The Price of a Birthday: A Five-Year Hell

On the day of my birthday, after I stormed out in anger, my brother went looking for me—only to be kidnapped and murdered. All that was left was a bloodstained suicide note. I refused to believe he was dead. I plunged headfirst into the dark world of human trafficking. I survived brutal beatings and unimaginable torture, barely clinging to life. I scoured every red-light district and remote mountain village, rescuing countless trafficked victims, but I never found Liam’s shadow. Five years later, my body was covered in scars, and I couldn't search anymore. But just as I was about to collapse from starvation, I saw him holding a cake, celebrating our adopted sister's birthday with the rest of the family. My adopted sister, Chloe, cheered with delight: "Thank you, Liam! You're the best!"