I shivered and looked at her in confusion, asking, "What are you doing?"

Linda couldn't hide the disgust on her face as she said, "This is to get rid of the bad luck on you."

After saying that, she turned around and went back into the house, leaving me shivering in the cold.

My mom quickly pulled me into the house and used a towel to dry the water off my body.

"Julia, don't be angry. Linda is pregnant. She isn't in a good mood. Please give her more understanding."

I frowned. What Linda had done to me had nothing to do with being pregnant or not.

I went to jail for her and my younger brother. She had no right to despise me.

My dad came out of the bedroom with a cigarette in his mouth.

Looking sullen, he said, "Wasn't it a five-year sentence? How come you're out in four years?"

I forced a smile, saying, "I behaved well inside, so I got one year off my sentence."

My dad seemed unhappy, glanced at me, and went back into the house.

I didn't care about his attitude as I shivered from the cold.

The weather was cold. I was only wearing a thin shirt. I couldn't bear it anymore after Linda poured cold water on me.

I walked towards my room, intending to change my clothes.

Upon opening the door, I found that my room had turned into a baby's room, with baby clothes hanging in the wardrobe.

"Mom, where are my clothes?"

My mom hesitated and said, "Your...your clothes...have been thrown away."

"Thrown away?"

I shivered. It had only been four years since I left home. There was no trace of me left in the house.

The family photo that used to hang in the living room had been replaced with a new one they had taken.

My mom forced a smile and quickly said, "Julia, get Linda’s clothes and get changed. We'll go buy clothes when the snow stops."

Linda said, "Don't wear mine. I am in a special period. My clothes can't be worn casually, especially by someone who just got out of prison."

"Am I supposed to be chilling all the time?"

I looked at Linda and then at my mother.

Neither of them spoke. Dead silence prevailed.

Gradually, I was disappointed.

In prison, I had fantasized countless times about the scene of being reunited with my family. Now that the day had come, it was different from what I had imagined.

"Where am I going to stay?" I was the first to break the silence.

My mother rubbed her hands. She wanted to say something, but she hesitated.