Chapter 4 The Visit

The next day, there was still no news of me in the family.

My grandfather showed up at the door early in the morning.

"Grandpa!" I exclaimed, floating over in delight.

Since my death, I had desperately wished to see him again, but my spirit was bound by my mother's presence, making it impossible to leave.

Thankfully, my grandfather had come to me. To see him one more time made my departure feel slightly less unbearable.

Before I could even reach him, Ethan rushed over, cheerfully calling out, "Grandpa!"

Over the years, Ethan had been charming my grandfather by exploiting our relationship. With my constant support, Grandpa had long accepted him as his 'grandson,' even without blood ties. He showed no intention of being cold toward him.

Gently pulling Ethan to sit beside him, he said, "Look at you, nearly grown, and still so loud! Where's your Sister?"

"Violet!" Ethan shouted.

Violet immediately appeared. "Grandpa, you're here!"

When my grandfather saw her, the warmth in his expression quickly faded. He offered only a brief nod, his tone lacking enthusiasm.

My mother frowned at this. "Dad, Violet is greeting you. How can you be so cold?"

After hearing my mother, my grandfather, visibly annoyed, replied, "How I treat her is my business. Just look at how she acts; there's nothing to like."

My mother was visibly hurt on Violet's behalf. "Dad, Violet is a good person. Can't you show a little kindness?"

My grandfather's face reddened with anger as he pointed at my mother. "You always protect her. You're blind to how she treats others. I simply don't like her. What's wrong with that?"

Not one to back down, my mother crossed her arms, confronting my grandfather. "Violet hasn't done anything wrong! You're just repeating what that ungrateful Olivia has been saying!"

The truth was, I had only broken down in front of my grandfather once. That time, he had defended me, and my mother punished me by making me copy 'I'm sorry, Violet' five thousand times. My hand nearly fell off from writing, and I never dared complain again.

Ever since my parents brought me to live with them, Violet had harbored nothing but hostility toward me.

She would deliberately bump into me and fall dramatically when our parents were nearby, claiming I had shoved her. She would hide my art supplies, making me miss deadlines. She tore up my sketches, getting me yelled at by instructors. She even spilled paint on my finished canvases, humiliating me in front of classmates.

Seeing my mother favor her only emboldened Violet to torment me more.

When I tried telling my parents, they dismissed my complaints as exaggerations or sensitivity. I felt truly wronged, but I eventually stopped voicing it.

As we grew up, Violet made sure to assert her dominance during family gatherings.

For birthdays, she always convinced everyone to go out for expensive dinners without inviting me. During family vacations, I was always the one left behind to watch the house.

Eventually, my parents became so accustomed to excluding me that I accepted my role as the perpetual outsider.

In the living room, my grandfather and mother exchanged heated words, creating unbearable tension.

Finally, it was my father who intervened. "Sarah, your dad is getting older, so just let it go. We're family, and there's no need to fight over something trivial."

Though my grandfather wasn't entirely satisfied with my father, he tolerated him for my mother's and my sake.

However, he couldn't accept Violet, his adopted granddaughter.

After casting a brief, disgusted glance at Violet, my grandfather quickly looked away, seeming irritated by her very presence.

"Where's Olivia? I want to take her back with me for a few days."