Chapter 2

After spending one night in the hospital, I handled the discharge procedures alone.

My right hand was wrapped in thick plaster, suspended from my neck with a sling.

When I returned to the Lynn family villa, there was laughter and joy in the living room.

Ethan and Derek were accompanying Hannah as she opened gifts, celebrating that despite the accident, she had still been awarded first place in the competition for her outstanding performance.

At the sound of the door opening, the laughter stopped abruptly.

Ethan turned his head, and seeing my hand hanging at my chest, his brow immediately furrowed.

"Aria, you didn't come home all night just to pull this victim act?"

He strode over, his tone full of accusation. "The doctor said you only had superficial injuries. Why are you putting on a cast and pretending to be disabled?"

Hannah also stood up from the sofa. Looking at my hand, her eyes immediately reddened, and she fearfully hid behind Derek.

"Aria, I'm sorry... it's all because of me. Are you still blaming me for taking your violin, so you deliberately hurt yourself to punish me?"

Derek immediately shielded Hannah behind him, looking at me with eyes full of disgust.

"Aria, Hannah couldn't sleep all night from guilt. Now you come back deliberately wearing a cast just to make her feel more guilty, don't you?"

He coldly issued an order. "Put away that pitiful act. Don't upset Hannah by being an eyesore in this house."

I looked at these two men who had once sworn to protect me, and surprisingly felt no ripples in my heart.

Before, even if they just frowned slightly, I would anxiously review what I had done wrong.

But now, knowing that my hand was truly ruined, I only found this scene ridiculously absurd.

"Fine. I won't be an eyesore to you anymore," I said calmly, without a single word of rebuttal.

They both froze.

Perhaps accustomed to my usual aggrieved explanations and humble submissions, my sudden compliance made Derek's eyes flash with bewilderment.

But he quickly snorted coldly. "It's best that you can see reason. Stop being so ungrateful all the time."

I walked around them, went straight upstairs, and returned to my room.

There were six days until my flight. I didn't have time to waste on them.

I took out a black garbage bag and clumsily swept the things I had once treasured into it with one hand.

A paint-chipped music box that Ethan had casually tossed to me, a hair clip Derek had bought me.

I once thought these were proof of family affection and love. Now I saw them as nothing more than charity handed out to a beggar.

The next morning.

Unlike the past year when I would wake up an hour early to make stomach-soothing soup for Derek and iron Ethan's suits, I did none of that.

When I came downstairs carrying the garbage bag full of old belongings, I ran right into Ethan and Derek.

Ethan looked at my empty hands and demanded harshly, "Aria, are you deliberately throwing a tantrum because of Hannah winning first place yesterday?"

Derek also frowned, his tone extremely impatient. "Are you done with your tantrum yet? Do you have to force the whole family to revolve around you before you're satisfied?"

I walked to the door and calmly threw the garbage bag into the recycling bin outside.

Then I turned back and looked at them.

"I'm not throwing a tantrum. It's just that my hand is ruined and I can't do these things anymore. From now on, find someone else to do your things."

After speaking, I ignored their livid faces, pushed open the door, and walked out.

I still needed to handle expedited visa procedures.