Eight years of awakening

Chapter 1

I lay in the hospital bed, bruised and battered.

My phone screen displayed the last text exchange with Josh.

I’d asked him, “I’m really struggling to manage alone, could you come to the hospital and help me out?”

His reply: “You have the nerve to ask me for help? I should be the one demanding answers. You terrified Jason yesterday. What kind of a stepmom are you?”

Not only was I Jason’s aunt, but I was also his stepmom.

For eight long years.

As if on cue, another message popped up from Josh.

A voice note. Jason’s voice, choked with sobs. “Go away! I don’t want you! It’s your fault I got hurt yesterday! You didn’t protect me!”

“Grandpa was right! You’ll never treat me like your real son! You wanted me to get hurt!”

“You’re a monster! I never want to see you again!”

Hearing those words from the child I’d raised for eight years felt like a punch to the gut.

My heart ached, and the phone slipped from my grasp.

Then, the comments appeared.

【Josh isn’t visiting because today’s Sarah’s death anniversary. He has to take Jason to the memorial.】

【He cares about her, he just can’t get past the whole sister-in-law thing.】

Sarah was my sister. Before she died, she begged me to take care of her son, Jason, and her husband, Josh.

So, I did. For eight years.

Now, staring at my injuries, I was finally, utterly exhausted.

I picked up my phone, my hand trembling.

I felt a chill despite the summer heat.

Just yesterday, we’d had a break-in. It was just Jason and me at home.

If Jason hadn’t panicked, things wouldn’t have escalated. The burglars were only after valuables.

But Jason ran after them.

He wanted to get back a necklace, a memento of Sarah’s.

That’s when one of them pulled a knife, lunging towards Jason.

I threw myself in front of him, shielding him with my body.

I ended up with multiple stab wounds, while Jason escaped with a minor facial injury.

Yet, neither Josh nor Jason seemed to care how badly I was hurt.

What had I gained from eight years of devotion?

【He’s just worried about her! He’s being awkward and can’t express himself properly!】

【He totally loves her!】

The comments insisted he loved me, that he was just too shy, too conflicted about the fact I was his late wife’s sister, to express it.

I’d clung to that hope for years. I’d waited for him to finally show his love.

But now, I was tired of waiting.

I didn’t want this kind of love.

Then, my phone rang. Josh.

“When are you coming home?” he asked. “There’s no one to cook or do the laundry.”

My grip tightened on the phone. I felt cold, despite the summer heat.

“Josh,” I said, my voice trembling, “I’m not taking care of you and Jason anymore.”

Saying the words felt like lifting a heavy weight off my chest. I’d been their unpaid housekeeper for eight years. I was done.

“What are you talking about?” he snapped. “You owe Sarah. She entrusted us to you. You have to take care of us. You can’t just quit.”

【I can’t believe she’s saying this. He loves her! He has reasons for not visiting!】

【I just want to slap her through the screen! Eight years and she’s saying this now?】

The comments stung. Who were they to judge me, to dictate my life? Could they have endured what I had for eight years?

Eight years ago, Sarah was dying of cancer.

She’d clutched my hand, pleading, “You remember that time you almost got hit by a car? I saved you.”

“Now, please help me. When I’m gone, marry Josh and take care of him and our newborn daughter.”

She was right. If she hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I would have died.

I owed her my life. And I’d always had a crush on Josh. We’d been high school classmates, and I’d secretly admired him from afar.

So, I agreed.

I gave up my dreams of becoming a singer and became Josh and Jason’s caretaker. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, everything.

I’d raised Jason from infancy. Changing diapers, warming bottles, soothing him in the middle of the night.

I’d thought, foolishly, that my eight years of devotion would create a bond between us.

I was wrong.

“Sarah’s debt was paid a long time ago,” I said, my voice firmer now. “No one said saving my life meant I owed her my entire future.”

Silence on the other end. Then, I hung up.

The comments exploded. 【Ungrateful! Sarah saved your life!】

【You deserve to be alone! Just wait, you’ll regret this! He’ll never love you now!】

I laughed bitterly. I didn’t want his love. Not anymore.

Over the next few days, Josh and I didn’t speak.

I was alone in the hospital, fending for myself. When I couldn’t manage, I asked the cleaning staff for help.

I’d always been independent.

My parents had always favored Sarah, the charming, bubbly one. I was quiet, introverted. I did things, helped around the house, but it was never enough.

As the saying goes, “The quiet ones suffer the most.”

That was me.

The more I did, the less appreciated I was. It was expected of me.

The day I was discharged, I took a cab home.

As soon as I stepped inside, Jason hurled a toy at me. It hit my still-tender stomach.

“Get out! You’re not welcome here!” he screamed.

【He’s just a kid who lost his mom. It’s understandable.】

【Poor Jason. He’s been through so much.】

I doubled over in pain, staring at Jason in disbelief. I’d raised him from a baby. Shouldn’t there be some affection, some connection?

Josh emerged from the bedroom, his eyes cold.

“Decided to come back?” he said.

“Jason hasn’t done his homework all week. He hasn’t been eating properly. I bought some ribs. Go make him something to eat.”

【He’s so tsundere! He totally bought those ribs for her!】

【He’s so awkward, it’s adorable!】

It was pathetic.

I didn’t want this.

I walked past Josh and went to my room to pack my things.

Halfway through, Josh stormed in. “What are you doing?” he yelled. “We just had a break-in, we’re all still shaken up, and now you’re doing this?”

The comments echoed his sentiment. 【Why is she making a scene? He gave her an out!】

【I hate her. Can the author just replace her already?】

If I could, I would. Being the heroine of this story was exhausting.

I continued packing, ignoring him. As I dragged my suitcase towards the door, my dad walked in, leaning heavily on his cane.

He saw my suitcase and his face darkened.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.

“It’s none of your business,” I said, trying to move past him.

He swung his cane, hitting me hard across the back. The barely healed wound ripped open, blood seeping through my clothes.

Josh rushed forward, but stopped short of reaching me.

“See?” he said. “You had to make a scene. Now you’ve upset Dad.”

“Josh, what’s going on?” my dad asked.

“She says she’s not taking care of Jason and me anymore. She’s packing her bags and leaving.”

I gasped in pain, trying to speak, but Jason ran up and kicked me.

“Grandpa, tell her off! She didn’t protect me and now she doesn’t want to look after me anymore!”

“You ungrateful wretch!” My dad raised his cane again, bringing it down hard on my leg.

“Your sister was so good to you! She saved your life! And you can’t even do this small thing for her?”

“Let me tell you, you’re lucky to be with Josh. He’s successful and well-off, not like you, a good-for-nothing!”

I lay on the floor, numb with pain. My dad had always belittled me. Compared me to Sarah, the golden child.

When Sarah died, he’d taken his grief out on me, beating me with his cane for a week. I’d been bedridden for half a month.

【She kind of deserves this, though.】

【It’s her own fault. If she’d just taken care of them, none of this would have happened.】

【Serves her right.】

Looking at the three of them, their faces etched with indifference, and reading the hateful comments, I knew I had to get away.

I pulled the divorce papers out of my bag and threw them at Josh.

“Let’s get a divorce.”