Chapter 4

Ethan became somewhat nervous, pacing back and forth in the room, his footsteps heavy and urgent. "You liars, ganging up to deceive me—you really don't know your place!"

Without waiting for the nurse to say anything more, he angrily hung up the phone.

Seeming to have heard Ethan's outburst, Marcus opened the door. "Derek's still here. What are you shouting about in your room?"

Ethan clutched his phone to his chest with both hands, looking helplessly at Marcus. "The nurse from the hospital just said Autumn is dead. It can't be true, can it?"

Marcus rolled his eyes dismissively. "How are you so gullible too? If she was really hurt that badly, someone as scheming as her would have dragged Clara down with her. How could Clara still be standing here perfectly fine?"

Derek also came over to comfort Ethan. "That's right. Autumn... she's got nine lives. She's not that easy to kill."

Ryan said dismissively while playing on his phone, "Wouldn't it be better if that annoying pest died? What's there to worry about?"

Although I'd long known everyone favored my sister, I never imagined I'd be so worthless in their eyes. After all these years, even if they didn't like me, they should have understood me somewhat. With my personality, how could I possibly do something so despicable, or joke about my own life and death for attention?

Under everyone's "reassuring" words, Ethan straightened his back and resumed his usual arrogant manner. "First thing tomorrow morning I'm going to the hospital to expose them! If Autumn's not in the morgue, I'll break her legs! And that nurse—I'll fire her too!"

Light rain suddenly began pattering outside the window. Their casual words were like loud slaps across my face, but I couldn't make a sound from the pain.

By now, I clearly understood—everyone had been hoping for my death all along.

Early the next morning, Ethan rushed to the hospital without even eating breakfast. Marcus, worried, went with him.

On the way there, Ethan was still complaining to Marcus about having to make another wasted trip.

But when they arrived at the hospital morgue and saw my corpse, Ethan staggered back in horror, stumbling to crouch against the wall, hugging himself tightly. "How could this be? How did this happen? That day I clearly saw she wasn't badly hurt. Her mental state was clearly fine too..."

I indeed didn't look badly hurt, just some scrapes and bruises on my body.

But it was because my abdomen had been struck during the fall, causing hemorrhaging and miscarriage, urgently requiring surgery to stop the bleeding.

The reason my mental state seemed fine was because I was losing so much blood I was nearly gone—my adrenaline had peaked.

As hospital director, Ethan would have noticed with just a little care.

But unfortunately, he only cared about Clara. From beginning to end, he never looked at me even once.

Marcus also reached out to touch my face. Perhaps because my death was too gruesome, his outstretched hand stopped in midair.

After learning the news, Clara and Ryan rushed over.

Seeing Ethan and Marcus looking devastated, Clara realized something was wrong. As soon as she entered, she rushed to my bedside and knelt on the floor, shouting, "How could you be so foolish! Just because I got the house Mom and Dad left behind, you resented me that much? To get revenge on me, you got yourself killed!"

After crying dramatically, Clara crouched on the floor pretending to blame herself. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be like this..."

Then she started slapping herself hard in the face.

Seeing this, Ethan, Marcus, and Ryan couldn't care about being sad anymore and quickly pulled Clara away.

Ethan held her tightly. "It's okay. It's not your fault. It's not your fault. Her own greed killed her. This is all her own doing!"

At the mention of that house, I froze for a moment, my thoughts pulled back to a year ago.

I was four years older than Clara.

After Mom and Dad died, they left behind a house in a very good location.

I had just found out I was pregnant then, full of joy planning for the future. I discussed with Marcus about transferring the house to my future child.

But the good-for-nothing Clara heard about it and threw a fit, saying Mom and Dad's things were hers too, and she wanted it.

Marcus knew perfectly well she didn't even have a boyfriend and had no use for it, but still agreed to appease her.

For this, Marcus specifically talked to me, spending the whole evening saying how difficult my sister had it. "Autumn, look—you're pregnant now, you have Ethan taking care of you. Clara is still alone, and she's so young... Why don't we give her this house first? It'll be a safety net for her. You still have your whole lives ahead of you."

I put down my water glass and fiercely objected for the first time. "This house is what Mom and Dad left for all of us to share, and isn't it most appropriate to give it to my child now? If we give it to Clara, she'll probably just sell it and squander the money!"

Seeing me actually dare to argue back, Marcus slammed down his cup. "Autumn! We've supported you plenty over the years! Can't you just give in to your sister? She's simple-minded—what if she gets scammed later? Having a house is always good!"

"She's simple-minded?" I almost laughed coldly. "Can't you see that she—"

"Enough!" Marcus cut me off sternly. "I still have authority in this house! The house goes to Clara first. That's final! If you keep making trouble, don't call me your brother anymore!"

Perhaps because I still cared about that pitiful bit of family affection, or perhaps seeing Marcus's exhausted yet firm expression, I ultimately compromised.

I heard my numb voice say, "Stop being angry. The house... just give it to her."

But now I somewhat regretted that softness. If I had insisted on fighting for what my child deserved, perhaps I would have seen through their true faces earlier and wouldn't have ended up like this today.

A few days later, out of guilt, Ethan held a fairly decent funeral for me.