"…but why?"
My brother's voice broke the silence.
Fragile.
Confused.
"Why would anyone do that?" he asked. "Why was she killed?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Because this part—
this part was ugly.
And… why did Mom push her?" he added, quieter now. "You said she didn't kill her… but she still—"
"I wasn't there."
The words came out low.
Controlled.
"I didn't see it happen."
He frowned. "Then how do you—"
"I know why."
A pause.
His breath hitched.
"…tell me."
I looked away.
At the floor.
At nothing.
At everything I wished I could erase.
"She found out."
The words felt heavy.
Final.
"Found out what?"
Silence stretched—
before I said it.
"About me."
He didn't understand.
Not yet.
"…what about you?"
My jaw tightened.
Then—
"I wasn't what she thought I was."
A flicker of confusion.
Then realization—
slow.
Shocking.
"…Ge…"
"I'm gay."
The room fell silent.
He stared at me—
like he didn't know me.
Like he was trying to fit this version of me into everything he thought was true.
"And she—?" he whispered.
"She found out."
My voice was steady.
Too steady.
And not just that."
I swallowed.
Because this—
this was worse.
"I wasn't just hiding it," I continued. "I was already… with someone."
My brother's expression changed.
From shock—
to something else.
"…who?"
The question lingered.
Dangerous.
Unavoidable.
I closed my eyes for a brief second.
Then opened them.
"Li Zhen."
The name dropped like a stone.
Everything connected—
all at once.
My brother's breath caught.
"…him?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Thick.
Almost suffocating.
She confronted Mom," I said quietly. "That day."
My fingers curled slightly.
"They argued. It got worse."
"What did she say?" he asked.
I let out a hollow breath.
"She said she would expose everything."
Each word—
cut deeper.
"About me. About the marriage. About the company."
My gaze darkened.
"About all the lies."
My brother's face went pale.
"She would've destroyed you," he whispered.
"Yes."
Not just me.
Everything.
Years of work.
Reputation.
The company.
Our name.
"All of it would've been over."
Silence.
Then—
"…so Mom—"
"She panicked."
The words came out sharp.
Defensive.
Even now.
"She wasn't thinking clearly," I continued. "She just… reacted."
A push.
A moment.
A mistake that couldn't be undone.
"But that didn't kill her," my brother said slowly, piecing it together.
No."
Silence again.
Then—
"…so someone else finished it."
The words felt heavier now.
Darker.
"Yes."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…then it wasn't just about exposing you."
No.
It wasn't.
Because threatening to expose me—
was one thing.
But changing her medication?
Planning something that precise?
That careful?
That meant—
someone else had a reason.
Something deeper.
Something personal.
My brother looked at me.
Fear creeping into his eyes.
"…Ge… who would benefit from all of this?"
The question lingered.
Sharp.
Deadly.
Because this time—
it wasn't just about the past.
It was about now.
About everything falling apart.
The company.
Cheng Mo.
The lies.
The revenge.
All of it—
connected.
And slowly—
a single thought formed.
Clear.
Terrifying.
Li Zhen knew the truth.
He was there.
He was involved.
He stayed silent.
And now—
everything was collapsing at the perfect time.
My jaw tightened.
Because the answer—
was right in front of me.
But saying it out loud—
would make it real.
And once it was real—
there was no going back.
"…Ge?" my brother whispered.
I didn't respond.
Because deep down—
I think I already knew.
This wasn't just a mistake.
This wasn't just revenge.
This was something planned—
from the very beginning.
And the person standing closest to me back then—
might have been the one
who started it all.