They Called Me Heartless, So Reborn, I Watched Them Self Destruct Chapter 09

They Called Me Heartless, So Reborn, I Watched Them Self Destruct Chapter 09

My parents refused to let me go that easily.

First, they called me every day. I blocked every number.

Then they started sending relatives to lecture me about my so-called “responsibility” to take care of Ethan. I blocked them too.

Finally, my dad showed up at my law school.

He stood outside the law building, stopping anyone who would listen and telling them I was an ungrateful

daughter.

“My son ruined his future trying to save someone else, and she won’t even come home. We raised her for twenty-something years, and now that she thinks she can stand on her own, she doesn’t give a damn about her own brother.”

That day, I had just finished a mock trial competition. I was still holding the certificate from our win.

My classmates looked at me differently as they passed. Some looked sympathetic. Others looked curious.

In my previous life, that kind of attention terrified me.

Whenever my family caused a scene at school, I would panic. I would explain myself. I would apologize. And somehow, people always ended up thinking the same thing: There’s no smoke without fire.

But this time, I walked straight up to my father, pulled out my phone, and started recording.

“Mr. David Miller, you’re publicly accusing me of refusing to support my brother. I need to remind you that siblings generally have no legal duty to financially support one another unless specific legal circumstances apply.”

My father’s face turned livid.

“I’m your father!”

I looked him straight in the eye.

“And I’m reminding you that being my father doesn’t give you the right to defame me.”

His hand shot up.

Several students gasped.

I didn’t flinch.

I simply looked at him.

“Go ahead. Hit me, and I’ll call the police.”

His hand froze in midair.

After a few seconds, he lowered it.

Then, in front of everyone, I said, “Before Ethan donated his kidney, his doctors fully explained the risks involved in donating an organ. Ethan signed the consent forms. My parents signed them. Lily Hayes signed

hers as the recipient.”

“I didn’t stop him, and I didn’t pressure him into doing it. This was a decision made voluntarily by four adults. What happened afterward is not my responsibility.”

My father shouted, “You knew this would happen!”

“I knew there were risks.” I held his gaze. “That’s why I told all of you to make sure you understood them before going through with it. You did.”

The crowd fell silent.

Then people started whispering among themselves.

For once, the entire crowd wasn’t automatically taking my family’s side.

Because I had evidence.

And because I wasn’t standing there crying and begging people to believe me.

Campus Security arrived within minutes and escorted my father off the premises.

Before he left, he pointed at me.

“Claire, don’t ever come back to this family!”

I nodded.

“Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted.”

That night, Lily called me.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Claire, I’m sorry.”

I said nothing.

She continued, “Your parents came to my house. They blamed me for what happened to Ethan.”

“That’s between you and them.”

“I know:”

She was silent for a long time before speaking again.

“I just wanted you to know that before the surgery, I actually understood what the doctors told me about the risks.”

I held the phone to my ear without saying a word.

It was as if she had finally stopped pretending.

“I just wanted to live so badly,” she said. “I wanted to go to school. I wanted to fall in love. I wanted to be

able to walk outside and live a normal life. I didn’t want to die at twenty-two.”

Her voice broke.

“So I never really turned him down.”

“Wanting to live isn’t a crime.”

She choked back a sob.

“Then what about leaving him?”

I looked out the window. The night was pitch-black.

“That depends on how you choose to face it.”

She gave a bitter laugh.

“You really have changed.”

Of course I had.

Someone who had already died once should have learned not to spend the rest of her life putting herself on trial for other people.

After a moment, she asked, “Do you hate me?”

I thought about it.

“No.”

I could hear the relief in the way she breathed.

Then I added, “But I won’t forgive you, either.”

Her breathing stopped for a second.

“You accepted someone else’s enormous sacrifice because you wanted to live, but you weren’t willing to face The consequences that came with it. I understand that you were scared. I understand why you were weak. But understanding you doesn’t mean I have to pretend you did nothing wrong.”

Lily started crying harder.”

I ended the call.

The next day, I transcribed the entire conversation and saved it to an encrypted drive.

Not because I wanted to use it against her.

I just needed the reminder.

Human beings weren’t always cruel in obvious, vicious ways.

More often, they were simply weak, selfish, and willing to gamble on getting away with it.

And sooner or later, someone else ended up paying the bill.