Chapter 9

I hung up the phone.

I blocked all their contact information.

I didn't want to hear anything from them ever again.

My solo healing gem exhibition was coming together smoothly.

Shadowmere Gallery gave me their full support and creative freedom.

I poured all my heart and soul from these years into this exhibition.

I created many new healing gem designs.

Some depicted the loneliness of city nights, some showed wolves struggling at the bottom of pack society, and others captured the hope of dawn breaking through the darkness.

My healing gems no longer contained only depression and struggle.

They now held more reflection and understanding about life in werewolf communities.

I named the exhibition "Rebirth."

On opening day, many people came.

Media, critics, art lovers, and many supporters from online werewolf forums.

Ryan and Lewis came too.

They stood in the crowd and gave me thumbs up.

I stood before my own works, accepting everyone's praise and blessings.

In my heart was an unprecedented peace and satisfaction.

This was the life I was meant to have.

The exhibition was a huge success.

My healing gem designs sold out completely.

I became famous in the werewolf art world overnight.

With the money from selling my pieces, I bought a bigger house in City A.

I finally had my own spacious, bright studio.

I thought I would never have any connection with that family again.

Until one day, an unwelcome visitor came to my gallery.

It was Susan.

She looked much more haggard than when I last saw her.

She wore a cheap T-shirt, her hair was dry and yellow, her eyes dull.

Gone was that aura of a gifted young artist.

When she saw me, her eyes flashed with venomous hatred.

"Jade, are you satisfied now?"

I looked at her without speaking.

"You ruined me! You destroyed everything I had!"

She rushed toward me, trying to grab my clothes, but the security guard stopped her.

"I only took back what belonged to me," I said calmly.

"Belonged to you? Those inspirations, those ideas - I came up with them all! You're just a healing gem designer! Just a tool that can only copy!"

She was still being stubborn.

Still deceiving herself.

I suddenly felt sorry for her.

"Susan, don't you understand even now?"

I looked at her and spoke each word clearly.

"Your biggest problem isn't that you stole my healing gem designs. It's that you don't love design at all."

She froze.

"You only enjoyed the vanity and glory that design brought you. You enjoyed being praised, being called a genius. That's why you could so easily step on me and steal glory that wasn't yours."

"You don't love art. You only love yourself."

Susan's face instantly turned pale.

My words were like a sharp silver blade, tearing away her last shred of dignity.

"You're lying! I love design! I do!"

She screamed like a madwoman.

The security guard dragged her out.

The gallery became quiet again.

I looked out the window. The sunlight was perfect.

Everything was over.

Later, I heard some news about Susan.

Unable to bear the pressure, she had a mental breakdown.

She was sent to a psychiatric hospital.

My parents sold their old house to pay for her treatment and moved to a smaller, more remote place.

They aged a lot.

Their hair turned completely white.

They no longer had that superior attitude from before.

Once, I accidentally ran into my mother at a supermarket entrance.

She was carrying a basket of discounted vegetables, her back hunched, looking like any ordinary old woman.

She saw me too.

She stood frozen in place. Her basket fell to the ground with a "thud."

Vegetables scattered everywhere.

She looked at me, her lips trembling, wanting to say something but unable to speak a word.

Muddy tears fell from her eyes, one by one.

I didn't approach her.

I just watched her quietly for a moment, then turned and walked away.