Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Isn't this that shameless woman from the news? Did she kill herself because the guilt was too much?"

"Good riddance. Women like that are a disgrace to this city."

The onlookers, clueless about the truth, showed no pity. Instead, they condemned a victim who had been bullied to death.

This is the cruelty of public opinion.

My rage hit its peak. My world had completely collapsed. I still remembered that same season years ago―my sister had grown thin and sunburnt, but she still flashed those white teeth at me, pressing a stack of coins into my hand.

She said, "Don't suffer while you're out there. I'm fine. Just focus on your studies."

She could always tell when I was worried, even without me saying a word.

So many years together, we had developed a silent telepathy.

In the end, I didn't argue. I vowed to study hard, and I braided a red string bracelet with my own hands to give to her.

Red usually makes skin look fairer, but her wrists were rough and calloused―the result of scrubbing dishes in ice-cold water during midwinter, all for me.

When I touched her frostbitten skin, she shivered. Perhaps sensing my heartache, she smiled and shook her wrist.

"Pretty, right? This is the best gift I've ever received."

She never took that bracelet off. Even when it looked worn and tattered, Silas used to mock her, calling her a 'country bumpkin' with no taste for wearing such a cheap string.

I had tried to buy her a gold bracelet to replace it, but she was stubborn. She said it was the first gift I'd ever given her and it meant the world to her.

Now, it had become my lifelong regret.

"Get out of the way! She wasn't what you say she was! She wasn't!"

I lunged into the crowd, hysterical, and cradled her. She had no breath left in her, and her bones were shattered from the fall. From that height, how much must she have suffered?

How hopeless must she have felt?

My heart felt like it had been pierced by a thousand daggers, bleeding out.

Why didn't you wait for me?

Maybe, just maybe, if you'd waited a little longer, Silas would have had the time to save you.

I bit my lip until it bled. I knew I was lying to myself. Silas would never have done it, and my sister couldn't have lasted another second.

She had spent half her life in the shadows, half in kindness. She had always protected me in my weakest moments, but when she faced the darkness alone, she was just a girl. How had she survived those agonizing days and nights?

I cried until I lost my voice, carrying her away from the crowd. I didn't want her to hear these vile words even in death.

As I took her to the crematorium, Silas called.

"Chloe's out of medicine. Bring it to her!"

His entitled tone made my chest tighten. I knew he had never liked me. We had met through a setup, and he'd been clear from the start: he had a first love he couldn't let go of.

At the time, I just wanted to marry young so my sister wouldn't worry. Silas seemed 'good enough.' It wasn't until after the wedding that I realized the longer we were together, the more I loved him―submissively, losing my sense of self.

My sister never interfered in our marriage. Even when facing his open hostility and disdain, she always gave selflessly, never complaining.

My kind sister had never enjoyed a single day of happiness because of me, and now she was gone.

My heart felt shredded. At that moment, I realized I didn't love Silas anymore.

"I'm busy. Don't ever call me for this again."

My voice was icy, but for the sake of our years together, I held back the truly venomous words.

Silas paused. He clearly hadn't expected me, the woman who had always been at his beck and call, to speak to him like that.

"Summer, how long are you going to throw this tantrum? You and that woman aren't even related! I'm your family under the law! You're picking a fight with me over a shameless woman!"

"You two sisters are sickening!"

As I watched my sister's body turn to ash, and listened to his insults, I ground my teeth.

"Silas, do you think everyone is as two-faced as you, eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot?"

"Summer, your heart is what's dirty. Isn't this just because you're jealous of me being with Chloe? She's all alone in this city; what's wrong with me taking care of her?"

Silas's voice rose to a shout.