"Grace, are you sure? I thought you prefer to stay here."

"I'm sure. The sooner I leave, the better."

After all, the only reason I had stayed was because of Andrew and Archer.

But now, there was no reason to anymore.

Lying in my hospital bed, I numbly scrolled through my phone.

The trending search was already flooded with a video of Andrew and Archer rushing into the fire, risking their lives.

In the video, they protected Shannon Perry on either side of her, like her loyal knights.

Countless netizens were moved and envious, and Shannon was in the spotlight at once.

Everyone was saying that the "princess" of the Benson and Cress families had changed. It was no longer me.

I turned off my phone just as the hospital room door was violently kicked open.

Andrew and Archer broke in, looking furious. "Grace, now that you're awake, drop the act.

"We're here for one thing. Give your spot in the piano competition to Shannon. It's the least you owe her."

To their surprise, I didn't make a scene as I usually did. I said coldly, "OK."

"What?"

For a split second, shock flickered across their faces. Then Archer's expression darkened. "Grace, how could you agree so easily? What are you up to now?"

Andrew said coldly, "You stopped us from saving Shannon. If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have nearly lost her voice. Isn't it only right that you make it up to her?"

My great headache was killing me, and I said impatiently, "I already said yes. What else do you want? Should I kneel before her and swear my loyalty?"

Andrew and Archer exchanged a glance, disbelief flashing in their eyes.

But, since they had already got what they wanted, they soon left after saying something harsh to me.

As everything became quiet again, I looked down at my right hand.

The doctor said my right hand was hurt in the fire, and I could never play the piano again.

The piano was my faith since I was born, and this was definitely a devastating blow.

I had broken down and wanted to talk to Andrew and Archer about it, but their reaction was to grip me by the neck fiercely.

"Grace, you're so vicious! If it weren't for you, Shannon wouldn't have almost died!"

"Are you that jealous of her?"

At that moment, I suddenly let go of something.

I picked up my phone and made the call.

Andrew, Archer, if you despise me so much...

From now on, I won't stand in your way of pursuing Shannon.

After I was discharged from the hospital, I came back to the villa Andrew and Archer had given me.

They were probably waiting for me. Upon seeing me, they tossed me a box as if they were doing charity.

"You must have been scared because of the fire. Don't be mad anymore. This is to make it up to you."

I opened the box and saw a necklace inside, the one I had been wanting to buy but could never get.

"Last warning. Do not give Shannon a hard time again," they said sternly and left.

It seemed that in their eyes, the gift was them being kind enough, and I was supposed to accept it with gratitude.

I lay in bed wearily and then clicked on Instagram. Then I saw Shannon's latest post.

"The dress is so fancy! Compared to that ugly necklace, I prefer this dress. Thank you, Andrew, Archer."

It turned out that the so-called compensation was something Shannon didn't want.

I tossed the necklace into the trash can without saying a word.

In the eyes of Andrew and Archer, Shannon deserved every best thing in the world.

But it was they who had said once that I was the princess they wanted to protect forever.

Back then, my parents died when trying to save Andrew and Archer's parents. After that, I was brought to live with them.

Andrew and Archer were both spoiled trust fund kids, and they liked me at first sight. They grew fond of me so much that they even moved here to live with me.

Back in school days, we were inseparable. They followed me everywhere.

They always competed with each other for my attention; once, they even got into a fight just to win me over.

I had to step up to mediate; only then did they reluctantly agree that they wouldn't fight anymore.

But they were still very possessive of me, not allowing any man near me.

"Grace, even if you want to be with someone, it's got to be one of us.

"We'll be crazy if you date someone else."

Just like that, I grew up while being spoiled by Andrew and Archer to the utmost.

I said I liked roses, so they used every rose in town to build me a rose manor.

Once, someone made a nasty joke about me, and they ruined the boy's family business and forced him to drop out of school.

After we graduated, we started an entertainment company together.

Andrew was the CEO, Archer was the top star, and I was the genius piano prodigy to whom they gave all their resources.

I had never doubted that we'd live happily like this forever.

Maybe one day, I'd choose to be together with one of them.

But our happy life was gradually ruined after Shannon had appeared.

She was the maid's daughter and always looked timid whenever we saw her.

At first, Andrew and Archer didn't like her.

Later, before I realized it, they brought her up more and more frequently.

"Shannon is foolish but in a cute way," they said.

They competed with each other, fighting for who got to pick Shannon up from school, and bought her all kinds of gifts.

Sensing that I was no longer the only one they doted on, I made a scene with them again and again, crying sadly.

At first, they'd smile and tease me, "Are you jealous, Grace?"

But after they saw my tears again and again, they grew impatient and annoyed, thinking I was so willful. "Grace, you've been pampered since you were little, and you've never suffered any hardships. But Shannon is different. She's tough and kind-hearted. Could you stop picking on her?"

They said the same thing to me on the day of the fire.

They thought many people would come to my rescue, so they went to rescue Shannon while leaving me behind without hesitation.

But no one came to my rescue at all.

I had to break a hand before narrowly making it.

At that precise moment, I knew it was time to let this bond that we had built over more than a decade be over.

Ever since that day, Andrew and Archer started to leave early in the morning and come back late at night.

I knew they spent all their time pleasing Shannon.

For her, Archer let her be the female lead in his new song's music video.

But I had always been his only female lead. He didn't even bother to tell me in advance.

And Andrew was no better than him. He made my team, including my manager, prioritize her needs.

Andrew and Archer kept sending her expensive jewelry and luxury items from big brands, doting on her to the utmost.

Everyone in the company said I had been replaced and was no longer the favored one.

One day, I saw Shannon's latest post on Instagram.

"Halle and Rosemary are so nice to me. They even let me have the family heirlooms which are meant for their future daughter-in-law. But I can't be their daughter-in-law at the same time!"

The photo attached showed two beautiful bracelets, the ones Andrew and Archer had wanted to put on me eagerly.

Yet now, they belonged to Shannon.

I gave her post a like and then saw Andrew and Archer interact with her in the comment section.

The two fought for her favor, just like the way they had fought for each other for my attention.

I was already totally heartbroken, but the bitterness was still overwhelming.

One day, a piece of news shocked me—Shannon released her new piano piece, "Moon Above the Sea".

It soon went viral across the country, and countless people became her fans, amazed by her talent.

Yet, I felt a chill running down my spine.

Because I was the one who composed it.

Andrew and Archer actually gave Shannon my work!

I was so pissed off that my face turned red. I immediately ran to Andrew's office and questioned him, "Why did Shannon release my piece? You know so well that I..."

He interrupted me impatiently, "Didn't we tell you to make it up to Shannon? So what if we let her have your piece? We're helping you compensate her."

I said coldly, "Andrew, this is plagiarism."

He stared at me for a few seconds before smiling contemptuously, "Plagiarism? Grace, I'm the CEO. I own you as well as everything related to you.

"You should be honored that I'm letting you be Shannon's stepping stone. Don't forget that Archer and I gave you everything you have."

My breathing paused for a second.

Suddenly, I remembered that once, someone slandered me for cheating in an exam. Andrew immediately grabbed a chair and smashed it over the one's head without hesitation.

Back then, Andrew said, "I'll never let anyone who upsets Grace off."

And now, it was he who upset me so badly.

I said after a long silence, "Fine. Andrew, Shannon can have 'Moon Above the Sea'.

"Let the piece be the knife that completely cuts our bond."

As Andrew looked at my retreating figure, he arched an eyebrow. In the end, he said nothing.

"I want to resign."

After sending this message to my manager, I started to pack my things.

Just then, someone urged me to check the trending topic list.

A video of me playing "Moon Above the Sea" was posted, which quickly drew the attention of millions of netizens.

They shared the same doubt—who composed the piece, Shannon or Grace?

As they were wondering, Andrew announced that I had withdrawn from the competition.

Seeing this, the netizens were convinced that I felt guilty after being found out that I had plagiarized, so I withdrew.

Immediately, all of them were hurling insults at me.

As I read the comments, my face turned pale. Just as I was about to post on Twitter to explain, I found that I had been muted.

Meanwhile, Archer posted, "I saw it with my own eyes. Shannon composed 'Moon Above the Sea'.

"Besides, she told me about her ideas when composing it. She's definitely not the plagiarizer."

I was shocked as if struck by lightning.

By stating this, Archer indicated that I was the plagiarizer.

But I had told him clearly that I composed the piece based on the story of the three of us.

He actually smeared me to defend Shannon!

I went to confront him at once. "How could you do this to me?"

He glanced at me lazily. "You've got so many great chances. Why can't you let Shannon have one?

"Grace, don't be so willful and stingy."

It suddenly occurred to me that back then, when I first debuted, some marketing accounts insinuated that I had risen to fame because I was involved with Archer and Andrew.

Archer tweeted ten times in a row, arguing with haters for a day and a night.

Then he held a press conference, saying, "I spoil Grace. End of the story. Whoever badmouths her is doomed."

Archer was a person who distinguished between love and hate clearly; he wanted the best thing in the world for those he loved and did everything he could to ruin those he hated.

And now, Shannon was his beloved, and he couldn't wait to destroy me.

I said, my voice hoarse, "I see.

"I hope you win Shannon's heart soon and live happily together with her."

A trace of distress flashed across his eyes when he saw the disappointment on my face.

In the next second, I said, "I've handed in my resignation letter. From now on, I'll withdraw and no longer compete with Shannon for resources."