Chapter 5, 1/4

The infirmary was silent. Noelle opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. Words seemed powerless. She had explained herself countless times, but her brothers never believed her.

Frank swallowed hard, finally releasing her hand. Looking disappointed, he glanced at Noelle. “If you keep being stubborn,” he said, “I won’t be able to defend you once Donovan returns. Think about it.”

As soon as he left, Noelle breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the headboard. A hint of self-deprecation crossed her eyes as she wondered what she should think about. Should she bend the knee and tiptoe around them, as in her past life, only to be driven out of the family and die a miserable death in a mental hospital?

She wouldn’t do that again.

“Here.”

A cold compress, wrapped in gauze, appeared before her. Noelle took it and pressed it against her swollen cheek. Glancing at the man beside her, she whispered, “Thanks for what you did earlier.”

“Why didn’t you defend yourself?” Cedric asked icily.

A wry smile crossed Noelle’s face. Lowering her head, she said, “Believe it or not, I’ve explained countless times and even showed them the evidence. They never believed me. They thought I was lying.”

The room fell silent. Noelle had no intention of explaining further; most people who heard her story thought she was disobedient.

“It’s hard not to believe you.”

Noelle’s heart skipped a beat. Did he really believe her?

Cedric stepped forward and felt her forehead. “The fever’s gone down.” Amidst her daze, Noelle realized how cool and soothing his hand was. She felt much better. She glanced at his wrist. “Did you get that scar from a car accident?”

Cedric froze, quickly withdrawing his hand. After a brief silence, he removed the empty IV bag. “Yes,” he replied. “It was from a car accident.” He propped his hand against the table, his back to her. His expression was indiscernible in the light.

Chapter 5, 2/4

“I have one on my leg, too,” Noelle said, pulling up her skirt slightly. “Here. Doesn’t it look similar to yours?”

Cedric turned. Her toned thigh came into view, the scar stark against her skin. But her skirt was pulled too high. He glanced once and swerved around. “Don’t lift your skirt in front of men.”

“But you’re a doctor.”

Cedric’s throat tightened. He was a man, as well. Had no one taught her this?

“This scar can be treated,” he said. “Why haven’t you done it?”

Noelle’s face fell; pain gripped her heart. Her third brother, Carl, had said this scar represented her parents. He’d promised to help her remove it one day.

She believed him.

But in the end, he’d looked at the scar disgustedly, saying he hated it and would never treat it. He blamed her for their parents’ death, saying the scar was a mark of her bringing doom upon them; that she should remember it for the rest of her life.

She was devastated, believing she was responsible for her parents’ death. She became even more servile to please her brothers.

Recalling the past knocked the wind out of Noelle. She couldn’t tell Cedric that now, so she deflected. “How about you? Why haven’t you treated yours?”

“I’m a man. It doesn’t matter. But for a woman, it’s better to get it treated.”

Noelle forced a smile. “Maybe later.”

Seeing her lower her head, Cedric said nothing further and sat nearby. He turned on the television; Noelle noticed a gaming live stream. To her surprise, her sixth brother, Lucas, was competing.

Lucas had skipped Xenia’s banquet for this competition, but had lost to the youngest son of the Greene family in Beville. In her past life, Noelle remembered how Lucas’ opponents relentlessly mocked him after he lost. Enraged, he’d recruited her and his brothers into his team upon his return.

Although they failed the qualifiers, they made a comeback in the repechage. They reached the finals, only to face the Greene family’s team again. Back then, Noelle spent countless hours training and analyzing the Greene team’s strategies just to beat them.

Chapter 5, 3/4

Xenia wasn’t in the lineup; her gaming skills were poor. She could only be a substitute. Noelle loved playing alongside her brothers. She relished the bliss of having no one to interrupt them as a family. She was so entranced by the competition that she neglected her college entrance exam preparations.

But just as they won a critical round, the championship within reach, the Liddell brothers made Noelle step down and had Xenia take her place. Ultimately, they won the national championship. Her brothers stood on the podium with Xenia, basking in the glory of her efforts. Xenia held the trophy that should have been hers, smiling happily in the center of the group.

Noelle felt her heart shatter. It seemed as though the hole in her heart could never be mended.

“Why are you crying? This isn’t some soap opera worth getting emotional over.”

Jolted out of her reveries, she wiped her tears. Her emotions had overwhelmed her.

A tissue, held between two slender fingers, appeared before her. Embarrassed, Noelle took the tissue and turned to Cedric shyly. “Do you play this game?”

“You should prioritize your college entrance exam preparations, not the game.” Cedric slouched back, paying no attention to her. He was focused on the competition.

Noelle also turned to the screen. “Team Luminark will lose.” It was Lucas’ team.

A smirk played on Cedric’s lips. “You’ve got a good eye.”

As she expected, Team Luminark lost. Noelle saw how furious Lucas looked onscreen. In a fit of rage, he smashed his keyboard. His temper was as terrible as always.

Seeing him lose gave her a twinge of satisfaction. Once Lucas returned, he would surely reorganize his team. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t compete for the Liddell family anymore. She would fight for herself and become a professional player, earning enough money to go to college and support herself. She no longer wanted her living expenses cut off at a whim to coerce her into compliance, nor did she want to give up on applying to prestigious universities and end up attending a community college with Xenia.

Financial independence was the only way for Noelle to escape the Liddell family’s control.

Chapter 5, 4/4

Professional gamers didn’t have much commercial value now, but by the following year, livestreaming would go viral. They could earn money through live streams. With her gaming experience from her past life, it was the quickest and easiest way for her to make money.

She silently steeled her resolve.

After the live stream ended, Cedric glanced back at her and removed her IV needle. He pressed a cotton swab on the back of her hand. “Your medicine is on the table,” he said. “You can leave after you take it.”

“Thank you!” Noelle said, grabbing her medicine and leaving the infirmary.

As soon as she left, a young man sauntered in. “Ced,” he said playfully, “it’s rare to see you playing hero. But that woman doesn’t have a great reputation at school. They’re roasting her on the forum. Don’t let her fool you.”

Leaning back, Cedric looked less aloof. He seemed to ease up. “Why are you still here?”

“I’m curious as to why you chose this high school to work as a doctor. You even skipped Magnus’ competition. He was so distracted looking for you that he nearly got blindsided by the Liddell kid. Tell me why, and I’ll leave right away.”

Cedric removed his mask and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a hideous scar. Alfred Parham’s expression darkened. “Have you not let it go yet? It’s been ages. That car accident has nothing to do with you!”

“Wait, don’t tell me that this woman is—”

“Shut up.”

Closing his eyes, Cedric ignored him.