Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Manipulation

The next few days, the Sutton family was lively.

It was said that Brenda, the wife of the head of the family, was ready to sell her own son for 1000 kg of rice, 20 kg of meat, and 30 kg of vegetables.

There were no other conditions other than the fact that the buyer needs to take care of food for the Sutton family after marriage.

Many knew about Brenda’s son, Jay. He was handsome and mature, always giving off a scholarly vibe.

Throughout his university tenure, he attracted numerous admirers, and even now, several elderly women were casting their gaze upon him, prompting Brenda to formally declare an auction to be held at her residence.

Brenda was happily inviting all the potential buyers, and Ophelia was responsible for taking care of Jay.

At Brenda’s order, the food provided to Jay was no more than a loaf of bread. This was to ensure that Jay didn’t have enough power to resist.

The tactics worked to the point that Jay couldn’t even properly stay awake.

Each time Ophelia visited her brother’s room, guilt and pity surged in her heart.

"Brother?" Just like every day, Ophelia called softly as she stepped into the dimly lit room.

Jay lay on the narrow bed, his once bright face pale and thin. His eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice, the faintest trace of a smile appearing on his lips.

"Ophelia... you’re here again," he murmured weakly.

"Here." Ophelia brought the loaf of bread to Jay’s mouth, and he didn’t resist. Taking small bites, he choked slightly because of how dry the bread was.

Ophelia immediately poured him a glass of water and helped him drink it.

Once he finished the food, Ophelia turned to leave; however, her steps faltered when she heard Jay’s broken voice.

"Why?"

Ophelia’s heart trembled, and shame appeared on her face.

"I am sorry..." That was all she could whisper.

"Ophelia... please let me leave, alright? I will forget about your betrayal." Jay stopped lingering on meaningless questions and changed his tactics.

Tears pooled in Ophelia’s eyes, and she sobbed slightly, "Brother... I can’t... Mother will sell me instead."

"I will protect you! I swear! We will run away together, far away from Mother’s clutches." Jay said, his trembling hand trying to reach for hers, but his hand was bound by the chain, and he could only stare at Ophelia pleadingly.

But Ophelia stepped back, her whole body shaking. "You don’t understand... Mother... is doing it for your own benefit! As long as you marry a rich woman, you will never have to worry about food."

Hope started to surface on her face. "We will never have to worry about food. She will not sell me as a concubine and..."

"So you are greedy." Jay’s voice was laced with mockery; his red eyes clashed with Ophelia’s disbelief-filled eyes.

"You are greedy and a coward at the same time. You want food, but you don’t want to sacrifice yourself; hence... You are ready to sacrifice me?"

Ophelia shook her head. "No! No! You are misunderstanding me..."

"Do you know, Ophelia, what will happen once Mother sells me?" Jay’s bloodshot eyes slowly swept to the ceiling; a mocking smile played on his lips.

"She will sell you."

"Liar!" Ophelia bellowed, fear written all over her face.

"Do you think Mother’s greed will stop the moment she sells me?" Jay asked, "No, Ophelia, it will increase. She will target you and then her own husband; maybe in the future, she will sell herself too."

"Shut up! You are spouting nonsense!" Ophelia was terrified by Jay’s new side.

It was her first time seeing the darker version of Jay, and she didn’t like it even a bit.

"Once a human crosses their bottom line, their bottom line continues to drop till... it hits the rock bottom," Jay murmured; his indifferent voice sounded like a haunting melody in Ophelia’s ears.

She turned to leave in a hurry, but Jay’s words stopped her.

"By the way... don’t you find it strange? She has already announced the auction, so why was she still going to invite other women? Maybe... she isn’t inviting only women but men too and is planning to sell us siblings in a combo."

Ophelia’s knee buckled, and her face turned as pale as blank paper.

"No... Mother... will not..."

"Hm." Jay didn’t contradict her. "You are right. So leave now. I don’t want to see a second Brenda... it disgusts me."

Ophelia felt as if someone had stabbed a knife in her heart, and even breathing became a bit difficult for her.

She staggered out of the room, clutching her chest as her brother’s words echoed in her mind.

Her legs trembled, and she almost fell before she reached the end of the hallway.

Inside her room, she buried her face in her hands. "No... I’m not like her," she whispered.

Maybe she knew deep inside her heart; however, her selfishness made her back down.

Sleep refused to come that night. Every creak of the old house made her flinch.

That night, she even had a nightmare.

In the dream, her mother auctioned off her brother and then offered her to an old man.

When she woke up with a jolt, the strong sunlight streaming in from the window made her restless heart calm a bit.

Yet she rushed toward Jay’s room, and seeing him staring at the ceiling blankly, she asked in a shaky voice,

"Brother... you are lying, right? She won’t..."

"I am her favorite child." Jay interrupted, "Yet she is ready to sell me. What makes you think she will leave you?"

Ophelia stood there motionless, various possibilities going through her mind.

"Think before deciding, Ophelia. The auction is tonight. I hope you decide it before the auction. Otherwise... even I won’t be able to do anything." Jay said faintly, his voice echoed in her ears.

A chance was given to her.

She had the opportunity to redeem herself and safeguard herself.