Chapter 2
741 Words
I stared at the blank homepage on my phone, then turned off the screen and drifted into a restless sleep. I was jolted awake by a thunderous bang. Bleary-eyed, I saw Noah kick the door open and storm in, his face dark with fury.
Annie stood behind him, her eyes rimmed red, like she'd just been crying.
"Ellie, I'm so sorry," Annie said. "I didn't mean to leave you out of Ruby's birthday party today."
Noah immediately stepped forward, shielding her. "If you have a problem, say it to my face. Creeping around stalking people's social media—what kind of twisted person does that?"
Mom came over and sat beside me. "Ellie, today was Ruby's birthday party, but really, it was more of a high-society networking event. Dad's friend, for instance, brought that new AI mogul, Corney, hoping to strike a deal.
"We kept it from you because we didn't want you to overthink things you've never experienced before." Her voice was so gentle that a familiar ache for maternal love stirred in my chest again. Maybe there was still a chance—maybe it was all just misunderstandings.
"I know a thing or two about AI too..." I began.
Noah cut me off. "See, Mom? This is what happens when you let her grow up in some backwater. Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile. She couldn't even get into college, and now she's claiming she knows AI?
"How did I end up with a sister who's a liar, a poser, and a hillbilly? That woman should have just dumped her for good instead of letting her come back and tear our family apart!"
Every word he said was a blade, slicing into my heart over and over.
Annie sniffled, her voice dripping with fake guilt. "Mom, Noah, please don't blame Ellie. It's all my fault. I stole her life. If I weren't here, she wouldn't have suffered all those years."
She'd said those exact words countless times. The first time, I'd actually felt sorry for her. I'd almost wanted to comfort her. But now I saw it for what it really was—a pity act, nothing more.
Her own mother had been a nurse at the hospital where I was born. We were born on the same day, and her mother switched us, so her own daughter could have a better life. She didn't raise me, either. She sent me to the poorest bachelor in the countryside.
My adoptive father wasn't the monster people made him out to be—just a quiet, simple man. He couldn't give me much money, but he gave me all the love he had.
Mom stood up and walked over to Annie. "How could we blame you? You were just a baby. You're a victim too. I've raised you for 18 years—you're my daughter, always have been."
She'd enjoyed 18 years of wealth and privilege that never should have been hers, and somehow she was the victim? I thought Annie's tricks were obvious enough. On the day I came back, even the mud-pie kids at the village entrance called her fake to my face. But my so-called high-society family couldn't see through a single thing.
Noah turned to me, his face cold. "Apologize to Annie. Right now."
A bitter laugh escaped me. "Apologize for what? What did I do wrong?"
"Before you came back, our family was happy," Noah said. "Annie was like a little ray of sunshine. Ever since you showed up, she's been crying nonstop." He grabbed my wrist and dragged me in front of Annie. His grip was so tight that my wrist turned red instantly, the pain shooting through my bones like they were about to shatter.
Mom added, "You should apologize. Knowing your mistakes and correcting them is basic in any decent family. Behave yourself, and your brother will be kinder to you." My heart felt like it was being crushed. All those dreams I'd had of a real family, of a mother's love—they were crumbling into something ugly and broken.
I laughed coldly. "Is that what your 'decent family' teaches? Bullying the poor and slapping false accusations on people?"
Slap!
Before I could even finish, Noah's palm came down hard across my face.
The metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth.
That slap shattered every last illusion I'd clung to about this family I'd so desperately longed for.
- Writer
