind him, chanting, "You'll be okay, sweetie, we're going to the hospital right now."

Once again, I was abandoned.

I looked down at my red, blistering shin and felt the stinging swelling on my cheek.

The physical pain flared, but I couldn't cry.

I just felt completely numb.

Leaning against the doorframe for support, I stumbled to my feet.

I gathered the signed divorce agreement, shoved it into my bag, and limped out of the house.

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

All I felt was pure relief.

Thankfully, the airport clinic helped dress and bandage my burn.

I curled up in a corner of the lounge, resting my eyes while waiting for boarding.

By the time Julian returned to the villa with Chloe, I was long gone.

Seeing that the staff had already scrubbed the kitchen clean, he asked with a dark scowl:

"Where's Nora?"

"She thinks she can just cause a disaster and run away? Call her down here to apologize!"

The housekeeper blinked in surprise before answering:

"The mistress left hours ago, sir."

"We don't know where she went. We offered to treat her burns, but she didn't answer."

Hearing that, Julian's expression turned unreadable.

Beside him, Chloe let out another fragile whimper, prompting Mom to snap immediately:

"Julian, stop worrying about that wretched girl!"

"All she does is bully Chloe. Today is Chloe's birthday! So what if she ran off? It's not like she won't crawl back home eventually!"

Julian was holding a bag of burn ointment he had deliberately asked the doctor to prescribe.

An uncomfortable look crossed his face.

"I saw that her leg was badly burned. Regardless, she needs to treat it."

Dad scoffed coldly.

"She probably went to an urgent care clinic herself."

"She feels guilty about what she did and doesn't dare face us. Text her later and tell her to come back and apologize to Chloe properly."

Julian gave a quiet hum of agreement, but his mind remained elsewhere.

Chloe tugged gently on his sleeve.

"Julian, cheer up."

"It's already dark outside after all that chaos. Since I'm hurt, let's just cut the cake and blow out the candles early."

The warm smile returned to Julian's face.

Laughter once again filled the villa as they gathered around Chloe, presenting the lavish gifts they had prepared for her.

Every single year, they claimed we were "making it up" to me, or "celebrating together."

Yet the only person who ever wore the birthday crown, blew out the candles, and cut the cake was Chloe.

None of that mattered to me anymore.

At the gate, a flight attendant noticed my bandaged leg and kindly brought a wheelchair so I wouldn't have to limp down the jet bridge.

As the final boarding call echoed through the speakers, she wheeled me toward the plane.

Passing through the gate, my phone buzzed twice.

In the family group chat, Julian had sent two messages:

[Where are you? Come home right now!]

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

Looking at the screen, I let out a dry, hollow laugh.

I didn't even want to reply.

With a few taps, I smoothly left the family SnapChat group.

Julian, Mom, Dad, Chloe—I deleted and blocked them all in one clean sweep.

Seconds later, Julian's call broke through.

The moment I answered, his usual impatient voice blasted through the speaker.

"Nora! What the hell do you mean by leaving the group and blocking all of us?!"

"Chloe isn't even holding a grudge anymore. Get back here right now! It's the middle of the night, what are you doing wandering outside—"

I cut him off, my voice steady as stone.

"Julian, I'm never coming back."

"We are divorced. You signed the papers with your own hands."

The line went dead silent for a second before Julian roared into the phone:

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

"Let me tell you, Nora, stop throwing these childish tan—"

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

"Excuse me, ma'am, our flight is preparing for takeoff. Please turn off your mobile devices or switch them to airplane mode."

I looked up and nodded. "Of course."

Through the receiver, Julian's voice cracked with sudden, sheer panic.

"Takeoff?! Nora, where are you going?!"

"Answer me, Nora!"

Click.

I hung up without another word, and pressed the power button.

Whether they loved me or hated me...

I didn't want any of it anymore.