Chapter 3

What the system said nearly pulled the tears out of me. I awkwardly wiped away the tears at the corner of my eye.

Noah had just walked over to me when Elena suddenly rushed to him, screaming as she grabbed his arm. “Noah, how did you get so badly hurt? You…”

Her words were cut off by my slap. Her face snapped to the side, half of it instantly swelling red. She stared at me in disbelief. Almost at the same time, a forceful palm strike sent me crashing to the ground.

My eldest brother, Felix, pointed at me with fury written all over his face. “Maya! We’ve spoiled you rotten! Apologize to Elena!”

I lay on the floor in a mess, spitting out a trace of blood. “Apologize? What exactly did I do wrong? I go from being a bride to a divorcee, and I still can’t hit the homewrecker?”

Felix’s anger surged even higher. “What nonsense are you talking about? Julian and Elena were always meant to be together! You’re the one who forced your way in! How can I possibly have a sister as shameless as you?!”

I actually laughed out loud. “Shameless? Julian was my fiancé. Now I’m the one who ‘forced my way in’?”

Julian stood there, staring at me coldly. “Our engagement was called off long ago. The Hart family would never accept a woman with a ruined reputation like you.”

My third brother, Zeph Hayes, dragged me up from the ground. “Maya! Apologize!”

I did not say a word. My gaze slowly swept across all of them. Felix looked cold and detached. Zeph’s face was filled with disgust. Julian looked like he wanted me dead.

Noah frowned. His lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

It was just like a year ago. When Elena was constantly seen with Noah, she was mistaken online for a stalker. Noah could not bear it and revealed her identity as the Hayes family heiress on social media.

I, the real heiress, had to take all the backlash for her.

“You always have bodyguards following you. Elena is all alone!”

I was shocked. Hence, I resisted, I cried, and argued.

Back then, they looked at me exactly the same way they did today. I was filled with an indescribable exhaustion, with no strength left even to argue anymore.

I shook off Zeph’s grip and rushed into the living room, grabbing a fruit knife from the table.

Noah tried to run toward me in panic, but Elena clung tightly to his arm.

“Maya, what are you doing?!”

I looked at Elena and broke into a wide smile. “I’m apologizing!”

Without sparing a glance at Felix, Zeph, and Julian, who was on high alert, I raised the knife and drove it cleanly into my chest. Screams erupted everywhere. I laughed even as tears spilled out.

“I’ll pay her back with my life. Is that enough? Are you all happy now?”

Warm, sticky blood poured out wildly. The loss of blood made my vision sway and my body unsteady on its feet.

In the chaos of overlapping screams, all I could see were the men’s faces pale with terror. Noah lunged forward and caught me as I collapsed, screaming like he had lost his mind.

“Call an ambulance!”

…

The smell of disinfectant filled my nose. I opened my eyes. The blinding white ceiling made my heart jump with hope. Did I make it back?

I turned my head slightly and met Felix’s bloodshot eyes. His voice, for the first time, sounded unbearably loud and grating. “Maya! Who taught you to use death to get attention?!”

My irritation grew even worse. Something was pressing uncomfortably under my head.

I reached under and pulled out a slightly worn protection charm. When I was 12, I had a high fever for a full week. The hospital issued three critical condition notices. Zeph climbed a thousand stone stairs on his knees to beg for this protection charm for me.

Later, when Elena was injured, he took it and gave it to her. It had returned to me now.

Still, I only felt annoyed. I flicked my hand and threw it aside.

Just then, Zeph walked into the room and saw it fall to the floor. He lifted his head and stared at me. “Maya, did you just throw that protection charm away?”