Page 3 of I endured ten years of cancer suffering on behalf of my parents

When I got home, my husband Atticus Howard had already prepared a full spread of dinner.

Seeing my rosy complexion, he couldn't help but smile.

He asked, "Honey, did something good happen today? You look so much better than when you left this morning!"

My daughter Iris Howard kept piling food onto my plate.

She said, "Mom, you need to eat more so you can get better!"

Three years ago, when Bennett and Gianna were suffering from their illnesses and learned of my decision to bind with the system, Atticus didn't blame mehe only felt heartache and pride.

During my most agonizing days, he stayed by my side, offering gentle encouragement and never leaving.

And Iris never complained about my inability to take proper care of her. Instead, she became even more understanding and considerate.

Warmth filled my heart as I told them everything that had happened today.

After hearing it all, Atticus was both shocked and overjoyed, pulling me into his arms.

He said, "That's wonderful! They never deserved all the sacrifices you made for them. From now on, you'll never have to carry that burden again."

Though Iris didn't fully understand, she was happy for me too.

She said, "That's great! Mom, does this mean you don't have to take medicine anymore? And you don't have to go to the hospital?"

My eyes welled up with tears as I nodded firmly.

I used to carry the burden of my parents' illnesses, but from now on, I would live only for myself.

The next day, while checking my phone, I saw an Instagram post from Bennett and Gianna.

The content made my heart skip a beat.

Welcome our precious daughter home!

The photo showed them with Winona, all three sitting on the couch, smiling intimately.

The post was uploaded at 9 PM yesterday.

Winona was back?

Right after I severed the system connection, they brought Winona home.

If there wasn't something fishy going on, I wouldn't believe it.

Just then, Gianna's call came through: "How can you be so clueless? Didn't you see my Instagram post yesterday? Winona's back, and you don't even know to come home and welcome her? You still haven't apologized to her for what happened three years ago. Get your ass back here right now!"

I didn't argue and drove home.

Perfect timingI needed to have a face-to-face with Winona anyway.

As soon as I stepped through the front door, I was greeted by takeout containers, beer bottles, and junk food scattered everywhere.

These were all Winona's favorites, but absolutely forbidden for cancer patients.

Clearly, Bennett and Gianna hadn't realized they no longer possessed healthy bodies.

Bennett, unshaven and pale, habitually waved at me: "Hurry up and clean this mess."

I'd always known they favored Winona more.

They couldn't bear to let Winona do dirty or tiring work, always making me clean up their messes instead.

But this time, I wasn't doing it.

Seeing my indifference, Winona on the couch shifted slightly, putting on a pitiful expression as she looked at me: "Jasmine, are you mad at me? I know you don't like meotherwise you wouldn't have used the system binding to drive me away. But no matter how upset you are, you can't take it out on Mom and Dad."

Bennett immediately flew into a rage, pointing at me and scolding: "Jasmine! Don't push your luck! Apologize to Winona right now!"

I let out a cold laugh, scanning all three of them: "Whether Winona was driven away by me or ran away herself, you know the truth better than I do."

I looked Winona up and down, noticing her outfit was all high-end brands.

But how could someone who'd been pampered her whole life undergo such a dramatic transformation in just three years?

I looked at Gianna and caught her avoiding eye contact, which confirmed my suspicions.

I said, "Mom, I've supported you for three years. Since Winona's back, let her take care of you from now on. I won't contribute another penny."

At this, Winona was the first to panic: "Jasmine! How can you say such things!"

Gianna immediately caught on, slapping her thigh and wailing: "How dare you! How did I end up with such an ungrateful daughter! You have to give us ten thousand dollars every month! Otherwise, your father and I won't go to the hospital for treatment."

She knew I cared about their health and was trying to use that to threaten me.

But now, that trick wouldn't work anymore.

I shrugged: "Suit yourselves. Whether you go to the hospital or not has nothing to do with me."

As I turned to leave, I kicked aside a takeout container: "Just a heads upif you keep eating like this without any restraint, the cancer will probably worsen before your next checkup. Don't blame me for not warning you, and don't expect me to handle your funeral arrangements either."

As the door closed behind me, I could hear Bennett and Gianna's furious cursing from inside.

"I'll eat whatever I want! You didn't die in three years, so what's a little food gonna do to us!"

"I think you're just jealous of Winona! Once you're gone, don't ever think about stepping foot in this house again!"

Over the following days, Gianna seemed determined to provoke me, posting photos on Instagram almost daily of her and Winona dining out.

Pizza, fried chicken, barbecue...

She even captioned them: What's it like having your precious daughter as your dining buddy?

Looking at Gianna's swollen, purplish cheeks in the photos, I smirked coldly.

Bennett posted pictures of himself playing chess all night and drinking freely.

In just two days, his belly had swollen up, looking as terrifying as someone six months pregnant.

It wasn't that they didn't know the system had been severed, but people accustomed to doing whatever they pleased couldn't rein themselves in so quickly.

I calculated the timingday three, when the system indicated the symptoms would fully return.

Sure enough, early in the morning, I received Gianna's call.

She said, "Jasmine, why did I wake up with blood coming from my nose and throat this morning?"