로그인By the time Stella was released from imprisonment, all that was left of her was skin and bones. She fell to her knees before Sara, her voice trembling. "Mom, I truly am sorry… Please give me another chance." Sara had a frosty expression on her face, her fingers trembling slightly. "You're not saying that because you're afraid of losing us. You're afraid of losing your life of wealth." Sara's words sliced through the air like a sharp blade. Stella froze to the spot, her face turning white instantly. "That's not what it is, Mom… I just feel a lack of security. I'm afraid of being abandoned—" Barnabas, with a dark expression on his face, interjected coldly, "That's enough. Quit the act." Zachary walked forward and yanked Stella up by her arm. In a terrifyingly calm voice, he prompted, "Come with me." He brought her to a cemetery in the countryside. The wind blew, and the skies were gloomy. The moment Stella saw the name on the headstone, she froze. Her knees buckled, and s
Sara's hands froze mid-air. When her hands came into contact with that icy body, she lost it instantly. Her hands shook as she changed Winifred's clothes for the last time. When she removed Winifred's hospital gown, she froze, as if she were struck by lightning.The truth, which she had never gotten a good look at, was now laid bare before her eyes. The greenish-purple bruises, burn marks, old scars, and handprints that had not yet faded… Some were by Winifred's bullies at school, while some were Sara's and Barnabas' own doing. Sara's breath grew ragged. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and her voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Winnie… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Her cries were not loud. They were simply broken. She remained on her knees on the floor, her tears dripping onto Winifred's ice-cold body as if she wanted to wash away all those years of neglect and sin with her tears. Barnabas turned around, his eyes bloodshot and his lips quivering. He forced himself to remain calm. Yet,
Alex Miller stood at the door expressionlessly. "Come with me." Sara and Barnabas stumbled hurriedly through the doors while Zachary followed closely behind. While they rushed in, they even tried to convince themselves by saying, "Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Maybe she's just passed out…" But when they saw the metal door with the words "mortuary" written above it, their footsteps came to a halt. The air felt frozen.Alex pushed the door open gently, revealing a frail form underneath a piece of white cloth.Zachary couldn't hold himself back any longer. He threw the white cloth back abruptly. At that moment, Sara's scream tore through the silence. Barnabas shook, and he almost failed to hold Sara steady. Zachary took a step back, his body shivering and his face as white as a sheet. "This can't be real…" he muttered in a hoarse voice. But that face and those hands that had already gone cold rendered him speechless. Sara was reduced to sobs while Barnabas, forcing h
Eventually, night fell. Stella pushed the door open, only to find the house filled with an eerie silence. The lights in the dining room were on, and all kinds of cakes containing chocolate were laid out on the table. There was a black forest cake, tiramisu, and a mousse cake. Their fragrant scents wafted into the air, filling the room with a cloyingly sweet scent. Stella froze to the spot, her expression dazed. "Mom? Dad? What's the occasion today?" She forced a light-hearted smile, but her voice revealed an uneasiness within her. Sara lifted her head. Her expression was scarily calm. "Aren't chocolate cakes your favorite? Try some." Stella's chest tightened. "I-I'm allergic to chocolate. Have you forgotten?" she responded with a tremor in her voice as she did her best to force a smile. Sara's facial expression remained unchanged. In fact, she tilted her chin up slightly. "In that case, why did you always get Winnie to make chocolate cakes for you?" The atmosphere in
Third-person POV:The lights in the Gardner residence's living room remained lit the entire time. A phone screen glowed, displaying the audio file. Zachary sat by the side, balling his hands into fists. "She sent it," he said, his voice deep, almost carrying a tinge of uneasiness. After some brief hesitation, Sara tapped on "play.""Mom and Dad should only have one daughter, and that daughter is me, not you…"Your sickness is something I nurtured, little by little."I want you to leave this world crawling." The speaker's voice was clear, frigid, and laced with glee. The air in the room came to a standstill. Sara's hand jerked involuntarily, and she almost dropped the phone. Barnabas was livid, yet he did not say a word. After a while, Sara forced herself to calm down. She stammered, "T-this might have been faked." There was a tremor in her voice, as if she were doing her best to cling to the last sliver of hope. "AI technology is so advanced these days. It might have
I curled up into a ball in the cramped and dimly lit motel room. Piercingly cold winds entered through a gap in the window, filling my nose with a damp and moldy stench. I was also once my parents' so-called "pride." That year, the Gardner family's business reached a new high. My mother was busy with her career as a surgeon, while my father took over the legal matters at Gardner Corporation. To maintain the family's reputation, they needed to have a flawless public image, which included having an intelligent daughter with presentable charity work. Thus, they adopted Stella. She was an academically high-performing girl with a meek image from the orphanage, making her the right fit for a charity documentary. Back then, I was such a fool to have thought that having a younger sister would bring joy. In the end, she became my replacement. She claimed that I cheated and my scholarship was taken away; she accused me of plagiarism and stole my thesis; she spread false rumors that







