I spent the night on the sofa in the hospital room.
The next morning, when I woke up, I wanted to check the messages Fiona had sent, but I found my phone screen completely shattered.
It wouldn't even turn on.
Instinctively, I looked over at Peyton. He nonchalantly tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression unchanged: "Sis, why are you looking at me?"
He hadn't called me "Sis" in a long time.
I clutched the phone, staying silent for a moment, but said nothing in the end.
He seemed to notice my broken phone for the first time, and after a moment of thought, he said, "Did it fall off the sofa yesterday?"
I forced a smile. "Probably."
In the afternoon, Peyton was ready to be discharged. The doctor, seeing that he was generally fine, eventually agreed but advised me to monitor his condition closely.
I hailed a taxi by the roadside.
Inside the car, it was silent. The closer we got to home, the more anxious I became.
It felt as if a lurking python had its eyes on me, and every hair on my body stood on end.
After getting out, Peyton opened the car door for me.
His eyes curved slightly as he told me, "Sis, we're home."
I was almost ushered into the house by Peyton.
As soon as the door locked behind us, Peyton pulled me into his arms with a sigh, "Abbey, you can't escape."
I froze for a moment, then quickly began to struggle.
A cold aura emanated from him as he moved in to kiss me.
In a daze, memories flooded back, and I remembered that night when I was drunk...
It turned out, he had harbored improper intentions all along.
I slapped Peyton, gasping for breath, "Peyton, I'm your sister!" "Peyton, I'm your sister."
Peyton smiled, his expression twisted and obsessive, "But we're not related by blood, sister."
A weight seemed to lift off my heart, and I stood there in shock, muttering, "How is that possible…"
Peyton didn't explain, instead pulling me into his embrace, his breath heavy, "Abbey, do you know? I'm finally an adult."
He caught a lock of my hair, winding it around his pale fingers as he murmured, "I planned to do this on my eighteenth birthday, but there were always people trying to get in my way…"
Someone in his way?
"That self-important woman who bumped into me, Abbey, guess where she is now…"
A chill ran through me, but I still said, "Peyton, don't do anything foolish."
He's only eighteen; he can't...
Peyton let out a muffled laugh, and I felt a sharp pain in my neck as he bit down like a dog:
"Abbey, I just love you. I'm not a murderer."
"If I did anything to her, I'd end up in jail. I'm not that stupid."
I felt uncomfortable as he bit me, so I pushed him away, "Can you act normal?"
It turns out that my younger brother had passed away long ago, and Peyton was the child my father adopted from an orphanage.
I was confined by Peyton, though it wasn't exactly captivity.
Because he knew I wouldn't call the police.
After all, he was my brother in name, how could I bring myself to do it?
I tried to resist Peyton's advances, but when he held a knife to his wrist, I couldn't help but relent.
And then, everything spiraled out of control.
Peyton was a complete and utter pervert.
When I hit him, he took it as a reward, his ears turning red.
When I scolded him, he merely lifted his eyes, tilted his head, and smirked, "Abbey, keep going."
During that time, Peyton was under a lot of stress. He would rub my head, his voice heavy, "Sis, the pressure from studying is intense. Be good."
Me:...
Peyton didn't even want to go to school anymore, he just wanted to stay by my side.
Under the black desk, I spoke earnestly, "You can't skip school. If you don't even have a high school diploma, I'd be embarrassed to tell anyone."
Hearing this, Peyton let out a cold laugh, his tone irritatingly mocking, "Sis, focus."
Me:...
Even after his exams were over, Peyton still showed no intention of letting me go.
I was extremely frustrated and frowned, "At least give me a phone."
Peyton looked me up and down, then shook his head, "No, unless..."
Me:...
