He Raised Me with Love, Then Sent Me to Prison

“Evie, how was life in there? I heard it gets really messy. Is that right?” “Not messy. You can read books and newspapers every day, and after eating, you return to the dorm.” “That sounds pretty nice, not as hard as I pictured.” While she spoke, a small look of letdown passed through Rosie’s eyes. Jude placed a peeled shrimp on my plate and chuckled. “Now that you’re back, don’t mention anything from inside. Treat it as something you went through and leave it behind.” Rosie’s eyes turned dull for a moment, and she stayed quiet. After a short pause, as if something came to mind, she hurried into the bedroom and brought out a small fancy box, handing it to me. “Evie, this is a gift I got ready for you. Congrats on getting out of prison!” I didn’t take it and kept eating in silence. She didn’t seem bothered, still smiling while she lifted the lid. A pearl necklace rested inside, simple and classy. Right when I glanced at it, my eyes narrowed, and a sudden coldness swept over me. Rosie pushed the necklace toward me. Her expression slowly turned into something disgusting, her smile turning strange and cold. “What’s wrong, Evie? Isn’t this the necklace you liked the most? You liked it so much you even took it.” “Now that I’m handing it to you, aren’t you glad?” That pearl necklace had been a gift Jude bought for Rosie. It had also been the item that sent me to prison for three years, the thing behind everything. After Dad lost his life on the battlefield, Mom took the funeral compensation and ran off, leaving only me and my brother to rely on each other. He quit high school and wandered through all kinds of rough paths before finally starting a business and building his own company. After he made money, he adopted Rosie, who also lost her father, and brought her home. At the start, I refused, but Jude convinced me, “Rosie had it as hard as we did. At least you still have me, but she has no one.” “Evie, be open-minded. It’s only adding another pair of utensils.” But even though he said that, my brother treated her even better than he treated me. From the beginning, it felt like he had wanted to raise a new little sister, giving her everything he had never given me. Jewelry, accessories, bags, anything Rosie asked for, she received. In only two years, he spent more than ten million. That was money he earned with his own hardship, countless nights drinking for work, throwing up until the room spun, yet still pushing himself to drink again. Since I worried about his money, I repeatedly told him not to buy too much, but Rosie took that to heart. She hid her jewelry under my pillow and then cried to my brother, saying I stole it. Out of anger, Jude forced me to kneel in the rain and admit what I’d done wrong. “How could the Mitchell family have a daughter like you? Dad was a soldier, and I’ve lived honestly without doing anything wrong.” “Of all the people to learn from, you learn from that mother who ran off with the money?” “Did I not give you enough to eat or wear? Is that why you steal?” Even while burning with fever, I cried and told him I hadn’t taken anything, but he still wouldn’t believe me. By the next day, he had already found a top lawyer and took me to court. He was my real brother, yet in the courtroom he stood on Rosie’s side and spoke for her. At the final judgment, I received three years and was branded a thief. Before I was sent away, relatives, friends, and even the lawyer urged him not to push things so far, saying that I was a girl and three years in prison would destroy my life. But my brother refused to back down, even cutting ties with everyone just to make sure I went in. “Evie won’t be ruined. I work to support her. Even if she is ruined, I can look after her for the rest of her life.” “But she stole, she has to learn a lesson!” During those three years, he showed up every month, asking if I understood my mistake. But I never met him; I only asked the guards to send out one message. “I didn’t steal the money.”

Every time he walked away, the prison guard would breathe out and say, “Your brother doesn’t believe you.” Disappointment kept coming, and I didn’t know when it slowly turned into hopelessness. I felt like the whole world had left me behind; I once had a brother who cared about me, but now even he was gone. When I saw that pearl necklace again, my mind completely collapsed. I turned the box over in panic. With the necklace breaking apart, the pearls dropped to the floor and scattered in a trail of clattering rolls. Rosie stood frozen in surprise, unsure of what to do. Jude’s face darkened immediately. “Rosie is giving you a gift out of kindness. She doesn’t even blame you anymore. What are you doing?” I shook in the chair, my face as pale as paper. He dragged me up roughly. “You think just because you’re out, you can throw tantrums? Hurry and pick up the pearls and say sorry to Rosie!” Say sorry? How could I ever say sorry? I pushed my brother hard, ran out the door, and rushed into the freezing wind. With the wind biting cold, I felt grief and shame tighten painfully in my chest. I didn’t want to stay home. If not for taking back my father’s things, I never would’ve returned with him. I didn’t want to be blamed ever again. I didn’t want to bear even a small wrong ever again. My brother soon ran after me and caught my wrist. He frowned deeply and scolded, “Where are you going? You spent three years in prison and still didn’t fix your attitude?” I couldn’t hold back anymore. I pulled my hand loose, my eyes turning red. “Is she giving me that necklace out of kindness or spite? Jude, can you really not see it?” “I’m your real sister. You already sent me in once, what more do you want from me?” “It was for your own good!” His voice turned cold. “Since you dared to steal, you must accept punishment. Otherwise, how will you ever change that bad habit?” “Should I pretend nothing happened and let you keep going down the wrong path?” Hearing him, I felt a deep, painful emptiness open inside my chest. All my life, when had I ever taken anything? Why would I take Rosie’s necklace? For what reason? Why couldn’t he think it through? Why couldn’t he trust me? With tears streaming, the hurt and hopelessness from those three years came rushing back.. I let go of explaining, once more. Looking at my short prison haircut, my brother lowered his voice as if giving up. “Evie, everything I did was for you. You spent three years inside, but I’ve set up a future for you.” “My company will be yours someday. I only wanted to give you a small punishment, nothing that would truly hurt you.” “Come home with me. Don’t run around anymore.” He took my hand and brought me back. I went with him like a machine, empty, saying nothing. At the door’s opening, Rosie saw him come in with me, and a quick look of surprise crossed her eyes. Even with all that, it seemed she never thought my brother would bring me home. But I only felt worn out. I hid in the bedroom and didn’t come out again. Late at night, Rosie rushed into my room. I opened my eyes on instinct, but she assumed I was asleep. She moved her hand under my pillow and pushed something beneath it. I kept quiet. I left it there. She was so eager, I had barely come back, and she was already using the same trick again. I wanted to see whether my brother would choose to trust me this time. The next morning, just as expected, she cried while accusing me again, saying I had taken her necklace. “Evie, if you want it, you can just tell me. I gave you the necklace yesterday; you were the one who didn’t want it.” “Or do you just enjoy taking things?” My brother’s face went dark, and he set his jaw as he looked at me.

“You really just can’t change, can you?” With that shock, my heart fell heavily. With his words, it felt as if my brother cut the last bit of family that tied us together. I smiled bitterly. “Yeah, I can’t change….” Before I could finish my words, my brother suddenly lifted his hand and slapped me hard. From his gaze, anger and disappointment were clear. “How could I have a sister like you!” I paused for a moment, then covered my cheek and let out a cold laugh. “I also wonder why I have a brother like you.” “You…!” His hand shook as he pointed at me, too furious to speak. Before his second slap could fall, I dropped to my knees and bowed my head to the ground. “Thank you for quitting school to raise me. From today on, I don’t have a brother.” Rising to my feet, I retrieved my father’s things from beneath the bed and started to leave. His face sank as he grabbed the photo and ring away. “These were Dad’s things. You have no right to take them!” Whatever. Then, let it go. I nodded, accepting the outcome, and got ready to walk out. He called after me, holding back his anger. “You’re a labor camp convict. What can you even do after leaving me? Starve to death?” My steps kept moving. “Save your worry.” After I left the house, I sat in the neighborhood the whole day. This time, Jude didn’t follow me. He must have been completely disappointed and sick of me, and didn’t want to bother anymore. I had no money on me and needed a job that included food and a place to stay. But once they heard I had been in prison, no company was willing to take me in. With no other choice, I went to a construction site for work. The foreman looked me over from head to toe, his frown growing tighter every moment. “A woman? Our work is tough. Can you even handle it?” I pushed out a friendly smile. “Let me give it a try, big brother. I may look thin, but I’m really strong.” He still appeared unwilling until I actually got to work, quick and efficient. It was only after that that he nodded and agreed to keep me. “Food and lodging included, one hundred a day.” “But the project is short. It’ll end in a month.” Happily, I nodded. That was enough. In a month, Louie would be released, and I would have a place to go. Just like this, I worked at the construction site for over twenty days. When my brother showed up again, he was so stunned he almost didn’t recognize me. My hair had grown into a rough patch, my whole body covered in dirt, gray shaking off with every step. He stood far away watching, his eyes turning wet. After a long pause, he hurried over and grabbed my wrist. “Why are you here? Evie, do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?” “Come on, come home with me. You can’t keep doing this kind of work!” I pulled his hand, picked up another stack of bricks, acting like I didn’t know him. With his lips pressed into a thin line, he stopped trying to persuade me. He went to talk to the foreman instead. I didn’t know what he said. Right then, the foreman walked over with an unpleasant look. “Evie, why didn’t you say you were sent in for stealing? We can’t keep someone like that on the site. You’re dismissed!” “No pay either. Hurry up and go!” I panicked and pleaded for him to give me another chance. “I was locked up by mistake. I didn’t steal, and I won’t steal. Please let me stay!” “That man is your real brother, isn’t he? He would accuse you of no reason?” With a mocking tone, the foreman cut me off. “We can’t keep someone dishonest. Go, go, go!” Then, annoyed, he pushed me aside. I lost my footing and staggered backward, only to be caught strongly by Jude.

Smiling proudly at the corners of his lips, he handed me the phone with a shove. “See? You can’t make it anywhere you go. The only place you can return to is me.” “Evie, we’re real siblings. The path I set for you is the best one!” While he talked, he brushed my messy, dirt-covered hair. His hand came away gray with dust, but he didn’t care at all; instead, he gladly held my hand. “Come on, go home with me. Don’t make me lose you again.” I stayed still. Upon turning back in confusion, he saw my gaze, cold and without emotion. “Jude, what do I have to do for you to stop holding on to me?” He didn’t think he had done anything wrong. His smile faded with displeasure. “What do you mean by letting you go? Haven’t I treated you well?” “I’ve been searching for you for more than twenty days. Do you know how much money I lost not running the company?” He pulled me hard without asking. “Go home with me!” He pushed me into the car and dragged me back once again. On the way, he picked up a phone call. After dropping me at home, he hurried to the company, telling Rosie to keep me from slipping away. Once he left, Rosie’s face shifted immediately. “Bitch! Brother actually brought you back again? Even now, he still cares about you?” I held back the urge to hit her and finally asked the question I had held in for three years. “Why did you set me up for stealing? I treated you pretty well all these years, didn’t I?” She let out a cold laugh, her gaze turned cold. “Who told you to tell brother not to spend money on me?” “He already said the company will be yours later, not mine.” “You had a brother backing you up, but you wouldn’t let him spend even a bit on me. Why did you get everything?” I curled my fingers. “As for how he earned his money, he hadn’t gone to college. Everyone in the company looked down on him, so he pushed himself even more.” “About those old scumbag, they forced him to drink at every event. He had to vomit until he was shaking and then keep drinking. He even vomited blood.” “But you? Every time you speak, you ask for hundreds of thousands, millions. What brother wouldn’t feel pained? I only told him not to spend so much on you. What’s wrong with it?” “So what? He doesn’t make money for me anyway.” While admiring her freshly done nails, Rosie remained entirely unconcerned. “If he drinks himself to death, the company wouldn’t be mine. Only if you’re gone will I maybe get something.” I watched her in disbelief, my whole body going cold. I had thought she framed me because she wanted my brother’s care. I never imagined that the only thing she valued… was money. “You really are ungrateful.” I clenched my teeth and headed toward the bedroom. Behind me, she smirked. “I framed you once. I can do it a second time, a third time.” “Just wait, Evie. I’ll drive you out again!” My steps stopped. I turned back and looked at her for a long moment, then switched off my phone’s recording. “No need. I’ll leave on my own.” I sent the recording to Jude. With that lesson learned, I stopped letting Rosie frame me over and over. I had switched on the recorder the moment we got home. She didn’t know, thinking I was only talking in anger, and she walked off, smirking to her room. My phone started buzzing nonstop. Messages from Jude, one after another, urgent, panicked. I glanced once, then ignored them. Instead, I pulled my father’s belongings from under the bed, slid them into my pocket, and walked out of the house. Louie would be released soon. I was going to pick him up.