Chapter 5 Draw a Clear Line from Now On
The room was quiet.
Lily opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. They felt so useless right now.
She'd explained herself so many times before, and her brothers never believed her.
Michael's throat tightened before he finally let go of her hand.
He looked at Lily, disappointment etched on his face. "If you keep being stubborn, when David gets back, I won't be able to protect you. Think it over."
With that, Michael walked out.
Lily felt a small sense of relief and leaned back against the headboard.
Her eyes held a hint of self-mockery. What was there to think about?
Should she bow her head like in her past life, cautiously trying to win their favor, only to end up being kicked out of the house and dying miserably in a mental hospital?
No way!
"Here."
An ice pack wrapped in gauze appeared in front of her.
Lily took the ice pack and pressed it against her swollen cheek.
She glanced at Dennis beside her and whispered, "Thanks for earlier."
His voice was cool. "Why don't you explain?"
Lily lowered her head and gave a bitter smile. "Would you believe me if I told you I've explained many times before, even with evidence, and they think I'm lying?"
The room fell into a brief silence.
Lily didn't want to explain much more.
Many outsiders didn't believe her and just thought she was being rebellious.
"It's hard not to believe you."
Lily was momentarily stunned. Did he really believe her?
Dennis stepped forward and placed his hand on her forehead. "Your temperature has dropped."
Lily was taken aback. His hand was cool and comforting.
She felt much better now, not as uncomfortable.
She looked at his wrist. "The scar on your hand was it from a car accident?"
Dennis's hand paused suddenly and quickly withdrew.
He removed the empty medicine bottle and answered after a moment, "Yeah, car accident."
He leaned on the edge of the table, his back facing Lily.
His profile was against the light, making his expression hard to see.
"I have one too, on my leg."
Lily lifted her skirt slightly. "Here, isn't it similar to your scar?"
Dennis turned and saw her slender leg, the delicate skin making the scar on her thigh stand out.
But her skirt seemed to be lifted a bit too high, almost revealing too much.
He glanced at it and quickly turned his head away. "Miss, don't lift your skirt in front of men."
"But you're a doctor."
Dennis's throat moved slightly. But he was also a man.
Had no one taught her these things?
He continued, "This scar can be treated. Why haven't you had it removed?"
Lily's expression faded a bit, her heart aching.
Because Nathan had said this scar represented her parents' presence, and he would personally help her remove it someday.
She believed him.
But in the end, Nathan looked at the scar on her leg with disgust, saying he hated it and would never help her treat it.
He said she was responsible for their parents' deaths.
He said the scar was her mark, that she had caused their deaths, and she would have to remember it for the rest of her life.
She was deeply hurt at the time and even believed she had caused their deaths, becoming more and more humble and eager to please her brothers.
Lily thought of the past, feeling so distressed she could hardly breathe.
But she couldn't bring herself to explain the reason now, so she asked back, "What about you? Why haven't you treated yours?"
"I'm a man, it doesn't matter. A young lady should get it treated."
Lily managed a difficult smile. "I'll think about it later."
Dennis saw her lower her head and didn't say much more.
He sat beside her and turned on the TV.
Lily noticed the TV was showing a live stream, and it was the competition Austin was currently participating in.
Austin had skipped Sophie's party for this competition.
But in the end, he lost to someone from the Gonzalez family in North City.
Lily remembered how, in her past life, after Austin lost the competition, he was mocked harshly by the other side.
When Austin came back, he was furious and reassembled the family team.
Michael, Peter, James, Austin, and her.
Though they bombed the preliminary round, they still had a shot at the revival round.
They made a comeback and eventually faced the Gonzalez family in the national competition.
Back then, Lily spent hours training for the game, studying the Gonzalez family's team members to strategize a win.
Sophie wasn't in the game.
Sophie didn't have much talent in gaming, so she was just a substitute and couldn't compete.
Lily loved fighting alongside her brothers without any outsiders messing with their family.
She threw herself into the esports competition, even neglecting her studies.
But after they won a crucial match and were close to clinching the championship, her brothers pulled her out of the competition.
Sophie took her place.
In the end, they won the championship and became national champions.
Her brothers stood on the winner's podium with Sophie, trampling on all her hard work.
Sophie held the trophy that should've been hers, standing among her brothers, grinning ear to ear.
Lily stared at the game on the TV, feeling like there was a hole in her heart that couldn't be filled.
"Why are you crying? This isn't a soap opera. What's got you so emotional?"
Lily snapped back to reality and wiped the tears from her face. She had lost control of her emotions while thinking about the past.
A piece of paper appeared in front of her, held by Dennis with long, attractive fingers.
She took the paper, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Do you play this game?"
"Miss, your priority now should be prepping for exams, not playing games!"
Dennis leaned back in his chair, not looking at her, but focusing on the competition.
Lily also looked at the game on the screen and said seriously, "Titan Team is gonna lose."
Titan Team was Austin's team.
Dennis's lips curved slightly, his voice calm and steady. "You've got a good eye."
After the competition ended, Titan Team lost, no surprise.
Lily saw Austin's furious face on the live stream, even smashing his keyboard.
Austin's temper was always so volatile.
Seeing Austin lose the competition, she felt a bit satisfied.
When Austin came back, he would surely reorganize the team. This time, she wouldn't compete for the Roberts family.
She would fight for herself, become a professional player, and earn money to go to college and support herself.
She didn't want to be constantly threatened with losing her living expenses, forced to obey, or give up her chosen school to attend the lousy one where Sophie was.
She wanted financial independence to escape the Roberts family's control.
Esports players weren't commercially favored now, but next year, with the rise of live streaming, they could also earn money through streaming.
With her gaming experience from her past life, this was the quickest and easiest way to make money.
Lily made up her mind.
After the live stream ended, Dennis glanced back and walked over to remove the needle from her hand.
He took a cotton swab and pressed it on the back of Lily's hand. "The medicine's on the table. You can leave once you take it."
"Thanks!"
Lily took the medicine and left the medical room.
Just as she walked out, a young man swaggered in. "Dennis, it's rare to see you play the hero, but this girl doesn't have a great rep at school. She's been slammed pretty hard on the campus forum. Don't let her fool you."
Dennis leaned back in his chair, looking less aloof and more relaxed.
He spoke casually, "Why haven't you left yet?"
"I'm curious why you chose to be a school doctor at this high school, even missing Mark Gonzalez's competition. He was distracted looking for you during the match and almost got ambushed by that Roberts guy. Tell me why, and I'll leave right away."
Dennis removed his mask and rolled up his sleeve, revealing an ugly scar.
Eric Murphy's expression deepened when he saw it. "All these years, you still haven't let it go? That car accident wasn't your fault! Wait, could this girl be..."
"Shut up!"
Dennis closed his eyes to rest, ignoring the person beside him.