Chapter 3

That day, Mom was absolutely outraged.

But I didn't want to keep giving in to her.

I said, "I'm tired. I don't want to argue with you. I came here today to get the water. I'll say this one more time. The bottle contains water for my laboratory research. You absolutely cannot drink it!"

I looked for the video my friend had recorded while collecting the samples and played it.

There were nine bottles in total. Each was taken at equal intervals from the upper reaches to the lower reaches of the Gorga River.

Some sampling sites were near industrial wastewater discharge, some near the city sewage, and some near animal carcasses. One was even taken beside a half-decomposed human corpse floating in the river.

Anyone who watched the video would feel disgusted.

Yet, Sheryl burst out laughing and said, "Andrea, it's just a few bottles of water. Did you really make up this whole story over them?"

I had no idea where she'd gotten it, but she pulled out one of the bottles and waved it in front of me.

She went on, "The water's crystal clear. How could it possibly be dirty? You're just stingy, and you don't want to share."

I'd paid all of Sheryl's living expenses throughout college. After she graduated, I even used my connections and spent money to help her get a job at a prestigious national company.

Whenever she wanted something, I always did my best to satisfy her. Now, she was calling me selfish.

People who would take others for granted without batting an eye were hopelessly selfish.

My expression became grim. I was about to explain that the water had been treated with alum, which was why it looked so clear even though it was actually full of bacteria and viruses.

But before I could speak, Sheryl had already opened the bottle and taken a swig.

She smacked her lips and jeered, "It's sweet. Imported water really is different. No wonder you kept this from us. Good thing Mom found it. Oh, it's so delicious. The more you refuse to give it to me, the more I want it! What are you going to do about it, huh?"

She kept provoking me while Mom snorted beside her. "I'm telling you, Sheryl just found out last week that she's pregnant. She needs more nutrition right now. From now on, anything good you have must be handed over to her!"

The moment I heard the word "pregnant", my heart skipped a beat.

Sheryl had been married for five years, but she'd never gotten pregnant. She'd taken countless medications and gone through countless injections. Now that she'd finally succeeded, the whole family treasured the baby in her belly more than anything.

No matter what, the child was innocent. Fortunately, she'd only taken one sip. So, there was still time to fix this.

I stared at her slightly swollen belly. Then, I rushed forward and tried to snatch away the rest of the water.

But in the very next second, Mom kicked me to the ground. "What do you think you're doing, Andrea?"

I hurriedly explained, "That water is heavily contaminated and hazardous! If you don't want anything to happen to Sheryl and her baby, give it back to me right now!"

I had barely finished speaking when Mom drove her foot into my stomach and scoffed. "It's just a few bottles of water. How wicked of you to curse your own sister like this."

She looked down at me as though I were a disobedient dog. "I don't like how brazen you've become. Listen to me. Forget one bottle of water—if Sheryl wants anything, you have to give it to her!"

I remembered when I was little, Sheryl had tried to snatch a piece of candy from me and accidentally fell down. Mom punished me by making me kneel on a rolling pin for three days and three nights.

From that day on, I never fought Sheryl over anything ever again.

"Apologize to your sister right now!" Mom screamed hysterically.

I looked up at her with icy defiance. "Never!"

Mom fumed, "Fine. You think I can't force you to comply just because you're a grown-up now? Since everything's out in the open, there's no point pretending anymore. Sheryl has had her eye on those designer clothes of yours for a long time.

"Take them off and give them to her now! Consider it a gift to celebrate her pregnancy. Nothing you have is yours. I gave birth to you. Everything you have belongs to me!"

Like a madwoman, Mom lunged at me and started tearing at my clothes. In no time, she stripped me completely naked.

My mind went blank. I could only scramble to cover my chest and thighs desperately while begging her to let me go.

However, my attempts were futile.

Mom sneered. "You've made far too many mistakes today. Get out and think about what you've done! Let's see if you ever dare make such a fuss over such little things again."

Sheryl put on my clothes and pursed her lips smugly. "You're the best, Mom."

But as for me, I was still dragged outside completely naked, no matter how much I begged.