Chapter 2
When my mom was still alive, she bought a small apartment for me so I’d have a place to practice dancing.
It wasn’t spacious, but its tranquility made up for it.
I only used it for dance practice before, so there wasn’t even a bed in it.
Just spreading out a mat would make do for the night.
I took a cab over and pressed the doorbell.
The housekeeper, Queenie Kemp, happened to be cleaning today. She opened the door quickly, but then froze in the doorway, blocking my way.
I was soaked to the bone, dragging an enormous suitcase.
Springville was known for its mild climate, but after that unprecedented snowfall this year, winter felt exceptionally cold.
My body was shivering uncontrollably, my voice icy as I bit out, “Move aside, Queenie. I need to get in.”
Queenie stood stiffly at the door, her expression visibly uncomfortable. She stammered, “Ms. Bourn… Mr. Bourn instructed that you’re not allowed to come back.”
My hand froze on the suitcase handle as I looked up.
Only when I saw Queenie hanging her head in discomfort did I realize I hadn’t misheard.
I was utterly confused and blurted out, “This doesn’t make sense–Mom left this house to me!”
Queenie bowed her head even lower. “But the property owner is now registered under Mr. Bourn’s name.
froze for a second, then almost let out a bitter laugh. “Did my brother really say that?”
Queenie, terrified, lowered her head and said nothing more- -her silence was as good as an admission.
The window down the hall was left open.
A cold gust of wind blew in, making my mind buzz.
My vision blurred unexpectedly–I couldn’t
L
With a heavy heart, I nodded, turned, and dragged my
Once inside the elevator, I couldn’t hold back
was
from cold or from tears.
S se away
bitter laugh escaped me.
onto
the back of my
hand.
I didn’t want to cry, but before I knew it, tears were already
How could the house Mom left me end up
O under Elbert’s name
The whole world might be clueless, but Elbert of all people should know.
Right after Morn and Dad passed away, all our uncles and relatives swarm
They all bullied Elbert and me, trying to snatch our inheritance.
vultures
tek: then, Elba, barely in his early twenties, had no choice but to take over the
But I still ended up getting tricked by the uncle who’d always doted on me since childhood- almost signed the property transfer papers without even realizing what was happening.
After that incident, I was terrified of history repeating itself.
I first transferred all the assets left to me by my parents into Elbert’s name.
In this world, we only had each other.
We could no longer trust anyone in this world–except each other.
I thought to myself back then, he was my brother.
Anyone in this world might take advantage of me, but never my brother.
Well, there was really no such thing as “absolute” in this world.
while keeping
-he
invited
wary
eye
on
all those relatives.
for a meal, and before I knew it, I
ARE HEHE 14 B
હા ને મારા કાને સાંક
1/3
Chapter 2
Numb and exhausted, I stumbled into the nearest motel.
I didn’t sleep at all that night. As dawn broke, I became aware of an unsettling stickiness clinging to my skin.
Only after fumbling for the bedside switch and turning on the light did the metallic scent of blood finally register in my dazed mind.
The pillow was soaked with a horrifying pool of blood.
I touched my face–it was smeared with blood. I had no idea when the bleeding had started.
I’d never seen anything like this before. Alone and terrified, a wave of panic instantly washed over me.
Just over a month ago, I suddenly got a nosebleed out of the blue and was diagnosed with acute leukemia at the hospital.
The doctor broke the news to me gently, saying the prognosis was highly uncertain.
Some patients may survive for several months, while others could die suddenly within minutes from complications like cerebral hemorrhage.
My hands trembling uncontrollably, I grabbed my phone to dial 911.
My phone rang just then–the caller ID showed “Elbert“.
It was like a sudden lifeline appeared out of nowhere. My heart pounded violently as I desperately answered the call.
Tears gushed out like a broken dam, mingling with nosebleed and splashing onto the phone screen, instantly blurring it.
“Wrong number,” came Elbert’s icy voice from the other end.
Then a girl’s teasing voice came through the phone. “See? I told you not to save everyone as ‘Lil Sister‘ in your contacts. Serves you right for calling the wrong person.”
The girl called out in a teasing tone, “Hey, stop calling already–I found your phone! It was wedged between the couch cushions.”
I was desperate to say something.
Blood surged up my throat, triggering a violent coughing fit that choked off my words.
The call was disconnected abruptly.
The monotonous beeping of the disconnected call carried a chill that seeped into my bones.
The blood loss left me chilled to the bone, my hands and feet like ice.
When the ambulance arrived for me, the motel owner blocked my path and wouldn’t let me leave.
My blood had stained the pillow and sheets, so I fumbled in my pocket and handed him the last 200 dollars I had.
I told him, “There’s a waterproof liner under the sheets, so the mattress isn’t stained. 200 dollars should cover it.”
But the boss was furious. “Even if the mattress isn’t stained, it reeks of blood! How could I possibly not replace it?” He hesitated for a long moment before finally muttering, “It’s… it’s bad juju, you know.”
I froze for a moment, then transferred the mattress money to him before finally leaving.
Lying in the ambulance, I couldn’t get those two words-“bad juju“-out of my head.
I used to be the apple of my family’s eye, but now that I was dying, I became a walking bad juju.
In the ambulance, the medical staff administered coagulation factors to me, and the bleeding finally stopped.
I didn’t really feel all that bad, to be honest. After lying there for a while, I actually started feeling almost normal again.
The paramedic advised gently, “In any case, you should stay in the hospital for observation.”
Once at the hospital, I went to handle the admission process by myself.
As luck would have it, fresh from completing the admission procedures, I turned around and came face to face with Elbert. He spotted me and froze for a split second.
I suddenly realized–the blood on my face hadn’t even been wiped off y
