Chapter 2

Back then, those pearl earrings were originally the coming-of-age gift my parents had prepared for me.

Sophie was jealous that once I came back, I'd stolen her place.

So she pretended I had pushed her downstairs and ran to my parents, saying I couldn't tolerate her.

I tried desperately to explain myself at the time.

But my parents didn't believe me.

They said Sophie was the child they'd raised with their own hands, sweet and well-behaved since she was little, and that she would never lie.

As for me, I was some kid who'd grown up in the villiage and was full of lies.

They said they'd bring me back once I admitted my mistake.

But after that, they never contacted me again.

Not until I got ALS and wanted to go back for treatment.

But my parents said Sophie had lost the use of one leg because of me, and instead of feeling remorse, I was still lying through my teeth.

Then they threw me out again.

Even now, they still thought it was all my fault.

The manager quietly asked me, "You know them?"

I nodded.

They were my parents.

The manager let out a breath of relief. "They don't know you're sick, do they? You should hurry and explain it to them. No parent would fail to understand."

Yeah. Even strangers felt sorry for me.

But my own parents were insisting on docking my pay. "You dropped Sophie's pearl earring, so you'll be the one paying for it."

David instructed the manager, "From now on, send her wages straight to this card."

I froze.

I needed that paycheck to buy my medicine.

There was no miracle cure for ALS. All I could do was take medicine to ease it.

Otherwise, my condition would only get worse and worse.

I begged them.

But they still withheld my pay for the month and handed the card over to Sophie.

They said, "This money wouldn't even cover one blouse for Sophie.

"But at least it's you paying for your own mistake."

As they turned to leave, I shouted after them, "That's the money keeping me alive!"

But they didn't even spare me a glance.

I went back into the restroom and picked up the pearl earring.

I washed it carefully, planning to keep it as a memento.

After all, it had once been my parents' coming-of-age gift for me.

It was kind of pathetic, really.

That was the only gift I'd ever gotten in my whole life.

But the pearl earring was snatched away from me.

Sophie's voice came from behind me. "Dad, Mom, come look. Emily's trying to keep the earring for herself.

"Maybe she wants to wash it off and sell it for cash."

She dragged me outside.

David looked at me with nothing but disgust in his eyes, "Emily Dawson, all you care about is money now."

He had someone snatch the pearl earring from my hand and flush it down the toilet. "I'd rather throw it away than let you have it."

I collapsed to the floor and heard the toilet flush.

I had thought that at least before I died, I could keep that earring as something to hold on to.

Turns out I couldn't keep even that.

As Sophie was leaving, she smiled at me.

Her lips formed the words, "I'm going to take every single thing that's yours."

I went back into the restroom and searched again.

The pearl earring was gone for good.

Feeling sorry for me, the manager asked curiously, "Are they really your parents? Why do they treat you like an enemy?"

Every muscle in my body twitched nonstop, and the pain had sweat soaking through me.

I had no energy to answer him.

He pulled a few bills out of his wallet. "This is all I can spare, but you've got to eat something."

I thanked him and promised I'd pay him back.

The manager answered softly, "Okay."