Chapter 8

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• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 17

  I arrived at my new home looking bashful. It was the first time I had seen such opulence in my life. My palms grew clammy from the nervousness, and I kept my head low.Craig grabbed my hand. His grasp felt warm. He promised, "Don't worry. I'll protect you. You will be my little sister from now on."I was granted a new name—Eden. The Sainsbury family loved me, and I loved them too. I especially liked being around Craig because he gave me a sense of security I had never experienced before.Craig offered me a cartoon plushie as a gift, but I threw it out because I thought it was ugly. The reason it looked ugly to me was that I spotted another young girl in the family's photos holding the exact same plushie.I had only seen that photo once, but it burned into my memories. A sensitive and timid soul, I held onto these memories tightly.The Sainsbury family must have selected me for a good reason. Every time I threw out the plushie, Craig would buy me an identical one, claiming it was

• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 16

  Unfortunately, a tall young man stood in my way. He was Craig Sainsbury, Cindy's older brother.Craig snapped at me, "Do not stay in touch with Cindy anymore! You're not good enough for her!"I squirmed in shame when Craig scanned me from head to toe with disdain.I insisted, "I want to meet with Cindy. I'll marry her when we're grown up. Get lost!"Still a minor, I hurled a weak punch in Craig's way, which he breezily intercepted. "Cindy Larson is a daughter of the Sainsbury family. A poor guy like you cannot offer her anything. Do not remind her of her old life."I will take good care of my little sister and make her the happiest princess in this world. You and Cindy are different, and your paths will not cross. Just give up."Craig left me a bank card and left. I furiously yelled after him while wiping away my tears, "Keep your word, Craig Sainsbury! Return Cindy to me if you can't keep that promise!"I bellowed until I was spent. Staring at the bank card on the floor, I de

• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 15

  I started to worry that Mom would never pay me any attention again. When Dad asked if I wanted to go with him to adopt a sister from the orphanage, I agreed without hesitation. I silently vowed never to abandon my new sister; that I'd protect her.My previous plan had failed spectacularly. Without Amy, our family was no longer the same. I wallowed and nearly drowned in regret. Often, I'd wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares, but I refused to reveal anything when my parents asked about it, as I was afraid I'd lose everything.I prayed hard that Amy would come home. I had surrendered to fate. I promised to be her bodyguard, protecting her at all times.My anxiety did not stop until a year later, on the 24th of April—the one-year mark of Amy's disappearance—a lovely young girl entered my life. She took Amy's place.After she joined our family, Mom's mood improved significantly. We named her Eden and decided that her birthday would fall on the 24th of April. Every year,

• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 14

  "Come here." I closed my eyes and gave Kevin a kiss on his moist lips.Perhaps, this was the beginning of my farewell. …I believed it was time to get my affairs in order. Kevin was perhaps the only person I trusted.So, I instructed Kevin to sell off the house of my adoptive parents after I passed away and to bury me next to their graves.The profits from selling the house would be donated to cancer patients. On top of that, I planned to donate my corneas. I wanted to see the world in another way.Since I had no offspring or family, after some deliberation, I decided there was no need to bid farewell to anyone.…The weather was sunny on the day I passed away, which was rare for early spring weather. Unfortunately, I did not make it past the one-year mark, as the cancer spread fast.After falling into a coma for three days, I stirred awake, looking exceptionally spirited. "Kevin, I want to meet with Craig."Stunned, Kevin nonetheless agreed to it. In my moments of termina

• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 13

  "It's been 16 years. I'm the one and only daughter of the Sainsbury family, and I will not give up my place to you, even if you drive me mad," Eden said to me.I sank into a prolonged silence. Then, I shook my head. Eden did not lose her sanity. It was all an act to protect her standing in the Sainsbury family.Too bad I couldn't care less for the love and attention she fought so hard to gain.Turning around, I was ready to leave when I bumped into my birth parents. They seemed to have aged a lot, hunching as they approached me.They were here to visit Eden. Panic set in upon the realization. I quickly put on the sunglasses because I did not want them to see me in my current state.Similarly, Eden scrambled to mess up her hair and act crazy. I couldn't help but marvel at her determination to win back her parents' love. For that, she was willing to be warded in a mental asylum and lived a miserable life.Her obsession made her more terrifying than a mad woman.With my head hung l

• The Ugly Truth   Chapter 12

  Craig walked into the room and stood by the hospital bed. He said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I didn't know Eden would come over to disturb you."I looked up, briefly meeting my tired gaze with his. I then chuckled bitterly.Even without Eden telling me, I knew that Craig had been lurking around the corners of the hospital. I had seen him countless times through the clear glass. He was so familiar, yet so distant.For the first time in my life, he had become my protector. But his regrets came too late, and there was no point to it now.I sighed before turning away, no longer looking at Craig.Once Kevin came back, he reached out to pat Craig on his shoulders, asking him to leave. Craig did not resist. He walked out after telling me to get some rest.Was a blood relation really that important? Craig only stood up for me once, yet I no longer hated him as much—in fact, I was even starting to feel sorry for him."It's my fault for not keeping an eye over you," Kevin said as he gent