Chapter 2

I stayed silent for far too long, so my third brother, Nathan, wrapped his arms around me in a panic. Ryan came up, pressing his hand to my forehead. "Carol, are you running a fever? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"You look pale… and there's blood on your lips. Did you bite them because you couldn't stand the pain in your leg?"

They knew about the pain, the pain that had me chewing my lips to pieces.

"Carol, oh Carol," they sobbed, "this is all our fault. We wish we were the ones hurt."

"I'm so useless. If only I could give you my leg..." James lamented.

"I should have taken better care of Carol. I deserve the worst!" Ryan cried.

They were a mess of tears, slapping their own faces until they were streaked pink.

I did not get it.

They claimed to care, but the moment they turned their backs, they became strangers.

I remembered being so hungry I stole a cake and got a beating for it. My brothers threw themselves over me, begging for them to stop.

They took the hits until they bled. They never abandoned me.

Back home, they never said a harsh word.

Yet those same brothers, who supposedly loved me, had lied to me my whole life. They watched me struggle while they scrimped and saved on my behalf.

Jasmine? They treated her like a princess, without a single care in the world.

The pain in my legs worsened, and I could not stop myself from digging into the flesh with my hands.

Their worried faces flashed before me, asking what was wrong.

I swallowed the taste of blood and managed a weak smile.

"It's nothing. I just had a dream where a princess-like girl was celebrating her birthday. Her brothers brought in a whole orchestra to play for her. She had the tallest cake, and a dress prettier than any I've ever seen. They even gave her the black card just like that.

"The New Year's celebration was just a distant echo for me, alone in my rented room, surrounded by a sea of discarded items. "

I caught the flicker of guilt in my brothers' eyes as they exchanged uneasy glances.

They started their well-rehearsed charade.

James had tears streaming down his face, bent before me. "Carol, we've let you down. We worked overtime to pay for your leg treatment, but we had to leave you here after the surgery. We couldn't be by your side."

Ryan gently patted my head as his eyes brimmed with tears. "Carol, we may not have much, but we've given it our all. We want to give you the best. Dreams can't measure up to the love we have for you."

"Come on, the frosting's melting. Eat up," urged Nathan, pushing the cake towards me.

However, the sweetness on my tongue turned bitter, like sugar-coated poison. I barely managed a bite before setting it aside.

"Carol, why did you stop eating? You need sugar to recover from the blood loss after your surgery."

The irony was not lost on me. Jasmine had her orchestra, why didn't I have a medical team?

My fingernails pressed into my palm, I steadied myself before speaking. "I need to be in a hospital."

My leg had not stopped bleeding since the operation. Pus started seeping through the dressings. I had kept silent, bearing the pain, not wanting to burden my brothers.

I had even scavenged for scraps, hoping to trade them for a chance at proper medical care.

"Why the hospital? You seem fine. We're still scraping together funds for your last surgery," they said, their eyes avoiding mine. All of them had a mix of concern and reproach in their gaze.

My heart turned heavy, and I could feel a tremor running through my entire body.

Jasmine's tiara was worth a small fortune, yet all I asked for was a simple 150 dollars bandage treatment to save my own skin.

James gave the others a knowing look and said to me in a soothing tone, "Hey Carol, how about we go get you some bandages tonight?"

"Yeah, bandages are way safer than the agony of surgery. We'll give you a piggyback ride and even get you some painkillers. You won't feel a thing," chimed Ryan.

Nathan gave me a reassuring pat.

I squeezed my hand to steady myself and gave them a nod. I did not want to suffer, and the meds would give me some relief. Plus, the bandages would help keep it clean and in place.

My brothers had just started to unwind when their phones erupted with the same catchy tune, "Baby Jasmine's brothers! Baby Jasmine's brothers!"

That distinctive female voice sent them scrambling for their phones, which they quickly silenced before exchanging worried looks.

"Carol, we just got a call from the site. They need us to pull an all-nighter mixing cement," James lied.

"Right, right, we all got the call. Looks like it's pretty urgent," Ryan added.

"Carol, you'll have to tough it out tonight. You've done it before, and one more day won't kill you. Just don't go wandering off on your own, okay? It's too risky with your leg," Nathan warned.

They did not even wait for my reply before they left, leaving nothing but their retreating shadows.

Staring down at my legs, I whispered to myself, "Is it true…"

Clutching onto hope, I began the arduous task of dragging myself forward with my arms.