Chapter 4

I didn’t look back.

Dignity was never something they gave me.

All they had ever given me was one humiliation after another.

The day Beth left the country, the house was as busy as if we were preparing for a wedding.

As Mom packed her luggage, she kept reminding her,

“Put this medicine in your carry-on. Don’t check it in.”

“Bring two sun hats. You can’t get too tanned—you need to look good in photos.”

“Take that white dress, too. It’ll look beautiful in pictures by the sea.”

My brother checked the camera, power bank, and travel adapters.

Dad urged the driver from the doorway, then turned around and asked,

“Beth, do you have your passport? Let Dad check one more time.”

Beth sat on the couch and said softly,

“Stop hovering around me. I’m not a little kid.”

Mom immediately said.

“You’ll always be my little girl.”

When I dragged my suitcase downstairs, the voices in the living room stopped for a moment.

Mom was the first to frown.

“Why do you have a suitcase?”

I said, “I’m leaving.”

Dad’s expression darkened.

“The new club is about to open. Aren’t you going to oversee the site?”

“I resigned.”

He acted as if he hadn’t heard me.

“Lilith, don’t quit your job just because you’re angry. Your sister is leaving the country, and the family is already in enough chaos.”

“What you should be doing right now is keeping the company stable.”

“When my wedding was canceled, not one of you said the family was in chaos.”

Mom stood up, suppressing her anger.

“Here you go again. Beth is about to board her flight, and you have to cause a scene right now?”

“She finally agreed to go away and clear her head. Can’t you at least let her leave in peace?”

Beth’s eyes immediately reddened.

“Sis, I won’t go. Don’t be angry. I’ll give the money back to you.”

She started reaching for her phone.

My brother immediately grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“Don’t worry about her. She just wants everyone to revolve around her.”

I suddenly laughed.

Revolve around me?

In my twenty-eight years of life, they hadn’t even made a complete meal for me.

Mom rushed over and grabbed my arm.

“Put the suitcase back. You’re not going anywhere today.”

I lowered my eyes to the nails digging into my arm.

“Let go.”

“I won’t! You’re my daughter. Do you really think I can’t tell you what to do anymore?”

I looked at her face.

“When have you ever taken care of me?”

She froze.

Dad snapped,

“Lilith! Is that how you talk to your mother?”

My voice was soft, but every word was clear.

“On my eighteenth birthday, you told me Beth was in a bad mood, so I wasn’t allowed to celebrate.”

“On my graduation day, you said Beth had done badly on her exams and was emotionally falling apart, so we couldn’t upset her.”

“On the day I got engaged, every one of you went to the hospital. I stood alone at the entrance of the banquet hall, explaining everything to the Edward family.”

“And this time, you canceled my wedding, transferred away my honeymoon money, and still expected me to oversee the company.”

“Dad, Mom, do you see me as your daughter, or as an employee of the Geller Club?”

The living room fell frighteningly silent.

A flicker of panic crossed Mom’s eyes.

But soon, she started crying again.

“Mom knows you’ve been wronged, but your sister isn’t healthy! She was born prematurely. We owe her so much. Can’t you be a little more understanding?”

So that was the reason.

Because she had been born prematurely, the whole family believed they owed her.

Because I was healthy, I was supposed to bear everything.

But being healthy didn’t mean I couldn’t hurt.

Dad sighed, as if he were running out of patience.

“Lilith, be sensible. We’ll talk about your problems after Beth comes back.”

I shook my head.

“There’s nothing left to talk about.”

I took the key to the house off my keychain and placed it inside the mailbox by the door.

The metal made a soft clink as it landed inside.

Mom’s expression changed.

“What do you mean?”

I pulled up my suitcase.

“You don’t need to leave the door open for me anymore.”

My brother stood at the foot of the stairs and sneered.

“If you walk out now, don’t expect us to come after you. Your wedding won’t have your family’s blessing. Let’s see how you’re going to handle that.”

I didn’t answer.

As I pushed open the door, I heard Mom’s furious voice behind me, thick with tears.

“Lilith, if you dare walk out that door today, I’ll pretend I never gave birth to you!”

I stopped for a second.

Then I said,

“Okay.”

The door closed behind me.

Tomorrow, I would get married in another city.

No parents to give a speech.

No brother to walk me down the aisle.

No sister as my bridesmaid.

But I would have happiness.