"She's not innocent, Mom. She's the one who gained from all of this." I stared at Eleanor, my voice steady but biting. "You know my past. She stole over a decade of my life, and now you can't bear to send her to face the consequences..."
I added, "Right. She won't suffer. Her real parents love her. They swapped us so she could have a better life. If she stayed with them, she'd be more adored." I smiled bitterly. "When her real father was alive, their family was doing well. Her brother was almost a baseball star."
I said, "They were just cruel to me! Because they knew I wasn't their daughter."
I spoke slowly, each word like a sharp edge. "Mom, I should've been raised by you. I should've been the one whose hand you held as I learned to walk. We should've worn matching outfits and walked d
