A month ago, I had gone to the hospital to see my brother and unexpectedly ran into Mom outside his room. I instinctively tugged at my sleeve and took a step back. She shot me a glance, her gaze as cold as ice. "What are you doing here? Do you even have the nerve to visit your brother?"

After the incident, my parents forbade me from seeing him. I had been careful to come at night, yet I still crossed paths with her. I didn’t respond; I simply placed the flowers on the bedside table. In an instant, the bouquet was hurled to the floor.

Mom pointed at me. "Take...