Chapter 4

After packing my things, I went to the orphanage where I grew up to say goodbye to the director, Madam Jones, whose hair had gotten grayer over the years.

I had bought her several years' worth of gifts in advance, then gave her a big farewell hug.

"My dearest Madam Jones, I'm leaving this place and going somewhere far, far away. I won't come back here for a long while."

Madam Jones pinched my cheeks and asked, "Did someone bully you and make you unhappy, Joy? Where's your brother and Theodore? Why haven't those two looked after you? You don't look well at all."

I gave a small laugh. "No one bullied me. I've simply found my real family, so please give me your well wishes."

When I left the orphanage, my biological parents called to wish me a happy birthday. Along with their blessings, I received a notification that a million dollars had been transferred into my bank account.

In the description that asked the reason for the transfer, "Happy birthday to our daughter!" was written.

My parents also mentioned that once I returned home, they would throw me an extravagant birthday party to make it up to me.

I wandered the streets alone all day and didn't receive a single message from either Alvin or Theodore.

This made me terribly sad. Previously, the two of them would always race to be the first to send me their wishes. They would also gift me things like plushies or cakes. Basically, there was no chance of them ever forgetting my birthday.

But now, the sky had turned dark, and I still hadn't received any messages from them.

I raised my head, and only then did I realize that I had walked all the way to the beach.

There were a lot of people there, and some kind of banquet was even being held on a cruise ship. I was about to leave when Gwen dashed over and grabbed my arm.

"Joy! I heard that there's going to be a meteor shower tonight, so Alvin and Theodore brought me to the cruise ship to watch it. Come join us!" she exclaimed as she ecstatically pulled me up onto the deck.

Suddenly, she leaned in and whispered tauntingly, "Who do you think is more important to them? Me or you?"

Just as I was feeling confused, she suddenly plastered a horrified look on her face and let go of me. She yelled, "Joy, no! Please, no!"

Then, she spun around and fell straight into the sea while continuing to yell, "Joy! Please, I'm begging you! Don't do this to me!"

To Alvin and Theodore, it appeared as if I had pushed Gwen in. A second later, the two of them dashed over, pushed me aside, and jumped overboard as well.

Together, they pulled Gwen out of the sea. She had split her head when she hit it on a reef, and her face was now covered in blood.

On the way to the hospital, the two men glared at me with blatant hostility. None of them cared that I had broken my arm when they had pushed me aside. I tucked my arm behind my back, not daring to show any pain.

When we arrived at the hospital, they urged the doctor to treat Gwen right away, but after an initial checkup, the doctor, while staring at my arm, said, "This young lady's arm looks more severe. It would be best if she were treated first—"

"She can wait. Treat Gwen first!" Alvin and Theodore both exclaimed, disregarding me once again.

I had lost all sensation in my arm by then. If treatment was delayed, I had a feeling I would never be able to play the piano again.

"Could you treat me first—"

"Shut up! If you hadn't pushed Gwen off the ship, then you wouldn't have gotten injured either! You brought this on yourself!" Alvin interrupted angrily.

"I honestly don't understand why you keep bullying and hurting Gwen! You were an orphan, too! If our family hadn't adopted you, you'd never be living such a wealthy and comfortable life! From this day forward, I'll take Gwen as my younger sister! Don't let me catch you hurting her again!

"And your arm looks perfectly fine! It's not even bleeding, so how can it be severe? Stop pretending, and get out of the way!" he yelled, before slapping me across the face.

I lost my balance and stumbled into the corner. My right hand dangled helplessly.

Theodore looked at me in a panic. "Joy, your arm…"