Betrayed by My own Sister, I won't Go Back to Her

"So you really can't change, huh?"

My heart instantly dropped into the deepest dark. My sister’s sharp accusation had cut the very last bit of our family ties between us.

I pulled the corner of my mouth in a bitter smile. “Yeah… I can’t change.”

Slap!

Before I finished speaking, my sister raised her hand and gave me a hard slap. Her eyes were full of anger and disappointment.

“Why did I even have a brother like you?!” she shouted.

I stayed silent for a moment. Then I covered my face and laughed coldly. “I don’t understand why I have a sister like you too.”

“You—!” Her hand was shaking as she pointed at me. She was too angry to talk.

Before she could hit me again, I dropped to my knees and bowed before her. “Thank you for dropping out of school to take care of me. From now on… you won't have me as your brother.”

Then I stood up, pulled out Dad’s old things from under the bed and decided walked out of the house. Suddenly, she grabbed the photo and the ring from my hand with a cold expression.

“These belonged to Dad. You have no right to take them!”

Fine. I nodded in resignment and got ready to continue walking away.

Behind me, she shouted in a low, trembling voice, “You’re a criminal! Without me, what can you even do? Starve on the streets?”

I didn’t stop walking. “No need to worry about me.”

After leaving home, I sat around the neighborhood all day. This time, my sister didn’t come after me. It was clear that she must be completely disappointed… tired of me.

I had no money, so I tried to find a job with food and a bed included. But once they heard the rumors I had been in prison, no company wanted me.

In the end, I went to a construction site.

The boss looked me up and down and frowned. “You're so thin? Our work is pretty heavy. Can you even handle it?”

I smiled carefully. “Let me try, Sir. I may look thin, but I’m strong.”

The boss didn’t believe me at first. But after I started working quickly, he saw what I can do and finally agreed for me to stay.

“Food and bed included. One hundred a day. But the project is short—only one month,” he said.

I smiled. It was enough. One month later, Rosetta would get out of prison and I would have somewhere to go.

I worked at the construction site for more than twenty days. When Renata found me again, she almost didn’t recognize me.

My hair had grown messy, like a bird’s nest. My clothes were covered in dust; every step made dirt fall off. She stood from afar, watching me. Her eyes slowly turned red.

After a long time, she ran over and grabbed my wrist.

“What are you doing here? Rein, do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? Come home with me. You can’t do this kind of work!”

I pulled my hand away, lifted a stack of bricks and pretended not to know her. She pressed her lips together, then turned and spoke to my boss.

After a while, my boss walked toward me with a dark expression.

“Reinhart, why didn’t you say you were in prison for stealing? We can’t keep someone like that. You’re fired! You won't get your pay either. Leave now!”

I panicked and begged him. “Bos, I was framed! I never stole anything. Please let me stay!”

“That woman is your sister, right? Why would she lie about you?” The boss cut me off with a mocking tone. “We can’t hire criminals. Now go!”

My boss pushed me away with impatience. I easily stumbled backwards and almost fell to the ground. However, the pain never came...

Renata had caught me firmly from behind.