Sophia giggled, unconcerned.
"Okay, fine, I admit it — I did it on purpose. I seduced Felix on purpose. Who told you Felix was your fiancé?" she said.
"Elena, if it belongs to you, I want it. Doesn't matter if it's Dad's favor, Mrs. Cheng's place, or anything else. And if I can't snatch it, what else can I do?"
"What else? Destroy it, of course. Just like… Sean!"
At the sound of the name Sean, Elena's step froze. A bad premonition rose in her chest. "What do you mean?"
Sophia's smile deepened. "Sean is disobedient. He only likes you and won't come obediently to this sister of mine. So… don't blame your sister for being ruthless."
Elena's pupils shrank violently. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides; her knuckles cracked. "You stole Sean's bone marrow?"
Sean had been ill for three years. They had waited for three years. Finally, a week ago, they found a matching donor and the hospital scheduled the surgery.
But Elena hadn't expected that on the eve of the operation, the attending physician would call to tell her the volunteer donor had backed out — had donated their marrow to someone else and refused to give it to Sean. Worse, the transplant was done that very day at another hospital.
If they had to wait for another donation, it would take at least four to six months.
She could wait — but Sean's body could not.
At the time she hadn't understood why a donor would suddenly change their mind with no time or chance for her to intervene. Now she understood: Sophia had been sabotaging everything.
She hated her. She hated Sophia's poisonous heart.
"You beast worse than dog or pig — how could you be so vicious as to steal Sean's bone marrow? He's not even eighteen, he's still a child!" Elena screamed.
Sophia blinked with mock innocence. "So I stole it, what are you going to do about it? Sean is disobedient, and you care too much about him…"
"You care about him so much, I had to ruin him. I wanted you to watch him die and be powerless to stop it. I want you to suffer, Elena — only when I see you suffer do I feel satisfied!"
"Because I hate you, Elena, I— ah!"
Sophia's words were cut off as Elena suddenly slammed her to the floor, yanking her hair and raining down furious punches and kicks. "Sophia, you actually wanted to kill Sean — I'll kill you!"
Sophia screamed and wailed. "Ah! Ah—"
"Dad, help me!" she cried, covering her face and twisting to avoid the blows, tears falling like broken pearls. "Sister, stop hitting me, it hurts so much…"
The noise woke everyone in the house. People hurriedly threw on clothes and rushed out, only to find Elena furiously beating Sophia.
"Miss! Miss, please stop!" the servants cried, rushing forward in ones and twos to pull her away.
Sophia was a sobbing wreck; Elena struggled and shouted, "Let go of me, let go!"
Smack!
A hard slap landed. Elena's face snapped to the side; warm, metallic blood welled at the corner of her mouth.
Derek barked angrily, "You wretch — you even hit your sister!"
Elena, slapped by her father, felt her eyes burn red; she went almost hysterical. "I had to hit her. I wish I could beat her to death!"
"Why would your sister make you do something so cruel?" Derek demanded.
"Dad, Sophia stole Sean's bone marrow. She tried to kill Sean!" Elena spat.
"Dad, I didn't—" Sophia pressed her wounded face into Felix's chest, trembling. Her eyes glittered with tears, her voice choked and full of grievance. "Sister, I know you were angry to see me with Felix, but you can't wrongly accuse me. After all, I'm Sean's sister too; I love him. How could I hurt him?"
Felix carefully shielded Sophia in his arms. "Uncle, Elena did get very angry seeing Sophia and me together. Sophia went to apologize; I couldn't stop her. But I never expected Elena to beat her like this and smear dirt on her."
Derek snapped, "Elena, you've gone too far. You've even learned to lie right in front of me!"
"I'm not lying — Sophia really stole Sean's marrow!" Elena shouted.
Smack!
Before she finished, Elena received another solid slap.
Dazed, her head rang and her eardrums buzzed. In the blur of her vision, Derek pointed at her and raged, "You wicked creature, still denying it? Your sister has always been kind and sensible — how could she be the monster you describe?"
"And Sean," he continued, "we've fed and cared for him all these years. When he fell ill you were the one giving money to treat him. We have done our duty. If he dies now, what has that got to do with your sister?"
Elena trembled all over, as if her heart might collapse. She glared at Derek, breathing hard, near hysteria. "Dad, I didn't take medical money from the family. Sean won't die!"
Derek frowned. "Whether you took it or not, remember this: Sean isn't your biological brother. Don't go on mourning and making trouble for someone who has nothing to do with the Sung family!"
"Making trouble!" The phrase felt apt — too apt.
Elena looked at the ugly faces in front of her as if she were staring at demons crawled out of hell, baring their fangs at her. She didn't want to stay an instant longer in that place.
If she stayed one more second she would suffocate.
She opened her mouth to say something but no words came. She shook the servants' hands off, tore away, and ran from the room without looking back.
Behind her came Sophia's fake, syrupy voice: "Sister, it's so late — where are you going?"
Then Derek's: "Elena, if you have the courage, never come back here again!"
Felix added, "Derek, I'm going to cancel the engagement with Elena. You've seen how vicious she is; I can't tolerate it. Besides… I love Sophia."
"Derek, please give Sophia to me in marriage!"
Sophia, Sophia — the Sung family's golden child.
And Elena — nothing.
This home had long since been usurped by Sophia and her mother. Father was no longer the man he had been.
No one would believe her. No one would pity her. Everyone loved Sophia; as long as Sophia played the fragile, pitiable girl, everything would be turned against Elena.
In the Sung household, even her breathing was wrong.
At half past three in the morning, Elena sat like a lost soul on a bench by the roadside.