Chapter 4

The moment I threw myself into Caleb’s arms,

He already recognized me.

Seeing my pleading eyes, Caleb sighed and turned to Officer Davies.

"I'm her brother. Thank you for helping me find my sister."

Liam's expression turned incredulous.

"Fine. Just fine."

He looked at me with a grim face.

"This isn't me forcing you, it's your own choice. Don't regret it later."

With that, he turned and left.

Watching Liam's retreating back, a wave of unspeakable bitterness washed over me.

Isn't this exactly what he wanted?

For me not to return to his family?

Yet why did he look so betrayed?

After everyone else had left, I quietly said to Caleb,

"I'm sorry, I caused you trouble."

"He's your biological brother, isn't he?" Caleb asked.

"If you're having family issues," Caleb advised, "you should go back once you've made up."

I shook my head, memories of my past life flashing through my mind.

I couldn't go back.

Just as I was about to speak, my peripheral vision caught sight of an uncollected pill bottle on the table.

My stomach dropped when I read the label.

Looking at the man whose head was bowed, his expression unreadable, I grabbed Caleb's hand.

"You once told me that if I had no home, you'd be my brother and take care of me for life."

My voice trembled slightly.

"Does that promise still stand now?"

Caleb was silent for a very long time, so long that I thought time itself had stopped.

Finally, he nodded.

"It stands."

I happily threw myself into his arms.

"Then from today on, you're my real brother, and I'm your only sister."

I looked up at him. "We're each other's family."

"Now… Brother, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten all day."

Caleb clearly paused. "Okay, I'll go grocery shopping. What do you want to eat?"

"Tomato scrambled eggs, and just buy whatever else you like."

I said casually.

Caleb nodded and left the house.

I took the opportunity to dump all the pills from the table into a drawer.

Pretending I knew nothing.

However, soon after, there was a knock at the door.

"How are you back so quickly?"

I opened the door, only to see Liam Thompson standing there, his face grim.

"Why are you here?"

Liam grabbed my hand without a word, pulling me toward the door.

"Come with me."

I shook off his hand. "Where are you taking me?"

"Home! Skye Thompson, there's a limit to how much you can fake amnesia! Do you really want to stay in a strange man's house with no proper explanation?"

Liam's voice suddenly carried a hint of fatigue.

"Since we're both back, let's just forget about what happened in the last life. Come home with me and be sensible. Mom and Dad and I won't mistreat you. Stop trying to compete with Mia…"

I cut Liam off.

"What if I said my condition for coming home is for Mia to leave? Would you agree?"

The air instantly froze.

Liam looked at me incredulously, then his eyes filled with hatred.

"I knew it! You truly are evil by nature! Why are you so determined to drive Mia out?"

"Let me tell you, don't even dream about it! Mia has been with Mom and Dad for so many years; in their hearts, she's already like a real daughter!"

"See?" I sneered. "I only proposed the idea, and I haven't even done anything, yet your reaction is so extreme."

"Between Mia and me, it was never fair from the start!"

My voice began to tremble.

"Did any of you ever consider my feelings? Was I abducted willingly? Do you know how much I suffered during those years I was kidnapped?"

"Why should I be magnanimous enough to accept that the love that was originally mine is now split with someone else?"

"It was your own fault for being so reckless and getting abducted in the first place!"

Liam blurted out. "Who else is to blame?"

I suddenly looked up, my gaze sharp as a knife.

"Are you sure it was my fault for being reckless?" I took a step closer to him. "Liam Thompson, you've lied to everyone for so long, have you actually started believing your own lies?"

His face instantly turned ashen.

I knew he remembered.

When I was seven, Liam insisted on taking me to play in a secluded cornfield.

I didn't want to go into the cornfield, but he called me a coward, shook off my hand, and rushed in himself.