Chapter 4 Biological Sister
Lily doubled over, coughing violently into her hand.
Her frail body shook as if she might just cough up a lung.
Peter's voice was sharp and unforgiving. "Don't think that acting sick is gonna get you off the hook. I told you to look after Sophie at school—get her water, bring her lunch. Instead, you made her, a sick girl, fetch lunch for you! And then you had the nerve to trip her on purpose. Do you even have a conscience?"
Lily tried to suppress her coughs. "I didn't push her, she—"
"Are you seriously gonna say she just fell 'cause she was unsteady? Do you think I'm that gullible? Admit it, you did it on purpose!"
Lily's eyes burned, but she stood tall. "I don't admit it."
Suddenly, Peter's hand connected with her face, the sting immediate and sharp.
But the slap hurt less than the ache in her heart.
She felt numb from the pain.
"Peter, why'd you hit her?"
Michael stormed in, grabbing Peter's arm.
"Michael, she did something awful and won't own up to it. I can't stand having such a heartless sister!"
Sophie stood in the doorway, her hand bandaged, looking pitiful.
Her eyes were red as she spoke. "Peter, I already told you, it's my fault. It's not Lily's fault."
"Sophie, you're too nice. I have to teach Lily a lesson so she doesn't get worse!"
Peter raised his hand to strike again when a loud scraping sound interrupted.
Dennis had pulled out a chair, the legs screeching on the floor.
Lily glanced over at the noise.
Dennis stood there, leaning against a table, his expression cold and detached. "Are you her family?"
Michael nodded. "Yeah, we're her brothers."
"She has a fever of 102.2°F, likely an infection, and she needs more tests. She's also got low blood sugar and is a bit malnourished."
Peter was taken aback. "She's really sick?"
He had thought Lily was just faking it to dodge responsibility.
Dennis spoke slowly, with a hint of disdain. "You might want to get your eyes checked if you couldn't see that."
Lily's face was pale and sickly. How could they have missed it?
Peter was flustered. "What are you implying?"
Dennis's voice was icy. "Exactly what I said. Even if she's your adopted sister, you should take care of her."
Lily's eyes flashed with sarcasm at the word "adopted."
Michael quickly corrected him. "She's our biological sister, not adopted."
Dennis raised an eyebrow. "You'd need a magnifying glass to see that. If you hadn't said you were family, I'd have called the cops for child abuse!"
Peter looked at Lily's swollen face, his tone still harsh. "You don't get it. I'm teaching her a lesson!"
Michael was at a loss for words.
He had thought Lily was strong and wouldn't get sick like Sophie did after falling into the water.
Peter glared at Dennis. "You don't understand. Lily always fakes being sick to avoid taking responsibility. This time, she hurt Sophie on purpose. Sophie's dad died saving her. Sometimes I wonder if she even has a heart!"
Lily's throat burned with the urge to defend herself, but she stayed silent.
They wouldn't believe her anyway.
Sophie bit her lip. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so clumsy or tried to get lunch for Lily."
"Yeah, it is your fault."
Dennis's eyes were icy. "If you're sick and getting an IV, you shouldn't be in class. You shouldn't inconvenience others when you're sick. Don't act like you're justified just because you're weak."
Lily's eyes widened, staring at the sharp-tongued school nurse.
Was he standing up for her? Did he actually believe her?
Lily's eyes welled up.
Even a stranger seemed to understand what her brothers couldn't—or maybe they did understand but chose to favor Sophie.
Sophie's expression froze, secretly gritting her teeth.
What was Dennis trying to say? Couldn't he see her, sick and still trying to get lunch for Lily? Why wasn't he moved by her kindness and instead stood up for Lily?
This wasn't right. This trick always worked for her.
Sophie couldn't say anything and lowered her head, looking pitiful.
Peter stepped forward to defend Sophie. "Sophie came to class despite being sick because the SATs are less than a hundred days away. She can't fall behind. She was trying to mend things with Lily, but she just doesn't appreciate it."
Lily felt this was ironic.
Peter had told her to take care of Sophie, bring her lunch, and water. Did those tasks not interfere with her studies?
He knew the SATs were less than a hundred days away, too.
But her exams weren't as important as Sophie's.
Michael spoke up. "Peter, take Sophie home to rest."
"Michael!"
"Are you not listening to me anymore?"
Peter clamped his mouth shut and led Sophie away.
The room fell silent again.
Michael frowned. "Lily, if you don't want to take care of Sophie, that's fine. But you can't do things like this again."
Lily kept her head down. Her throat hurt so much she didn't want to say a word. She pulled the blanket over her head, not wanting to see them.
"Lily, if you keep acting like this, I won't be able to protect you anymore."
Michael was getting angry. He yanked the blanket away. "Come home with me, and we'll talk!"
He had to talk to Lily today.
Sophie couldn't keep getting hurt.
Dennis grabbed Michael's arm, his gaze cold. "She needs to finish her IV before she can leave. You should wait outside."
Dennis's gaze was cold and commanding.
Lily stared in surprise at the man standing tall in front of Michael.
She noticed a scar on his wrist, red and ugly, drawing attention.
She had a similar scar on her leg from a car accident when she was young.
Had he been in a car accident, too?
Michael didn't back down. "I'm her brother. I need to take her home. We have a doctor there."
"If you have a doctor, why did she have a fever for so long?" Dennis asked.
Michael looked at Lily's pale face, feeling guilty. "She didn't say she was sick."
He had tried to touch Lily's forehead that morning, but she had avoided his hand.
Was that his fault?
Maybe Lily had intentionally delayed her illness to avoid responsibility.
Dennis's voice was displeased. "Sir, if you try to force her to leave, I'll call the police for child abuse. According to the law, if a child faces domestic violence, she can apply for protection."
"I'm her biological brother, her guardian!"
"But I saw you hit her with my own eyes. There's surveillance footage too. I'm sure the police will make a fair judgment."
Dennis was calm but firm. "She doesn't want to go with you now. You can't force her."
Lily's heart trembled slightly, and she peeked at the man standing in front of her.