After her rebirth

The southern winters were brutal-cold and damp.

Back then, Katniss used to sleep in a tiny storage room. Every winter, she struggled to get any rest. Her body stayed cold all night, never warming up.

The next day, her hands and feet would still be freezing.

She always took care of everyone else, never thinking about herself.

But now, even though it was just the start of winter and the sunset was still warm, Katniss felt a chill that cut deeper than those bone-chilling nights in the unheated storage room.

Her pale face grew even colder as she glanced around at the people in the room.

Turns out, even family ties could shatter beyond repair.

Fighting the pain in her bones, Katniss sat up a bit, her voice raspy from not talking for so long, "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm really part of this family."

"Since you walked in, it's been half an hour. You've even talked about the offender, but has anyone even asked about my injuries?" Katniss's eyes trembled slightly. Ignoring their shocked faces, she smirked, "If you're done talking, get out. I don't want to see you. If I had a choice, I wouldn't have been born into the Manners family!"

Simon suddenly blew up, "Katniss, are you out of your mind? We all came here, isn't that enough? Do you want us to kneel and treat you like a princess?"

Lucas looked at Katniss's calm face, pressing his lips together in frustration.

Oliver was even more pissed, "I thought after all this, you'd learn something. But no, you're just as stubborn and even more outrageous. Katniss, you're getting ridiculous. How dare you!"

Clara looked deeply at Katniss, wondering if she was just biding her time.

"Katniss, we've all been worried about you. Don't make Mom and Dad any angrier. Let's all take a step back." Clara moved closer, trying to hold Katniss's hand.

Katniss frowned, pulling away coldly, "Clara, did you forget what I said last time?"

Elodie, always sensitive about Clara, immediately asked, "Clara, what did Katniss say to you? Did she bully you?"

Clara quickly shook her head, "No, Katniss just said she didn't want to see me. I get it."

Elodie couldn't believe Katniss was bullying Clara at school. Clara was soft-hearted and probably suffered a lot without saying anything.

Thinking about this, any warmth Elodie felt for Katniss disappeared.

Elodie spoke in a sad, defeated tone, "Katniss, what do you want? Since you came, we've all had trouble. Clara has put up with so much. Is your heart made of iron? What do you want to turn this family into to be satisfied?"

"It's my fault. I couldn't be fair, which made you jealous. Take it all out on me, but leave Clara alone!" Elodie's eyes reddened as she hugged Clara, looking at Katniss with resentment and disappointment.

From childhood to adulthood, Clara was the perfect kid obedient, smart, and talented. She excelled at everything and was Elodie's pride and joy, the daughter she had poured her heart into raising.

But then, one day, someone dropped a bombshell: Clara wasn't her daughter. There had been a mix-up.

Her real daughter had been raised in the countryside, uneducated and rough around the edges. Elodie's world fell apart.

At first, Elodie felt sorry for Katniss, her real daughter who had suffered so much.

But over time, Elodie couldn't take it anymore.

Katniss was always lying, scheming, and playing the victim. She pretended to be good, took credit for Clara's achievements, and tried to win over her brothers.

Elodie didn't want a daughter like that-morally corrupt and venomous.

Simon sneered, "Mom, you've been too soft on her. She even got her own brother thrown in jail. What won't she do next? Before she commits murder or arson, we should cut ties with her!" Lucas frowned, pulling Simon back. "What are you saying!"

"Am I wrong? Do you know what I went through that week in jail? If she's heartless, why should I be kind?" Simon glared at Katniss.

Katniss was exhausted, her heart strangely calm.

Well, it's finally come to this.

Katniss felt a long-lost sense of relief, light and free.

She and her old self had forged separate paths, and that was fine.

Katniss faintly smiled, "Let's do it then. From now on, you live your lives, and I have nothing to do with the Manners family. You are no longer my family." Cut ties?

To traditional-minded people, every word Katniss said was rebellious.

Oliver was trembling with anger. He just wanted to scare Katniss, but now, not only was she not afraid, she wanted to cut ties.

"I'm not dead yet!" Oliver shouted.

Katniss looked up and met Oliver's fiery eyes. The next second, her wrist was grabbed and forcefully yanked down.

Just waking up from her injuries, Katniss had no strength to resist and fell off the hospital bed in a mess.

"Let go! How dare you treat me like this!" Katniss shouted.

"You think you can get away with this? Katniss, as long as I'm alive, I'm your father, and I'll make you pay for this!" Oliver roughly pulled Katniss down and threw her hard. He swept everything off the table, the items clattering onto Katniss.

As if that wasn't enough, Oliver kicked her hard, "How dare you defy me! I'll beat you to death! Admit your mistake!"

"Do you admit your mistake!" He completely forgot about Katniss's injuries, and the others watched coldly, not one of them reaching out.

As the sound fell, Katniss groaned, her face turning pale, cold sweat dripping from her forehead, feeling as if her internal organs were being crushed.

Her frail body lay limp like a tattered rag.

Katniss gave up struggling, her eyes wide open, numbly watching the furious Oliver beating her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling in large drops.

It hurt!

It hurt so much!

After seven o'clock, a nurse came to change the medicine. Pushing open the door, she saw the horrific scene and screamed in fright, "Help! Someone's being beaten to death!"