Chapter 3

This time, I followed his example and rejected his calls several times in a row.

I waited until the sixth call was about to disconnect automatically before pressing the answer button.

His furious voice immediately exploded in my ear. “What kind of attitude are you throwing now? Look around! Whose daughter acts like you and loses her temper at her father all day long?”

I remained unmoved. “What do you want? If it’s nothing important, I need to change my sister’s bandages.”

His voice grew even louder. “You’re lying again! I’m telling you, that trick doesn’t work on me!”

“Your homeroom teacher contacted me during the day and said that you and your sister were giving up your guaranteed admissions. What’s going on?! You finally accomplished something and were about to make me proud, and now you’re giving it up to threaten me?!”

I was beyond tears by then. “I have no reason to lie to you. Every word I’ve said is true.”

“And I hope that when you finally learn the whole truth someday, you won’t regret it.”

He couldn’t tolerate me contradicting him. “What would I regret? The biggest regret of my life is having you two sisters! I should’ve strangled you both when you were born! Every day, I regret that Ethan isn’t my biological child!”

“If he were our biological son, your mother and I might still be living happily together for his sake.”

My sister couldn’t listen anymore and snatched the phone from me. “Stop blaming all your mistakes on me and my sister! We regret becoming your daughters too!”

This time, Dad didn’t scold us.

But that wasn’t surprising at all, because Ethan began speaking on the other end.

“Dad, I’ve finished packing. Let’s leave soon. We don’t want to miss our flight.”

He was probably afraid that my father and I would explain things to each other, so whenever he realized we were in contact, he always interrupted the call.

Dad immediately praised him. “You packed everything yourself? What a good boy.”

Ethan laughed a few times before deliberately saying, “Is she angry because the sisters want to go too? You and Mom are both going with me. Is that really fair to them?”

Dad soothed him. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Your mother and I never argue when we’re with you. Those two were born into our family as nothing but debt collectors! If they came along, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the trip.”

From childhood to adulthood, he and Mom had always pushed the blame back and forth, claiming that the way we turned out was entirely the other person’s fault.

They never reflected on themselves, and even after divorcing, they believed my sister and I were the reason they had argued and become angry.

Forget taking us on international trips like they did with Ethan. Even taking us out of the city or driving us to school was enough to make them pass responsibility back and forth, acting as disgustingly as if they had eaten spoiled food.

The contrast between us had been obvious for a long time. My sister and I should have given up on them much sooner.

Still, perhaps it wasn’t too late. At the very least, we had both survived.

We were injured, but at least our bodies were still intact.

After hanging up, they seemed to forget my sister and me completely.

Judging from the posts Ethan uploaded during that time, the three of them were having a wonderful time every day.

Even Dad and Mom, who used to start fighting the moment they saw each other, could now hold hands and smile as they took photos together.

My sister and I blocked them both.

What you don’t see can’t hurt you.

My sister and I recovered fairly well, and it also helped that they didn’t call to harass us again during that time.

No one stayed with us in the hospital, so my sister had to act as my legs.

On the day we completed our discharge paperwork, she pushed me in my wheelchair with one hand.

The uncles and aunties around us felt sorry for us and even took the initiative to help us run around and pay the hospital bills.

Even strangers were kinder than our own biological parents.

With nowhere else to go, my sister and I could only stay in a hotel for the time being.

Fortunately, we hadn’t lost any valuables.

The money we had left from our part-time jobs was still enough to cover our living expenses for the next six months.

Just when we thought we could finally break free from our parents and live peaceful lives,

the two of them suddenly came looking for us.