Chapter 3

"Did you hurt yourself? Tell me!" Jacob was in a frenzy, completely abandoning his usual composed and brilliant doctor persona.

My arm could not move and was throbbing with pain. My forehead was burning hot too, and I was sure I scraped it.

However, Jacob's anxious face suddenly made me feel a bit relieved. He used to be this nervous about me too.

"Jacob... I... I want to go find Mom..." I whispered.

Jacob's hand froze for a moment as he looked at me with a complex expression. Then, he shouted into the house, "Call an ambulance immediately!"

My father, Axel, and Sean all rushed out upon hearing the noise. Seeing me, their expressions changed.

"What happened?" My father's voice was angry, but his gaze lingered on mine for a moment.

"She... She jumped out of the housekeeper room window."

"She jumped?"

Sean's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Estelle, why are you making a fuss again?"

Axel's face was gloomy. "Is it because you were punished by not being allowed to have dinner? Are you protesting in this way?"

I listened to their statements, feeling disappointed. They still thought it was me making a fuss.

Enduring the pain and using all my might, I responded, "Dad, Brothers, I wasn't making a fuss... I just... I just missed Mom..."

After I said that, my father and brothers suddenly fell silent.

At the hospital, the doctor treated my wound, splinted my arm, and said it was indeed a fracture, so I needed proper care.

Jacob stayed by my side the whole time, his usually calm and brilliant doctor facade replaced by a worried expression. As he bandaged me, the pain was so intense that tears streamed down my face. Instinctively, he reached for candy in his pocket, only to find it empty. He hesitated for a moment, recalling that he had not given me candy in a while. All of the candy now went to Cynthia. Awkwardly, he withdrew his hand, then stiffly patted my back.

My father and brothers stood at the ward door and did not come in.

Sean muttered, "It seems like this time she really injured herself from the fall, but threatening family with self-harm… such behavior needs to be addressed."

My father sighed and did not say anything.

I lay in the hospital bed, staring at the white ceiling.

They thought I was threatening them, but they did not know that I was really leaving.

Once my arm healed, I would try again. Next time, I must succeed in finding my mother.

Even with the cast on my arm, I started looking for new opportunities.

I knew cars often sped through the driveway in front of my house. One afternoon, I hid behind a tree by the roadside when I heard the sound of a car engine approaching.

'Now!' I thought as I lunged out from behind the tree and ran toward the middle of the road with my eyes closed. The expected collision did not happen; instead, a large hand grabbed my collar from behind and dragged me back roughly.

I fell to the ground and looked up to see Axel's livid face.

His chest rose and fell sharply, as if he had sprinted all the way here.

"Estelle! Have you lost your mind? Do you have a death wish?" he practically roared as his eyes filled with fear and anger.

I looked at him, feeling a pang of disappointment as I had almost succeeded.

"Axel, please let me go find Mom, okay?" I whispered.

Axel's eyes instantly became complex and unreadable. He lifted me from the ground, his tone frighteningly harsh. "Don't let me see you do anything so foolish again! Otherwise..."

He did not finish his sentence, but his grip on me as he yanked me back into the house was incredibly strong.

Since I failed, I tried again.

That night, I snuck into the kitchen and found a fruit knife. The knife was so heavy that I could barely hold it with both hands. I copied what I saw on TV and stabbed myself hard in the chest.