Chapter 6 Little PrincessI saw the anger on Dexter's face turn into a smile as he lay back on the sofa.I knew why.It was almost time for our non-blood-related sister to finish school.When I was in elementary school, my little sister came to live with us.She was said to look like our late mother.That was why Dexter was always nice to her.I often wondered if things would be better if I had been more like my mother.At least, my dad and brother wouldn't hate me so much.Lana Bell bounced her way toward Dexter's car, wearing a pristine white mermaid dress. Her nose was touchingly red, and her smile radiant.She truly was a princess who had been pampered since childhood.She knew how to please my brother and dad. She could easily get others' love, unlike me, who was not good at talking and was too afraid to speak up.Every time I tried to question or cry, Dexter would respond with even greater insults and violence.Dexter put Lana on his lap and rubbed her face."You ar
Chapter 7 Disgusting"Don't call Carrie that. She might just be throwing a tantrum."It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have been so angry at you."See how pretentious Lana was?I couldn't associate the girl in front of me with our gentle mother in the photo.Did they really look alike?"Lana, you're so kind. Caroline treats you so poorly, yet you always defend her." Dexter gently touched Lana's forehead, his movements gentle."According to Dad's will, the property is to be split equally between Caroline and me."But she has been acting crazy. How could such a person be worthy of being my sister?"So, I plan to change her name into yours on the will, Lana."An indescribable feeling of nausea rose from my stomach.I wanted to leave, but my spirit was spellbound.I couldn't move at all, and my mind buzzed.Dexter's voice reached my ears once again."When Dad was saved, he wanted to see Caroline."He asked me to treat her well and wanted me to say sorry f
Chapter 8 The BullyWhen Lana first arrived, she was relatively nice to me, at least at home.She would timidly follow behind me, calling me sister with a smile.Until she realized that my dad ignored me and my brother treated me poorly, she started treating me badly too.That was when I realized that Lana didn't really love to smile.She once trapped me in the school restroom, allowing other girls to grab my hair and pin me to the ground.Blows landed on my body, parts covered by my clothes. It was a way to teach me a lesson without leaving bruises or marks."Caroline, don't hate me."If you want to hate someone, hate your brother."He allowed all of this. Otherwise, how could I, an adopted daughter, be so bold?"Her words made sense. If it weren't for Dexter's consent, she wouldn't have dared bully me like this.It looked like Dexter really wanted me dead.My hope of Dexter's rescue was dashed, and I started to beg Lana for mercy."It hurts."I was in too much pain to s
Chapter 9 StrugglingCountless times, I returned home with messy hair and disheveled clothes.When Dexter saw it, he only questioned me with a stern face. "Caroline, have you been fooling around?"You're not even 18 yet. Do you think Mom would be happy to see you like this?"I held back my tears and stifled my cry.But I couldn't stop the pain in my body and my heart.I wanted to tell him that it was Lana, together with some boys from our class, who stripped off my clothes and took photos of me.A harmless smile graced Lana's beautiful face."Caroline, if you dare reveal it, I'll spread these photos."Let's see what Dexter will think of you."Did it matter if I revealed it or not? I didn't know.I started taking medication and losing handfuls of hair.But it was useless.I went to a psychological clinic.The doctor gently touched my head, her eyes filled with tenderness and concern that were rare to me.My nose tingled, tears streaming down.I had never received such ki
Chapter 10 Hatred and RevengeAfter I fell ill, my temper became bad.My attitude toward Lana and Dexter worsened.I did poorly in the monthly exam, but I still managed to score better than Lana.I was happy that, at least in terms of academics, I was better than her.I raised my eyes and met her hateful gaze.Then her mouth curled into a sinister smile.At first, I didn't understand what it meant until she left with a few people.Soon after, rumors spread in class that I was a jinx who caused my mother's death.When I returned to my seat during the break, I found dead snakes and poisonous spiders stuffed into my desk.My chair and table were replaced with ones that couldn't be used.The physical humiliation wasn't good enough for Lana, and she resorted to psychological torture. On the way out of school, she flashed a proud smile at me, her round eyes hiding filthy things.I was so angry that my mind went blank.I threw my textbook at her with all my might, hitting her h
Chapter 11 Meeting HerDuring this difficult time, I met her.My soul was torn to pieces. I was physically and mentally exhausted.My lips were cracked. Heavy dark circles were under my eyes. My hair was dry and thin.My mind was confused, and my steps were unsteady.I didn't know where to go, and I finally stopped on a deserted pedestrian overpass.I looked down, seeing few people.That was good.I didn't want to cause a panic.She later said, "When I saw you that day, my first impression was that you were ugly. It wasn't that you were physically unattractive. On the contrary, you were beautiful. It was just that your state was really bad."You looked like an animal dying of thirst in the desert or a fish drowning in the lake."I smiled and patted her hand. "You're talking nonsense. Fish can't drown."She rolled her eyes. "It's that kind of feeling."You were full of gloom and looked like you could die at any moment."My smile froze on my face.In fact, I did plan to ju
Chapter 12 Happy SunshineEvery day spent with Amber McCoy was filled with happiness.True to her name, she was like a little sun that brought joy and delight to others.At least, she was the sun in my life.I had told her more than once, "Amber, I would have died without you."She patted my hand and replied, "Your words are even more pleasing than what those scumbags would say to deceive me."I nodded in agreement because I wasn't lying.After a pause, she held my face in her hands and spoke seriously. "From now on, you're not allowed to die, Caroline."I broke my promise.In truth, I wanted to keep it.Ever since I had been with her, my depression had lessened, and soon I didn't need medication anymore.Amber would take me to eat delicious food, write "Happy Birthday to Carrie" on my birthday cake, ride a motorcycle with me to see the beautiful night view by the river, and sing me the songs she had just composed.She once asked me earnestly, "Carrie, I don't have any fami
Chapter 13 PanicThe fifth day after my death, Dexter's brows furrowed deeper, and he started to panic a little.Before, the longest time I had ever run away from home was three days.Now I looked forward to seeing his reaction when he learned of my death.Amber once told me to live in the moment and to be happy.Soon, my grades plummeted rapidly.They dropped so much that I had to talk with the teachers at school, and Dexter was summoned to the office.When we got home, he predictably blew up at me."Caroline, you're already 18. Can't you be more mature?"Do you think dropping your grades to seek attention is cool?"In the past, I would do anything to gain the attention of my dad and brother.I even saw nosebleeds as a stroke of luck.At least then, Dexter and our dad would gather around me, looking at me a little longer.But now, for me, the meaning of studying hard was lost. I just wanted to follow my heart and live a happier life.I no longer argued with him.Instead
Extra StoryLana couldn't bear the campus violence. She jumped off the high-rise building half a year later.Standing in front of the building, she thought that the seemingly fragile me was quite resilient.After all, I had endured Dexter's emotional abuse for 18 years and suffered from campus bullying for six years, from middle school to high school.I didn't commit suicide, but I was killed in a car accident.How ironic!Upon hearing the news, Dexter just sneered."Serves her right," he said. "She got off easy."Everyone knew Dexter, the young and promising CEO of the Bell Corporation.There was a large photo hanging in his house, rumored to be his sister.Dexter searched through the house and his phone, but he couldn't find a single photo of me.Finally, he found one on my retrieved phone.In the photo, I wore a white dress and a tiara embedded with sparkling diamonds that shimmered in the sunlight.My eyes were bright and joyful, holding a birthday cake in my hands.I
Chapter 23 Forget and LiveDexter revealed a fanatical look, and I was confused.He extended his arms toward me."Carrie, my sister, I finally see you again," he said.I turned away with disgust."Dexter, I told you before," I continued. "I won't call you brother anymore, and I am not your sister."The excitement in his eyes gradually faded, and his arms slowly dropped."Would you be a little happier if I were to die?" he whispered pleadingly."No," I replied. "If possible, I hope that you..."He listened quietly, with a faint smile and nearly pathological devotion."Live a long life and grow old alone."His smile froze. "Carrie, what are you saying?""I'm saying that you can't die," I said. "Because I don't want to see you."Dexter, in this life and the next, I don't want to see you ever again."On the day I left this world, I went to see Eric and Amber one last time.They were standing in front of my grave, paying their respects to me.The wind blew over, and I watche
Chapter 22 Recalling the PastAs if hearing my inner monologue, Dexter suddenly looked up and gazed at the empty room, the place where I used to live. It was so empty, as if no one had ever lived there.Ironically, Lana had everything that I didn't."Carrie, are you here? I can feel your presence," Dexter muttered, lost and disoriented.He sat down in my room.Anita, the housekeeper, came up and sighed."Dexter, restrain your sorrow. Carrie cared about you so much."When you got drunk, she prepared the sobering soup and oatmeal for you."And those eye protection things on your desk, too."Your shirts and other clothes were all ironed by her," she said.Dexter suddenly remembered a long time ago, when he came home drunk and saw me poking my head out timidly from my room, looking at him. At that time, I had just entered middle school, and he was constantly busy with work.What did he do back then?He tried hard to recall."If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been so exh
Chapter 21 Settling ScoresDexter investigated all the things that happened to me.Only then did he realize how much Lana had done behind his back.It turned out he didn't know.I thought he knew everything.I watched as he pulled Lana, who was in class, out of the classroom and dragged her into the girls' restroom.He copied all my experiences, calling over several people to take photos of Lana and anonymously post them on school forums.There was also the matter of her spreading rumors about me and leading people to bully me on campus.When evil rebounded, its power was greater.Lana became notorious.She suffered a thousand times more torment than I did.She knelt outside the door, begging Dexter to spare her.She couldn't understand all of this. Dexter hated me. Wasn't he supposed to be happy about my death?Why did he bother holding Lana accountable for her past actions, settling scores one by one?He acted as if he cared about me so much.Meanwhile, the rapist was
Chapter 20 Ashes to AshesEric and Amber went to find Dexter for my ashes.Their eyes were swollen from crying.I reckoned that bonds couldn't be measured by time. I lived with Dexter for 18 years, but he never hugged me once.He never loved me for a single moment.Most of the love I received in this world came from Amber and Eric.I died on the night when I was rushing toward a new life."Give Carrie's ashes back to us," Amber said icily."Carrie wouldn't want to stay by your side. The last thing she did was leave you, didn't she?"Amber didn't curse at Dexter as bitterly as she had in front of me.She tried to maintain her dignity because she didn't want people to look down on me to become friends with someone who swore all the time."Dexter, I know how much you hate Carrie," Amber continued, staring at Dexter.Dexter's gaze was down as he held my ashes in his hands.He remained silent. What else could he say?But Amber wasn't planning to let him off. "Otherwise, why di
Chapter 19 Mourning the LossThe police skipped that part and found me being hit by a car on the roadside.The police looked sympathetic, patting Dexter's shoulder.They didn't say anything.Dexter collapsed onto the ground, with a lost and bewildered look in his eyes.Time seemed to go back to a long time ago, when he was a child of ten.He watched his sister be born and his mother die.The pain now was no lighter than it was back then.It didn't take Dexter much time to find my body.I lay there quietly, pale, cold, and stiff.The hospital staff lamented, "Poor girl! Only 18, they say."But there were also complaints. "It took so long for her family to come."Their eyes swept over Dexter, expressing dissatisfaction with him.He deserved condemnation, as most of my life was ruined by Dexter.A small part was destroyed by Lana.They were executioners.Holding my body, Dexter said, "Carrie, I'm here to take you home."Are you feeling cold?"He shivered from the cold bu
Chapter 18 Reporting My DisappearanceDexter thought countless times.If that night he had followed his heart to go look for me, things might be different.But he had stopped at the door, thinking that I would come back.No matter how he scolded me, I was still his sister and his only relative in this world."Where did she go?" Dexter wondered.He went to the police station and reported my disappearance."How many days has she been missing?" asked the police."Seven days," Dexter replied guiltily."Are you her brother? Your sister has been missing for seven days, and you're only reporting it now?" said the policeman unpleasantly, his eyes scanning Dexter.A growing sense of unease gradually intensified in Dexter's heart.He couldn't think rationally at all.A voice kept ringing in his ear. "Aren't you afraid something might happen to her?"I hovered in the air, watching Dexter run around like a headless chicken.It was quite funny.For the first time, he was so anxious b
Chapter 17 An Unexpected VisitI didn't expect that Amber would come to my house.She disliked Dexter and would never come to this remote suburb unless she had to escort me home sometimes.She came this time because I hadn't answered her calls for seven days.When Dexter opened the door and saw Amber, with a tattoo on her collarbone and a rebellious hairstyle, his brows furrowed deeply.Just as he was about to speak, Amber said first, "Where have you kept Carrie?"Dexter frowned and asked back condescendingly, "Isn't she hanging out with you guys?"He looked down on everyone who was on good terms with me.But while he could insult me, I wouldn't allow him to insult my friends.Amber was stunned, her eyes widening.Then her face turned cold. "Dexter, are you so heartless?"Your sister has been missing for seven days, and you haven't even looked for her?"Aren't you afraid something might have happened to her?"Dexter's hand gripping the doorknob turned white. I saw a moment
Chapter 16 WorriedOn the seventh day after my death, Dexter decided to go out and look for me for the first time.However, Lana stopped him, saying, "Carrie must have gone to that man's house."If you go and find her now, you may run into her boyfriend."She stopped without making it explicit.Dexter sat down heavily on the leather sofa and threw the car keys aside, abandoning the idea of looking for me.I saw a smug smile on Lana's face.Shortly after, Dexter called his buddy and complained about me. "Caroline has been gone for seven days. She must be fooling around.""Tsk, I've seen your sister a few times at the bar, surrounded by shady characters," said his friend."She's probably in someone's arms now."I listened with a cold face as Dexter and his friend slandered my innocence.It turned out I was a loose woman in his mind.I drifted away, watching the countless lights shining in the distance.I couldn't summon any emotions anymore.I thought of Amber and Eric.Th