Chapter 1: Devy

It was peaceful.

I no longer remember the bitter things that happened a year ago. No longer feel the pain in my stomach from the sleepless and starving nights I last spent in this world. It's all numb. Cold spread from my fingertips, slowly climbing up to my torso and swallowed everything in its wake.

Maybe this is for the best. If I continue to live, I will only live in pain and thoughts of revenge. A life like that... Is it worth it?

My vision started to blur, and I forget my surroundings even more as it grew darker as time passed by. Finally, my body gave in. My last breaths came and went, the only sound in the still night air.

From afar, I could hear rapid footsteps coming my way. Heh, what more could you do to a body no longer alive? I couldn't do anything, even when my body was lifted carefully and taken out. Do what you want... I just want to leave everything behind.

If I somehow get to live again, somehow wake up alive and renew my life, I will no longer be selfless. I will live the life I want. I will live more beautifully and brilliantly than any star. Can I have that too? I didn't know when tears slipped from eyes, nor heard the broken voice soothing my pain, nor feel the touches trying to see the life in me. If I did, I would've felt so happy... because I didn't leave this world truly alone.

***

"Brother! Please admit your mistake and don't make Dad angry anymore!" That sickly familiar voice made me furrow my brows, only to feel slight pain in my forehead. I tried to feel it with my hand and touched the slight wetness, only to see blood. Was it the time when my father threw the tea cup at me and hit my forehead? Did I enter one of my memories? Then why this one? This is something I never wanted to remember. Ever.

It seemed that my dumb state made Dion Jane anxious, "Brother, just tell Dad that you're wrong and you won't do it again. I promise he'll forgive you and even help you hide that you're doing hidden rules in order to pass auditions."

Hearing those words, I wonder how I fell for it and even thought this half-brother of mine was really on my side. I must've been so stupid. This green tea bitch was too smelly so why haven't I noticed it before?

If I am going to relive my life again, and it's gong to start at this point, I won't fall for the same trick twice. Before, I did believe this bitch like an idiot and knelt to admit something I never did. But I wasn't forgiven. I was thrown out of the house with nothing on my name. Even the things which are rightfully mine fell on my brother's hands. This time I won't leave without my things. Fuck staying in this house, I'll find my own house with my own money.

I pushed my brother trying to brainwash me, out of my way, then climbed up the stairs staggeringly. When I reached my room he tried to get in but I locked the door immediately.

"Brother! What are you doing?! Father's going to be angry again!"

Blah blah blah. Stay outside the door and bark.

I sneered and packed all my things, especially the important ones. Identification cards, bank cards and documents of titles and properties under my name and my mother were all packed neatly and securely. I hurriedly grabbed the laptop and withdrew my money from the bank account opened by my father to my empty personal bank account, which is not under his control. Even the savings account from my late mother were under him, so I didn't hesitate putting it all in mine. Now, even if I leave this hellish place, I'll be able to live without relying on them. Plus, these were originally mine and my mother's. Never am I going to watch as it falls under my brother's possession again.

When I left the room and arrived downstairs, all of them were waiting with different expressions. My brother's still keeping up the kind brother mediator act, while his mother tried calming down the patriarch seated on the living room sofa. And the man, my father, was so angry that blue veins popped out his temples. I scoffed, decisively hanging my backpack on my shoulders.

"Where are you going?! Aren't you going to explain all these mess you've made?! I gave you time to think and this is what you do? You rebel and pack your bags! See if I let you step inside this place again after you leave!"

I didn't say anything, and watched as he grew angrier by the second.

"Devy, just admit your mistake and let's all put this behind. Your father cares about you, that's why he's angry at you for doing those careless things."

My eyesight drifted to the woman dressed in all things elegant and expensive and squinted my eyes at her. "He's angry at me for something I never did? Why wasn't he angry at you when you were having an affair with Dion's best friend and aborted the child you had with him?"

The bomb I threw at them gave birth to silence. All the servants around fliched in shock and even my father, who was so angry at me, was dumbfounded. The dignified Mistress Yu paled in an instant and stuttered, "W-What? How can you say that?! Y-You're slandering me! Devy, I am you mother, how can you say that to me and your father!"

"You're not my mother. You're a mistress brought home by my father. You're the mother of his illegitimate child. The secret lover of your child's best friend. The mother of the child you aborted two months ago. Do you want me to say something more? You sold the information of dad's company to his rival, and slept with him a year ago. I know it all."

My father reacted when he heard it was all about business. He pushed the woman beside him away and glared with newfound rage. "You... You whore."

"Husband! Listen to me, he's lying! Why would he know all of that? Besides, he's trying to save himself." Mistress Yu hurriedly appeased her husband, hands trembling in panic as she saw it didn't work. Her appearance turned ugly as she turned to scowl at me, "You ingrate! How dare you! After I've raised you so hard!"

"You didn't raise me at all. You're using me to stay in this house."

Dion sobbed and suddenly knelt in front of me, "Brother, how can you say that to mother. Even if you're angry and afraid father will scold you, you shouldn't slander mother like this. If you want, aim your anger at me."

"It should really fall on you. You think I don't know? It's you who slept with that director, framed me for it so I can leave the filming team and you can take over. What are you going to do next? I believe your next plan was to video yourself with another man naked and post it in a blur to confuse it with me. Isn't it?" His face paled and he almost stopped breathing, "I remember, you planned to meet up thursday night in Heaven's Hotel. Then in your contact was the media entertainment who let go of the black material earlier, waiting for the second frame up. Am I right, dear brother?"

"You... Devy, how!"

I slapped him, hard. Exclaims were heard from Mistress Yu and other servants watching in the sidelines. Then I did it again. The slap was so satisfying. "Now it's even on both sides." I wiped my hands clean and looked at my father head on, "I know you were planning to choose them over me right from the start. Honestly, I never wanted to stay in this place again and play hypocrites with all of you. I hate this place. I hate the brother who wants to drag me down and frame me up. I hate the stepmother who was shameless enough to call herself my mother when she became my father's mistress while my mother was still alive. Lastly, I hate the father who only see black and white, who wanted to control everything but he himself is being controlled by two lowly things. From now on I cut my ties on this place, and don't find me ever again."

Having said that, I left them all in that house. It's up to them how they solve the issues I dropped just before I left. At least while they're busy doubting one another, I'll be able to breathe and not worry about their business even for just a few days. That's all I need to start fixing my life and trying to find another chance to rise up. Even though it's not clear, even though I don't know how it happened, I won't waste this given return in time worrying about things of the past. Besides, I promised myself. I will live this life to the fullest and I'll start it by severing ties with that family who will only bring me pain and sadness.