Chapter 5

Finally, the day came to remove the bandages.

After a slight sting, my eyelids slowly lifted. The long-lost light made me uncomfortable, so I quickly blocked it with my hand.

Seeing my reaction, my parents breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can see now, right! That's wonderful."

The first thing I saw.

Was Ruth.

She stood behind my parents, smiling at me from across the room, revealing two cute dimples. Like an angel.

But my heart filled with panic.

Three years had passed. She'd grown much taller.

Her hair had a slight curl. She'd become even more beautiful, radiating the vitality of a teenage girl.

Confident and bold.

Making me feel like a rat in the gutter, utterly ashamed.

I quickly lowered my head.

But she wouldn't let it go. She forcibly lifted my chin to examine me carefully.

"Fran used to care so much about her appearance. Too bad her face has scars now."

"Mom, one of my classmates' families runs a beauty salon. Why don't we let Fran try it?"

Mom stepped forward and slapped away her hand holding my chin.

She chided, "Watch your manners! Is that how you talk to your sister? Do you think you're at home?"

Realizing she'd said the wrong thing, Mom looked at me nervously.

She changed the subject.

"Now that your eyes are better, should we consider the matter of the child?"

All eyes focused on my belly.

Dad spoke first: "This bastard child must be aborted!"

He patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't be afraid. You're my daughter. Even if you were violated, it's okay. Your mom and I will take care of you for life."

Mom chimed in agreement.

She looked proudly at Ruth: "Ruth is so outstanding. She'll definitely be successful in the future. By then there'll be no shortage of excellent men around her. She can just pick one for you."

The smile on Ruth's face grew bigger and bigger.

She affectionately rested her head on Mom's shoulder.

"Mom, you only care about Fran. You've even figured out her whole life. Am I still your daughter or not?"

"Yes, yes, yes. You're the one who knows how to act cute..."

I quietly watched them laugh together.

For some reason, my throat filled with the taste of blood.

The day of the abortion.

My parents had to go out for something. Only Ruth stayed by my side.

She gently stroked my swollen belly and suddenly asked.

"Fran, why did you come back?"

There were only the two of us in the hospital room. Her beautiful face twisted.

She looked down at me from above.

"Do you know? Dad and Mom are really wonderful. They treat me even better than my real parents did."

"So when my parents died in that car accident, I wasn't sad at all."

"That year I was five. My only birthday wish was to be a family with Dad and Mom forever."

"But then you appeared. You stole the love that should have belonged only to me!"

Ruth's eyes turned red as she glared at me with hatred.

"Ever since you were brought back, everything had to be bought in pairs. You even had to sleep in my room. That was clearly my home!"

I was like a child being scolded, not daring to make a sound.

Thinking, so this was why Ruth gave me to those bad people.

I was the extra one in this family.

Dad and Mom must think so too. They just pitied me for being stupid and didn't want to hurt me.

But I'm really not stupid!

The hospital room door was pushed open. Ruth immediately put on a smile.

"Fran, once you've recovered, I'll take you out to play again."

Was she going to give me to bad people again?

My whole body trembled, my heart panicking.

As the doctor wheeled me away for the abortion, touching my round belly, all I could think about was how to escape.

No one in the family welcomed me. So I'd just leave on my own.

I didn't want to be hit with a hammer by that bastard again!

Before the surgery started, I made an excuse to use the bathroom and secretly slipped away.

I walked for a long time and found myself on the hospital rooftop.

The sunlight was harsh, hurting my eyes.

But I couldn't walk anymore, so I just sat there in the sun.

Suddenly, shouts came from below:

"Look! Someone's going to jump!"

I was surprised to see the crowd gathering below growing larger and larger. Alarm sounds echoed throughout the hospital.

Ruth came too.

And so did my parents, rushing over in a hurry.

They were far away. I couldn't see their expressions clearly, but I heard their frantic shouting.

"Fran! Are you crazy? Get down right now!"

"Fran! We finally found you, and now you're doing this? Are you trying to drive your dad and me to death?"

So many people held up their phones.

I saw my parents getting angry. I anxiously wanted to go down, but my body wouldn't listen.

The dense scars on my wrist suddenly started itching. I scratched them until they were bloody.

I was having an episode again.

But I didn't dare tell my parents. I was afraid they'd hate me even more.

Suddenly a voice in my heart spoke up:

Jump!

Books say that when people die, they become stars and fly to the sky to protect their family.

Dad and Mom don't want to hurt me or abandon me.

But I should be sensible. I need to protect them.

After figuring this out, I grinned and smiled in my parents' direction.

Amidst their horrified screams, I walked forward without hesitation.

Slowly, I fell...

I'm going to become a little star!

Fly up to the sky and protect you.

"No!!!"

Someone was shouting. Someone was screaming.

Time seemed to stop.