“Noel, you’ve been through a lot. I didn’t know anything. I’m sorry,” I said.

My sister quickly shook her head in surprise.

“No. You’ve been through so much for me, and still, I’m asking for help. I’m really sorry,” Noel said, looking down.

Her small shoulders were trembling.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m really happy you came here,” I replied cheerfully.

My aunt and uncle nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. It was good to escape from them.”

“Noel, relax. Your big sister will protect you,” I said.

Though deep down, I felt fear and reluctance to get involved.

“I want to save Noel, but how should I do it?” I thought and began to make plans.

The day to execute the plan was Christmas, a cold day under a winter sky that threatened snow.

Returning to my parents’ home for the first time in 10 years, I gathered my courage and pressed the doorbell.

The door was opened forcefully, and my parents greeted me with,

“Oh, we’ve been waiting for you,” said my father.

My parents greeted me with unnaturally bright smiles. They must have known about my return through my aunt. They should also understand that it was about my sister.

“Welcome back? Waiting? What are you talking about after you threw me out?”

I questioned their attitude, feeling puzzled.

My mother, with a cloying voice, took my hand as she spoke.

“Come on, it’s cold. Let’s go inside.”

“No, it’s fine here. I’m busy and can’t stay long,” I replied shortly.

Their faces clouded over for a moment before they quickly put on forced smiles again.

Then they began to speak loudly in an unnatural way.

“The queen of the trading card world, huh? Your dad is proud of you.”

“Me too. You’ve won lots of prize money. I’ve been bragging about it in the neighborhood, so come back soon,” my mother said.

Feeling irritated by their behavior, I calmly responded.

“Huh? Why?”

“Because a family should be together, right?” my father responded.

I was appalled by his words and glared at them in disbelief.

“How dare you say that after abandoning me?” I screamed internally.

However, my parents seemed oblivious to my attitude and continued to sweet-talk me.

“Your mother cleaned up your room when she heard you were coming back.”

“We hope you can relax here,” they cooed.

“And we even replaced the carpet in your room, so you can feel comfortable to practice at home. From now on, feel free to ask us for anything,” they continued.

They kept piling on words, trying to win my favor.

At that moment, it became clear to me.

These people. They’re not really talking about me. They’re just boasting to the neighbors.

They fabricated a story about how they supported my success as a top-tier competitive card player and bragged about it all around the neighborhood.

Sending my sister to basketball studies abroad was also just an action done for the sake of appearances.

I watched my parents with a cynical smile.

Truly appalling. Your selfish efforts are meaningless.

“Actually, I’m planning to quit competitive trading card gaming in a few years.”

“What?”

My parents were shocked. My father was at a loss for words, while my mother looked stunned.

“Competitive card gaming requires reflexes, concentration, and physical stamina. I can’t keep competing with the younger players forever. I plan to retire after earning a bit more prize money.”

While I spoke cheerfully, my parents were clearly disturbed.

“So what will you do after you retire?” my father asked.

“Well, I might be unemployed for a while,” I answered with a smile, watching their reaction.

The fake smiles on my parents’ faces disappeared, quickly replaced by angry expressions.

“What nonsense. Being unemployed without a proper job? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would be at work? I can’t even imagine,” my father exclaimed.

“Yes. So you can forget about me. I never intended to come back to this house anyway,” I replied.

“How insolent!” my father shouted.

His voice echoed through the quiet neighborhood, causing my mother to panic and look around, wary of the neighbor’s eyes.

“Firstly, I came here today to discuss Noel’s situation. She is currently living healthily with me at our aunt’s house.”

“What did you say? Have you kidnapped her? That’s unforgivable. Give her back to her mother.”