I sat in the cold hospital chair, taking deep breaths one after the other.

Nine years, after nine long years, Rachel would finally come back.

Honestly, I had no idea how to face her.

I still remember that night when she furiously told me, "You're not my sister anymore. From now on, you're dead to me."

I was on edge.

Mom's sobs kept breaking through my thoughts. Looking up, I saw Benjamin trying to comfort her, wiping away her endless tears.

It was understandable—losing someone you love in such an unexpected way must be unbearable.

I really thought Dad would be able to pull through.

But now he was gone, and I didn't even know how to feel.

Logan showed up at some point and sat beside me. "Are you okay?"

It was the first time he'd ever shown concern for me, but I was too drained to respond properly, managing only a weak "Yeah."

"How can you be so cold!" Benjamin, who was in front of me, immediately cried out. "Dad's gone, and you haven't shed a single tear."

I stayed in silence.

It was true, I hadn't cried. Maybe I was having a delayed shock or something, but even though I was devastated, I couldn't cry.

But I wouldn’t explain this to Benjamin.

I looked up, meeting his angry eyes, and said directly, "If you came over just to criticize me, please leave."

"You…" Benjamin was furious.

Well, of course, nobody expects the typically compliant sister to suddenly stand up for herself.

So, Benjamin held back.

He stared at me and said with a warning tone, "Mom called Rachel right when Dad got shot, so she'll be here soon too. When she gets here, watch your words."

I laughed. No wonder he didn't leave after I stood up to him—Rachel is coming.

"You don't need to worry about that. Rachel hates me so much, I doubt she'll want to be anywhere near me."

"I hope you can show some manners and give her space," Mom said, wiping her tears as she spoke.

Rachel hadn’t even appeared, and everyone was automatically taking her side.

I was fed up; my tone turned harsh. "I can't meet your demands."

"I don't care if you can or can't. Nine years ago, your actions drove my daughter away. Now that your father's gone, we all need each other, and I won't let you ruin things again," Mom spoke through gritted teeth, looking at me like I was her sworn enemy.

True, I was terrible and stupid back then, but I've been paying for my mistakes all these years.

Why wouldn't they just let it go?

Fighting back the bitterness in my heart, I challenged her. "Aren't I your daughter too? Why can't you see me? Or am I better off dead to you?"

"I..."

Before she could answer, I got up and left.

*****

The late autumn evening was bitter cold.

The cold wind cut through my sweater when I stepped outside, making me shiver. Then, the tears I'd been holding back started falling.

Why did I even bother to come?

If Mom only considers herself to have one daughter, why did she even call me here?

As I stood there hurting, a nurse suddenly approached. "Ma'am, are you Richard Walker's daughter?"

I jumped, quickly wiping away my tears, "Yes."

"They're preparing your father's body. You can still see him one last time if you'd like," The nurse spoke carefully, trying not to upset me further.

Sometimes, kindness from strangers warms you the most.

I nodded gratefully, "Thank you."

Yes, I decided to go.

Whatever happened, this was my last chance, so I had to say goodbye.

But when I reached the morgue entrance, I stopped dead in my tracks after seeing Logan and Rachel hugging.