After her rebirth

"Katniss, you can't just bail!" Oliver said, blocking the doorway like a stubborn bouncer, his face set in stone.

Katniss shot him a look of pure disdain. "I don't need to stick around in this fake-ass house, Oliver. You're just a loser trying to save face!"

"How dare you!" Oliver roared, his face turning red. "You think you can just walk out on the family? Who do you think you are?"

Katniss didn't flinch. "I don't want to stay with a narrow-minded, hypocritical jerk any longer!"

Oliver's anger hit the roof, his eyes blazing. "You ungrateful brat! You're not leaving until you explain yourself."

"What do you want to hear? I'm not wrong. Desmond and I broke off the engagement, so now Clara can date Desmond without any drama. What more do you want?" Katniss snapped back. This whole mess was for that, right? Now that she had stepped aside, how was it her fault?

Oliver never wanted Katniss to break off the engagement. Sure, she was a pain sometimes, but she was still his daughter.

Seeing Katniss trying to keep it together, Oliver felt a heavy weight in his chest. He wanted to explain, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Katniss's eyes were full of disappointment. As she turned to leave, tears fell on the back of her hand, cold and heart-wrenching.

Just like her current state of mind, cold and devoid of warmth.

"Katniss, what happened? Who pissed you off?" Dylan asked.

At the gate, Dylan suddenly appeared. Katniss turned around, wiping away her tears, not wanting to show weakness in front of her family.

Dylan immediately knew it wasn't simple; it must be another clash between Katniss and someone else.

The current Katniss had changed, no longer timid.

This Katniss made Dylan feel a sense of pity.

Stepping forward, he sighed, "Come on, I'll go home with you and explain everything to them. After all, you're our sister; they won't make things difficult for you."

Katniss sneered at Dylan, shaking off his arm. "You don't know anything and just assume I'm wrong?"

At the entrance of The Manners Villa, Dylan anxiously tried to persuade Katniss to stay. "Katniss, it's so dangerous outside now. It's not safe for a girl to be out there alone. What if something happens? You should stay. Besides, where else can you go besides The Manners Villa? Now is not the time to act on impulse."

Katniss, however, let out a cold laugh, seeing through Dylan's hypocrisy. He didn't dare to answer her question directly, only trying to ease the situation in his self-righteous way. "I can take care of myself; you don't need to worry." "Katniss, listen to me..." Dylan tried to say more but was firmly interrupted by Katniss.

"No need, Dylan. There's nothing more to say between me and the Manners family." Katniss's expression was resolute as she mercilessly rejected Dylan's persuasion, bypassing him and walking out of The Manners Villa. In the courtyard stood old buildings, their renovated exteriors still revealing the passage of time.

When Katniss first returned to the Manners family, she didn't fit in with them. So she and Aurora relied on each other, living together in the courtyard and spending her youth from age 10 to 16 there.

With eyes still red from crying, Katniss took a deep breath and stepped into the familiar house.

In her memories, her grandfather was a ghost, a hero who died catching a thief, leaving only the stories Aurora told.

Grandma Aurora had been a military doctor, fighting alongside her grandpa. After retiring, she opened a tiny clinic next to the courtyard.

Katniss learned all her medical skills from Aurora, especially focusing on taking care of Nathan, who was always sick.

But Nathan always seemed to prefer Clara's care, making Katniss feel like her efforts were pointless.

Oliver and Aurora's relationship was always rocky. He barely visited, only showing up on holidays. The beef between Aurora and Oliver was a mystery. Every time they met, it was like World War III, sometimes even with brooms. "You ungrateful brat!" Aurora would yell, waving a broom at Oliver.

Oliver would helplessly block the broom, trying to explain, "Mom, I really have stuff to do and can't come often. Please don't get it twisted."

But Aurora's rage was like a storm, impossible to calm. Over time, Oliver's temper got just as bad.

Eventually, Oliver stopped coming to the courtyard altogether, leaving an awkward silence.

When Aurora passed away, she left the house to Katniss, along with a bank card.

It was Aurora's life savings, but Katniss never touched it, not wanting to use that money.

The house was on the second floor of the third building. Katniss unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was a two-bedroom apartment with old-school furniture. Katniss felt like stepping into a time machine. But it had been empty for so long, the windows were covered in cobwebs, and the cabinets were thick with dust.

Standing in the mess, Katniss frowned slightly, deciding to bring this place back to life.

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Dust flew, cobwebs broke, and the silence was shattered, revealing a vibrant life.

"This place used to be so clean and tidy," Katniss muttered to herself, a hint of a smile on her lips.

After a lot of hard work, the apartment looked brand new, even the air felt lighter and more pleasant.

Looking at her handiwork, Katniss smiled slightly, feeling a sense of satisfaction. 'Finally, it feels a bit more like home.'

At that moment, her stomach growled. Katniss took out a stack of money she had saved over the year from a hidden pocket in her wallet.

Originally meant for Clara's birthday gift next month, it could now be used for an emergency. It was a mix of pennies, one-dollar bills, and the largest denomination, ten dollars. She counted it, totaling three hundred and six dollars, enough to last her for a while.

At the gate of the courtyard, there was a small shop where Katniss bought spaghetti, some eggs, and other essentials. A plate of steaming spaghetti was ready. Katniss found it particularly delicious.

Free from the Manners family's demands, she could finally live her own life.

Letting go completely, Katniss found a life of incredible comfort.