Chapter 4

Mom’s expression immediately darkened.

“What do you mean, I took money from your account? I opened that account for you. You eat my food and live under my roof, yet because I used eight thousand dollars, you’re calling me a thief?”

“But I earned every dollar in that account myself.”

If our family had truly been in financial trouble, I wouldn’t have refused to help.

But Mom had taken everything I had saved over three years simply to buy Lily an expensive piece of jewelry she didn’t need.

“Having access to the account doesn’t make the money yours. Taking it without my permission is stealing.”

Hearing the argument, Damian and Noah came into the room.

Damian immediately snapped at me.

“Watch how you speak, Evelyn! She’s our mother, not a thief.”

Noah frowned as well.

“We’re family. There’s no reason to use such ugly words. Besides, Lily is about to start at Blackthorn Academy. What’s wrong with you, as her older sister, giving her a gift to celebrate?”

“The problem is that I didn’t give it to her.”

I turned to Mom.

“Yesterday, you said the twenty thousand dollars Dad gave Lily belonged to her and that she could spend it however she wanted. Why does her money belong to her, while the money I spent three years earning belongs to the entire family?”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Mom avoided my eyes, but quickly regained her self-righteous tone.

“Lily scored six hundred and fifty points. She earned that reward. You only got into an ordinary college, and you can keep living and eating at home. What do you even need eight thousand dollars for?”

“What I use that money for is my decision. Please return it before I leave.”

Lily’s eyes reddened as she tugged on Mom’s sleeve.

“This is all my fault. Maybe we should return the bracelet. Whatever the store won’t refund can come out of my reward money.”

She said she was willing to return it, yet one hand remained protectively over the bracelet. She didn’t even touch the clasp.

Mom immediately stepped in front of her.

“This has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to give up your gift.”

Then she turned and glared at me.

“It’s only eight thousand dollars, and you’re already trying to force your sister to take off her coming-of-age present. Evelyn, how did I raise such a selfish daughter?”

I looked at Noah.

“You know it took me three years of work to save that money.”

His expression remained cold.

“Being your boyfriend doesn’t mean I have to take your side when you’re wrong.”

After that, I lost all desire to keep explaining myself.

Damian grabbed my arm. The force of his Beta strength left me unable to break free.

“Go to your room and calm down. You can come out when you understand what you did wrong and are ready to apologize to Mom and Lily.”

“Let go of me.”

He ignored me.

He dragged me into my room and slammed the door shut.

Before long, I heard them comforting Lily outside. They all assured her that she had done nothing wrong.

According to them, the person destroying this family was the older sister who refused to surrender her savings just to make her younger sister happy.

I looked down at the red marks on my arm and suddenly found that I couldn’t even cry.

The eight thousand dollars mattered, of course.

But what truly devastated me was that none of them believed anything I had could ever belong to me.

If Lily wanted it, they could take my money, my time, and my future.

The moment I refused, I became the selfish one.

I looked at the packed suitcase beside my bed.

I had originally planned to leave the next day. Now, I didn’t want to remain in this house for another minute.

I wiped the tears from my face, pulled up the handle of my suitcase, and opened the door again.

The voices in the living room abruptly fell silent.

The moment Mom saw my suitcase, her expression changed.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

Damian blocked the doorway.

“Because Mom used eight thousand dollars?”

“Because all of you took my money and still think I’m the one in the wrong.”

Noah ordered me to put my suitcase away and stop threatening everyone by running away from home.

I looked at him and said calmly, “Noah, we’re over.”

His expression changed instantly.

“Do you really have to take this so far?”

“All of you chose Lily. Now I’m choosing to leave.”

Dad slammed his hand against the table and pointed toward the door.

“Let her go! Without this family paying her tuition and living expenses, I’d like to see how many days she lasts.”

Mom added coldly, “Evelyn, if you walk out that door today, don’t ever come back.”

They were all waiting for me to become afraid.

They expected me to lower my head and apologize, just as I always had before.

Instead, I simply took hold of my suitcase.

“Fine. From this day forward, I won’t spend another cent of this family’s money—and I won’t come back.”

Then I turned and walked out of the house.

On the way to the airport, Mom sent me one final ultimatum.

[Come home and apologize before tonight, or you’ll never receive another cent from this family.]

I deleted the message and blocked all of their numbers.

Early the next morning, Mom changed into a formal dress and called impatiently from downstairs.

“Evelyn, hurry up and come down. I had the kitchen make spicy stew for you. What happened last night is over.”

There was no response from upstairs.

Frowning, Mom pushed open my bedroom door.

The room was empty.

“She really didn’t come home all night?”

The next second, someone knocked on the front door.

When Mom opened it, a female reporter from Pack TV hurried inside with a cameraman.

“We’re here to interview your daughter.”

Mom smiled and pushed Lily in front of the camera.

“Did the station hear that my daughter Lily Carter was accepted into Blackthorn Academy?”

The reporter frowned.

“Lily Carter? No. We’re here to interview the student who ranked first in the Northern Territory on this year’s Seven Territories College Entrance Exam—Evelyn Carter.”