“What if I can’t bear it?” she snapped. “We’re at the final step. I won’t let anything ruin this now. Besides, if Bert becomes disabled, his dream of going to graduate school will be completely crushed. He’ll have no choice but to stay in the company and work honestly from now on.”
With that, she gave the doctor a firm look. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready.”
I lay on the bed, trembling.
Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine that the ones who tore me apart weren’t just those thugs but my own sister—the one who had always protected me.
After my mother passed away and my father remarried, I was no longer the only son in his eyes. But my sister… she never abandoned me. She used to travel 50 kilometers from school every day just to have dinner with me and tuck me into bed. If I scraped my hand, she would cry and punch the wall in guilt.
And now, she was the one who orchestrated my downfall.
She destroyed my dignity. She ruined my future.
Even my younger sister, the one I raised with my own hands, had become an accomplice.
Despair gripped me as I clutched my head and let out a gut-wrenching sob.
Hearing the commotion, two figures burst through the door.
"Bert!"
"Brother!"
My sister rushed to my side, pulling me into a tight embrace, her hand stroking my back over and over.
"Bert, it’s over now. Don’t be afraid. I’m here," she whispered soothingly.
The other girl wiped the tears from my face, her voice gentle.
"Brother, don’t worry. I’ve had all those bastards arrested. No one will ever hurt you again."
Watching the two of them put on such a sincere performance in front of me,
I could only let out a bitter smile.
But the ones who truly betrayed me,
who hurt me more than anyone else,
are you?
I closed my eyes weakly. After a long silence, I spoke, already knowing the answer.
“Sister, when will the operation start? The pain is unbearable…”
Upon hearing this, my sister suddenly slapped herself hard, her voice trembling with guilt.
“Bert, I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault for being so useless… I couldn’t even invite a top medical expert to treat you.”
“I just don’t trust any other doctors. What if they make a mistake and leave you with permanent complications? You’re still young… You’ll get married and have a family in the future…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go to her in person and kneel if I have to. I swear, you’ll have the surgery first thing tomorrow morning.”
She then turned to a nurse.