Chapter 4

By the time I rushed back, the crowd had already scattered.

The wooden door was ruined, covered in red paint and disgusting insults.

This house was the last piece of memory my dad had left behind.

I knelt on the ground, my shoulders shaking violently.

I remembered when my dad passed away. Ethan had stayed by my side, staying awake for days to help me handle everything.

I had cried and asked him if I was a burden.

He had squeezed my hand tightly:

"Chloe, we are family. This is what family does."

The man who once called me family was the very person who destroyed my father's legacy.

Before I could catch my breath, my phone buzzed with dozens of text messages from Ethan.

[Get to the hospital right now. Your mom is in critical condition.]

My mind went entirely blank. I wiped my tears and ran to the hospital like a madwoman.

The moment I arrived, the doctor was looking for family members to sign papers.

Ethan was standing nearby, his face pale.

"The doctor said... they did everything they could."

My blood froze. I couldn't move.

The grief and anger rushed back, suffocating me.

The doctor remained silent for a moment before handing me the phone my mother had been clutching tightly before she died.

"The patient suffered a severe stress-induced stroke."

On the screen was a video Serena had sent to my mother.

In the video, the house my father left behind was completely trashed.

Even the only photo of my mom and dad was smashed on the floor, kicked aside like garbage.

The audio was filled with the vandals' cruel curses and laughter.

I couldn't even imagine how much pain my mother must have felt when she watched that video.

I bit my lip so hard it bled to suppress my scream.

I stumbled and fell to my knees beside my mother's bed.

Her cold hand, covered in rough calluses from years of hard work, lay still under the white sheet.

She had worked hard her entire life, and the last thing she saw before she died was the destruction of the home her husband had left her.

I took her cold hand in mine, my voice cracking:

"Mom... I'm so sorry I was late."

Ethan stepped forward and tried to wrap his arms around me, just like he used to do.

"Cry if you want to. I'm here."

Rage boiled over. I shoved him away with all my strength and held up the phone.

"Ethan! You and Serena killed my mother!"

I screamed like a maniac, my hair messy and my eyes wild.

He froze, opening his mouth to explain.

But I didn't want to hear another word. My voice went dead cold.

"Ethan, we are done. Get out of my life."

I turned around, gathered my mother's belongings, and left the hospital.

When I got back to the apartment, I noticed that the family photo in the hallway had been replaced.

In its place was a trophy from Serena's studio.

Tears streamed down my face. The pain washed over me like freezing water.

My mind was completely blank.

Then, my phone buzzed with messages from Ethan.

[Chloe, Serena says her studio's warehouse is too small.]

[I'll have someone clean up the red paint in a few days. Let's transfer the deed to Serena so she can use it as a warehouse.]

[Anyway, you never liked the decoration there. It's just sitting empty.]

Seeing him act like nothing had happened, my heart was already numb. I didn't even have the energy to be angry.

A second later, he sent an address.

[Tomorrow is the promotion party. The Sterling Group's shareholders and many investors will be there. Bring the house deed and hand it to Serena in person.]

[Dress up a bit. Don't be late.]

Ethan knew I had just lost both of my parents.

He thought he was still my only source of light, just like in the past.

He believed I couldn't live without him and wouldn't dare refuse his demands.

But he forgot that I was no longer the girl who revolved around him.

The next morning, my lawyer arrived with all the prepared documents.

The house deed felt hot in my hands.

I gently ran my fingers over the names on it.

Once everything was ready, I took a cab to the hotel.

I pushed the heavy doors open.

Serena and Ethan were standing in the center of the room, dressed in designer evening wear, looking like a perfect, golden couple.

Serena saw me first.

With a sweet smile, she linked her arm with Ethan's and walked over.

"Chloe, Ethan was just saying he was going to pick you up."

I didn't bother talking to them.

I turned around and found a seat in the back.

When the ceremony started, Serena suddenly looked in my direction.

"Ethan told me he prepared a very special gift for me today."

Ethan walked over, grabbed my hand, and led me to the stage.

"I set this up for you. This will quickly change the public's opinion of you," he whispered.

"Be good. Hand the deed to Serena, and apologize to her."

I walked up to the microphone and handed the folder to Serena.

The cameras instantly focused on the document in her hands.

The entire room held its breath, watching her smug face turn completely white the moment she opened it.