Countdown to Cancer: May Your Guilt Kill You

I felt like an aimless ghost when I made my way back to the Lewis residence. When I arrived, I stumbled upon the scene of the Lewises happily engaged in discussion with Summer's fiance.

Autumn's smile was as gentle as warm as the spring sun, but when she spotted me, her expression immediately turned as cold as the biting winter wind.

"Winter, you stole your sister's bracelet again," she spat.

I frowned. I assumed that this incident had come to a close.

"Can you grow a conscience? Summer's fiance gave that bracelet to her as a promise. It carries a different meaning compared to a normal bracelet. She's been devastated for the entire day and night."

I was not moved by Autumn's words in the slightest. She grabbed and pushed me toward Summer. "Hurry and apologize to your sister and give the bracelet back to her."

My face remained an impassive mask, and I continued to stay silent. Upon seeing how I was behaving, Kenneth grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced my head down.

"Apologize!" he hissed. "I truly regret bringing you home. You can't even compare to a single strand of hair on Summer's head. If I knew you were going to turn out like this, I would have choked you to death when you were born!"

Autumn also surged forward and gripped my arm tightly. "Apologize now! The Lewis family's reputation is in shambles because of you!"

A hopeless smile curved my lips as I took in how concerned Kenneth and Autumn were on Summer's behalf. Summer was still crying, her shoulders heaving. She looked so pitiful as tears rolled down her delicate face.

"Summer, do you want me to apologize to you?" I asked.

Summer tried to wipe her tears away, but big, fat teardrops continued to leak from her eyes.

She sounded so innocent when she said, "You don't have to apologize, Winter. I don't blame you for what you did."

I scoffed and broke free from Kenneth's and Autumn's grip. I then raised my hand and slapped Summer hard across her face. The slap rang loud and clear across the room, shocking everyone in the vicinity.

I had put all the strength I had in me into the slap, causing Summer to stumble backward until she hit the coffee table. She looked at me in disbelief as she held her cheek.

I could see the poorly-suppressed rage burning in her eyes, but her voice was thick with tears when she asked, "Winter, why did you hit me?"

It didn't take long before everyone returned to their senses.

"Winter, what are you doing?" Kenneth asked, his expression steely. I grabbed Summer's collar and slapped her again.

"Have you gone mad? That's your sister!" Autumn shrieked, her voice pitching so high it hurt my ears.

I didn't hesitate and slapped Summer again.

"Stop this, you lunatic!" Summer's fiance hollered furiously. I landed another slap.

By the time I slapped Summer four times, her cheeks had swollen up angrily, and her eyes were glazed over. Everyone was too stunned by my sudden act of violence and forgot to retaliate.

Afraid that I would strike her again, Andy stood before me, creating a barrier between me and Summer. My hand was stinging from all the slaps. I didn't spare him another glance as I left for the storeroom without another word.

"Winter Lewis! I suffered through unspeakable pain to bring you into this world. How could you have turned out so heartless? Are you really my daughter?" Autumn wailed.

"No! She was rotten from the day she was born!" Kenneth replied.

"God! What sin did I commit in my past life? Why was I cursed to give birth to her?"

"That wench actually raised her hand against my darling daughter. Just you wait, Winter. I'm going to beat you to death today!"

Kenneth's and Autumn's enraged ramblings resounded toward me. After a short pause, I heard Kenneth yelling, "Don't get in my way, Andy! Let go of me!"

When I descended the stairs with my luggage in hand, I came upon the scene of Andy scuffling with Kenneth before he successfully ripped the wooden bat out of Kenneth's hands.

"Winter, what are you doing?" Andy asked, looking bewildered.

Autumn glanced at me before sneering, "If you want to leave, get on with it. I don't want to see you any longer."

"Get out! Get out right now! Go back to your adoptive father and live out the rest of your life with him!" Kenneth screamed furiously as he glared at me.

I walked up to them and declared in a calm voice, "I'm going to die soon."

However, Kenneth and Autumn still refused to believe me. They pinned me with looks that were filled with contempt and ridicule.

"You're already grown up, but you still haven't changed that bad lying habit of yours. Now you've even learned to blackmail us by claiming that you're going to die."

"If you want to die, you should die as quickly as possible. At least it'll spare us from the repulsive feeling of having to look at you day in and day out."

"Don't come back for the rest of your life."

"I'll just pretend that I never had a daughter like you!"

I smiled as I listened to their hurtful words. Even my own biological parents were cursing me to die. I sucked in a deep breath before nodding at them deeply.

"Thank you for giving birth to me and giving me this life."