A Debt You Can Never Repay

I was raised by the powerful Ashworth family, though I was just their adopted daughter. My older sister, Eleanor, found me in a rubbish heap and, despite immense pressure from everyone, raised me. But then the supposed ‘true’ heir returned. … She cursed Eleanor, accusing her of usurpation, and had her cruelly tortured and killed. The Ashworth parents stood by, cold and indifferent, while their son secretly snickered. They murdered the best sister in the world. None of them deserve to live in peace. The day I learned of Eleanor’s death, I rushed back from out of town. Nearly seventy-eight hours without sleep, I almost collapsed when I saw her broken, bruised body. “Mommy, Elly… Eleanor died so terribly. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t asked her to come back for my things, she wouldn’t have been assaulted and killed by those thugs. Waaah, Mommy, it’s all my fault…” Charlotte, in a frilly pink princess dress, clung to Mrs. Ashworth’s slender waist. Her eyes were red, her voice choked, but not a single tear fell. Eleanor, her wealthy mother, stroked Charlotte’s smooth, long hair, comforting her. “It was Eleanor’s bad luck, darling. How could it be your fault? Please stop crying, Mommy’s heart aches for you!” William Ashworth crunched on a lollipop, looking at Eleanor’s tattered corpse with undisguised disgust, a smirk playing on his lips. “Sis, don’t be sad over a stranger! It’s for the best she’s dead, saves her from meddling in everything. She never knew her place! Just a fake! She tricked us for years; it’s her own terrible fate!” “William! Don’t say that, Faith is still here.” Charlotte glanced at me fearfully, quickly retracting her gaze. William scoffed, “She’s just the adopted girl that fake brought back. Sis, why are you scared of her?” Mr. Ashworth, Arthur, shot him a fierce glare, and William turned away, falling silent. Arthur walked over to me. His features were refined, but his face showed no trace of sorrow. He simply stated, “The police are still hunting those thugs. They will pay for your sister’s life.” Pay for her life? I numbly lifted my eyes to look at the three of them. Their expressions varied, but none held an ounce of grief. Did they truly believe I knew nothing? The three Ashworths, in cahoots, took my sister’s life, and now they planned to pin it on some random thugs? They killed Eleanor. Not one of them will get away with it. I will make them pay with blood. I was seven when Eleanor found me. It was a brutal winter, and I was in a thin shirt, fighting stray dogs for scraps in a rubbish heap. Passersby avoided me, looking at me as if I were something filthy. When I finally managed to snatch a piece of stale bread from a dog’s mouth, I ravenously took a bite, then pulled my clothes tighter. I looked up and saw Eleanor. She wore a pristine white dress, extending her hand to me, a smile in her eyes. She looked like an angel. She said, “Little one, do you want to come home with me?” Later, I learned she was Eleanor Ashworth, the daughter of the powerful Ashworth family in the capital. Eleanor brought me back to the Ashworth mansion. I always thought wealthy people could do whatever they wanted, but Eleanor’s life in the Ashworth family wasn’t easy. She knelt outside for two days before Mr. Ashworth reluctantly agreed to adopt me. His condition was that he would arrange every aspect of Eleanor’s future life. Arthur sat high above, looking at me as if I were a small pet he could play with at will. Eleanor raised me. She was the most important person in my life. Eleanor was smart, brilliant, and she sheltered me under her wing, protecting me from any harm. Even though her own life in the Ashworth family was far from perfect. Eleanor barely tolerated her, and William despised her. Eleanor was merely a daughter of the Ashworths in name. When I was seventeen, Charlotte dramatically arrived with a DNA report, yelling at Eleanor, calling her a shameless imposter who had usurped her identity for years. That’s when I found out she was the true Ashworth heir, and Eleanor was merely a changeling. But to me, Eleanor was simply Eleanor. Eleanor was the best person in the world. If anyone harmed her, I would take their life. Charlotte was right; I was Eleanor’s loyal dog. A dog willing to do anything for her. I always repay kindness, and I always exact vengeance. After Eleanor’s death, the Ashworth family insisted on cremating her body immediately, claiming it was to let her rest in peace. It was as if they were desperate to hide some unspeakable secret. William sat with one leg crossed over the other, carelessly playing on his phone at Eleanor’s funeral, muttering curses at his teammates. His loud, obnoxious voice disturbed Eleanor’s peace. In the past, Eleanor would have curbed his behavior, and his resentment, having been controlled by her since childhood, festered. He had wished for her early demise. Charlotte was unlike Eleanor. She never disciplined William; instead, she constantly flattered and pleased him, which William enjoyed, making him even more reckless. I walked up to him, snatched his phone, and smashed it on the ground. William shrieked, lunging at me. “Faith Ashworth, are you out of your mind! Why did you smash my phone!” I kicked him away and slapped him hard across the face. The commotion drew immediate attention. Charlotte quickly squeezed next to William, exclaiming, “Faith! What are you doing! William was just playing a game. Even if you dislike him, you shouldn’t take it out on him! William is the Ashworth heir, after all! If you have any grievances, take them out on me!” Charlotte shielded William, feigning nobility. She wiped away an imaginary tear. “I know you look down on me. I’m just a child Mommy recently found, so I didn’t receive a good education before, naturally, I can’t compare to Eleanor. But, Faith! You don’t have any blood relation to the Ashworths. How can you bully William?” Charlotte appeared delicate, but subtly mocked me as a mere adopted daughter, an outsider. I saw the hidden triumph in her eyes. I knew Charlotte was always like this. She loved to feel superior to me, satisfying her vanity. Those who came to mourn Eleanor heard Charlotte’s words and began to murmur, mostly siding with Charlotte. After all, the true heir had returned, and they had to play along, didn’t they? It wasn’t worth offending the true heir for an adopted daughter like me. Charlotte, hearing the crowd’s agreement, became even more smug, unable to hide the smile at the corner of her lips. So outwardly pleased, she couldn’t even compare to Eleanor. Her smugness made her tone towards me considerably worse. “Faith, since Eleanor is dead, there’s no need for you to stay at the Ashworths anymore. I think you should pack your bags and leave now, save us the trouble of seeing you!” Charlotte’s mouth kept going, and when she uttered those words, everyone fell silent. Even William, hiding behind her, stared wide-eyed, completely astonished. Charlotte, however, didn’t notice. I looked at her, like a clown, and couldn’t help but chuckle. I certainly wanted to leave the Ashworth family, but it was Arthur himself who had insisted I stay. The reason I had lived comfortably in the Ashworth family for so many years, with no one daring to touch me, was not without cause. How could Charlotte, a newly found heir, think she could step all over me? By dreaming? “Rare to see you so quiet? Usually, you’re quite sharp-tongued, aren’t you?” A teasing voice came from behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. It was Sterling, the new head of the Sterling family. The Sterlings were a venerable, powerful family; the Ashworths barely registered in comparison. Sterling was quite fond of me. Arthur, desperate to cling to the Sterling family, had tried every possible way to keep me. Besides, could Arthur alone truly hold the Ashworth Group so firmly? Wasn’t it largely thanks to my assistance? Seeing I didn’t speak, Sterling dropped his jovial expression. He looked down at Charlotte, who stood in front of me. Honestly, Sterling was very handsome. Charlotte blushed, stepped forward, pushing me aside, and shyly extended her hand to Sterling. “Hello, sir, my name is Charlotte Ashworth, the daughter of the Ashworth family. May I have the honor of knowing your name?” I looked at the posturing Charlotte, feeling a slight amusement. Charlotte had only recently returned to the Ashworth family and hadn’t met many people in high society. It was natural she wouldn’t know that the young man in front of her was the head of the Sterling family. Sterling turned to Arthur, who stood behind him with a livid face, and said calmly, “Is this the Ashworth daughter? She truly lacks refinement.” Charlotte’s smile finally faltered. Arthur stepped forward and slapped her across the face. Despite Charlotte’s shocked expression, he still couldn’t help but speak up for her. “Charlotte has only recently returned; please don’t take offense.” When Eleanor was alive, if she made a mistake, she would never have gotten off with just a simple slap, let alone someone speaking up for her. Arthur was much kinder to Charlotte than to Eleanor. But Charlotte showed no gratitude. Her eyes red, she opened her mouth to argue with Arthur. Eleanor quickly covered her mouth, whispering a few comforting words, and Charlotte finally relented. Sterling winked at me, then followed Arthur to the back room. Seeing Arthur finally leave, Charlotte, her eyes red and full of rage, came up to me, looking as if she wanted to flay me alive. “You’re happy to see me make a fool of myself, aren’t you! Just you wait and see!” I didn’t expect Charlotte to take over Eleanor’s room after the funeral. Eleanor’s room wasn’t even half the size of Charlotte’s master bedroom, but Charlotte insisted on having all of Eleanor’s belongings thrown out. “It’s perfect; I need a study. Eleanor is dead anyway, so I’ll use her room. Keeping dead people’s things is bad luck, so I might as well throw everything out. Otherwise, it would just make me sad to look at them later.” I knelt on the floor, my hands trembling as I picked up a glass bottle Eleanor cherished. It was filled with beautiful fine sand. But now the glass jar was shattered, and the sand was scattered across the floor. She folded her arms and scoffed, “Yesterday, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself in front of Sterling! I’m warning you, Sterling’s future wife will be me, and only me. What do you even think you are?” She finished speaking and walked away, arms crossed. I ignored her. I meticulously picked up Eleanor’s things from the floor. A housemaid nearby sighed, then, unable to bear it, knelt down to help me. I recognized her; she had practically raised Eleanor. The housemaid comforted me, “They’re both daughters, but when Miss Eleanor was young, Mrs. and Mr. barely cared for her. Why are they so concerned about her now?” She spoke indignantly on Eleanor’s behalf. I tightened my grip on a shard of glass and looked in the direction Charlotte had disappeared. She wouldn't be smug for long. The rural couple who raised Charlotte, I discovered during my investigation, were distant cousins of Arthur. This couple had never ill-treated Charlotte since she was a child, but being rural folk, they harbored some ingrained patriarchal beliefs. Their only biological son recently started dating and was insistent on buying a house in the city to get married. However, a lifetime of savings for a rural couple wouldn't even buy a city toilet, let alone a house. Seeing their prospective daughter-in-law about to slip away, the elderly couple fretted like ants on a hot pan. So, when I approached them under Charlotte’s name, they readily agreed to meet. The adoptive mother’s eyes sparkled as she confirmed with me, “Charlotte, that child, is actually the Ashworth heiress?!” Her adoptive father, smiling broadly, added, “That child lied to us, saying she was from an ordinary family! If she’s really an Ashworth, wouldn’t Charlotte be living a divine life, like on TV!” I nodded at them. “The Ashworth family has more money than they could spend in generations, and Charlotte, naturally, misses you very much.” The couple clapped their hands. “Since Charlotte is so rich now, and her brother is getting married soon, why don’t we go ask her for some money! After all, we spent a lot raising her! No matter what, she’s still our son’s sister!” I looked at the ecstatic couple before me, took a sip of tea, and concealed the smile on my lips. Human greed. While their words sounded good now, if they were to truly witness what a life of luxury entailed, they would undoubtedly cling to Charlotte forever, never wanting to leave. After dealing with Charlotte’s adoptive parents, I took a bouquet of flowers to Eleanor’s grave. Unexpectedly, I ran into Sterling there. He and I, rather than friends, were more like rivals. I had helped the Ashworth family snatch several projects from him, yet he showed no sign of anger. I didn’t believe in his magnanimity; after all, many families who offended him ended up bankrupt. He smiled when he saw me, then gestured. “I knew you’d come. Eleanor’s death was suspicious, so when her body was sent to the hospital, I secretly had an autopsy done, and I found some very interesting things. I brought them specially for you.” I remembered that the hospital Eleanor was sent to was owned by the Sterling family. Eleanor was cremated so quickly I had no time to examine her body. The words “missing heart” on the autopsy report were particularly jarring. I recalled that William, who suffered from congenital heart disease, hadn’t taken medication for a long time after Eleanor’s death. His originally pale complexion grew rosier by the day, looking nothing like someone with a chronic illness. Since childhood, Eleanor had undergone a full physical examination almost every month. And now, everything seemed to have an answer. My sister had been raised as an organ ‘donor’ for William. My breath suddenly hitched, and I almost collapsed. Sterling, seeing my distress, supported me. I bit my tongue, the metallic taste of blood bringing me back to my senses. I thanked him hoarsely. “Why are you helping me?” Honestly, Sterling and I weren’t particularly close. I didn't believe anyone would do something at a loss. Sterling paused slightly, then spoke cautiously. “I just feel you resemble someone I know.” He touched my head, then placed his hand behind his back. “Perhaps I was mistaken.”