Chapter 6

When I found out the real reason Grandma abandoned me, I froze on the spot.

Ever since I could remember, Mom and Dad were always distant with me. They didn't even want me at home, so they sent me to live with Grandma in the countryside.

Grandma was the only one who ever made me feel loved.

She was my first teacher. She taught me how to read and write, took me fishing by the pond, and let me run wild in the fields.

But after Mom and Dad took me back home, Grandma stopped visiting me altogether. I never figured out why.

One time, I couldn't take it anymore.

I kept hoping that the sweet old lady would come by, but she never showed up. So I finally asked Mom, "Why doesn't Grandma ever come to our house?"

Mom's face turned cold, and she snapped, "Grandma doesn't like you. Don't ever mention her again."

So it was all just a lie. Mom did it on purpose, trying to tear me and Grandma apart.

With the truth finally out, the pain inside me felt like a raging fire, burning away any reason I had left. My hatred for Mom only grew stronger.

She dragged me away from Grandma, but never cared about me. She let Olivia push me around and acted like my needs didn't even exist. Why did she have to treat me this way?

Grandma found Mom's excuse so far-fetched that it was almost laughable. Her eyes were red with disappointment, and she looked utterly heartbroken as she said, "Cheryl's life has been nothing but suffering."

Then her gaze shifted to Dad and Olivia, both standing there in silence. "Karma's real. Whatever you did to Cheryl, it'd come back to haunt you sooner or later."

After saying that, Grandma gave my portrait a deep, lingering look, murmured something under her breath that no one could hear, and slowly walked out alone, leaning on her cane.

I watched her hunched figure disappear, tears streaming down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably.

Grandma told me to wait for her.

After the funeral ended, Mom looked pale and lifeless, as if all the energy had been drained from her.

She stepped out of the car, not even glancing at Dad or Olivia, cradled my urn in her arms, and gently placed it in the cabinet.

Dad yanked off his tie in frustration. "Has your mom lost her mind? Who is she trying to curse with all that nonsense?"

Olivia changed clothes and rushed out. "I'm going out for a while, Mom, Dad."

"Hold it. Where do you think you're going this late?" Dad's face darkened. "Starting tomorrow, you're working at the company."

"I have something to take care of. I'll be at the office on time tomorrow, I promise." Olivia sounded annoyed, barely responding before heading out.

"Leave her be. She's upset about Cheryl, too. Let her get some fresh air," Mom said.

"Spoil her all you want, but you'll only end up hurting her," Dad said.

He scoffed, holding his lower back as he made his way upstairs. His back pain had flared up again, and he could barely stand it.

Mom immediately followed, noticing something was wrong. "Is your back pain acting up again?"

When Dad didn't respond, she hurried over and found him standing in the storage room, completely still, as if he'd been struck dumb.

With a flick, the room was suddenly bathed in light.

On the table, five brand-new, unopened back braces were lined up neatly. Nearby, pain relief patches and hot water bags had been left untouched for so long that they'd gathered dust.

On the wall, a poster showed exercises for easing back pain, and just in case the person who needed it couldn't figure it out, the margins were filled with extra notes and reminders.

"Cheryl got all this for me, but I'm only just seeing it now." Dad's voice trembled, and he couldn't look away. He just stood there, staring at everything in front of him.

He'd struggled with chronic back pain for years, and every so often, it would flare up so bad that he'd be left in utter misery.

I couldn't bear to see him suffer, so I went all over the country searching for help at traditional medicine clinics, bought him back braces and pain relief patches, and kept urging him to stick to his rehab exercises.

But Dad never trusted my methods. He always thought he was wiser just because he'd been around longer, like I had no business meddling in his affairs.

In the end, everything I got for him was tossed aside in the storage room, left to gather dust, never touched by anyone.

Dad choked out, "Cheryl, I'm so sorry. I never took you to the amusement park like I promised, and I never gave you the company either.

"I did nothing for you, but I still enjoyed all your care. I'm not worthy of being your father."

Dad finally realized how much I'd cared about his health, but he was the one who'd destroyed it all himself.

I watched him break down, clenching his fist so tightly as he sobbed, but my heart stayed cold and empty.

All he regretted was losing the daughter who made his life easier. It was never about loving me.

After Dad had an emotional breakdown, his health took a nosedive. He fell seriously ill, and Mom had no choice but to send him to a private hospital to recuperate.

With Dad out of commission, the company was left entirely in Olivia's hands.

Mom wasn't always all about Olivia anymore. More than once, I would see her sitting in front of my urn and staring blankly, holding the stuffed toy I used to play with as a kid.

Suddenly, the phone started ringing in the silent living room.

Mom picked up her phone and unlocked the screen.

"Is this Olivia Foster's mom? She was detained after a fight. She wanted me to let you know," said the caller.

The news was like a bomb going off for Mom, completely blowing up her image of Olivia as the sweet, fragile girl she always thought she knew.

Mom raced straight to the police station and got the full story. It was nearly midnight before she finally bailed Olivia out and brought her home.

"So that's it," Mom raised her voice, pointing right at Olivia. "Everything your grandma said was true, wasn't it? You were never really sick. You were just putting on an act for me all this time!

"That trip to the snowy mountain—you weren't sick at all, were you?"