I Thought I Was the Female Character of Love

I once thought I was the heroine of my own story, at least until Lily appeared. I believed this because of my fair complexion, beauty, intelligence, and distinguished family background. Almost all of life's joys seemed to have gathered around me. I sailed through my first twenty years with ease. But on this day, I discovered that everything I had before was merely a prelude to my coming sorrow. After all, a common porcelain bowl shattering is nothing more than a fleeting noise in a crowded room. But if an exquisitely maintained crystal is shattered and turned into something everyone can trample on, it would surely be a heartrending sight to behold. And I am that crystal on the brink of destruction. In truth, everything probably had warning signs earlier. My parents suddenly began leaving home early and returning late, looking gloomy and sometimes with red eyes when they saw me. My brother, who always doted on me, became distant and cold. But at that time, my heart was entirely focused on Howard, and I had no way of detecting anything else. In retrospect, Howard's sudden kindness to me during that time was probably because he already knew the true identity of his beloved Lily and felt a modicum of pity towards me. How ridiculous it is that after twenty years of growing up together and five years of innocent infatuation, I received nothing but a heartbreaking realization. Everyone thinks I hate that woman, Lily, because Howard fell in love with her. But that's not the case. I disliked her the moment I met her. It's true that I appreciated her diligence and hard work despite her poor background, but I loathed her for her arrogance, especially when she looked down on us, the privileged class, with her condescending attitude. "You were born into the glory of Rome, but what is there to be proud of in that? I, on the other hand, made my way to Rome through my own efforts." These words, spoken by Lily, drew Howard's attention and won my brother's admiration. But I detest them. I was born into privilege, yes, but I have never once slackened in my pursuit of excellence. I study diligently, read widely, and train my every movement to achieve the most graceful arc. For decades I have woven my golden robe, all in the hopes of deserving this lofty station. Yet in Lily's eyes, everything I have achieved is merely the result of my birthright, and all my efforts have been reduced to mere smoke and mirrors by her dismissive words. But I am not alone in this. To everyone else, it seems, Lily is like a small white flower swaying on the edge of a cliff, captivating all who look upon her. My childhood friend and closest confidant, Howard, and I have been linked since birth, our names always mentioned in the same breath. We were once the most intimate playmates, walking hand in hand into adolescence, feeling the tender beginnings of love taking root and blossoming between us, nourished by our mutual flirtation. We were only waiting for this little sprout to grow into a full-fledged flower so that we could finally pluck it. But then Lily appeared, and that budding love was stomped to pieces. The boy who always turned down everyone else at the dance, reserving the first dance for me. The boy who always played his violin solo for me. The boy who would drop everything to take a walk on the beach with me on a whim. He's gone. In his eyes, I am no longer visible. His plans no longer include me in the first place. All that remains is his cutting statement: "I only see you as a sister." It was as if the past twenty years had all been a dream, as if the childhood betrothal between our families had become nothing more than childish banter. Suddenly, he and I were strangers. How could I accept this? How could I ever accept this? I tried everything to win back my boy, but only received colder and colder treatment from him in return. In the end, everyone was blaming me, even my brother who used to tease me about Howard only had one thing to say to me, "Why are you so stubborn and clueless?" It was as if everyone had forgotten the years of flirtation and passion between Howard and I, as if no one remembered that I was supposed to be his fiancée. Lily appeared in Howard's life, taking my place. She was the only impoverished student who had been admitted to the prestigious university, with excellent grades and a stubbornly beautiful appearance. Howard, always arrogant and confident with his wealth and status, humbled himself before her alone. Their love story spread like wildfire, just like in a romantic drama. It was as if overnight, I had become an outsider, completely out of place. I didn't understand what went wrong. I had been with Howard for twenty years and I thought our love was unbreakable. But in just three short months, everything was gone. Love was gone, and now my home was gone too. They told me that I was not their biological daughter, but Lily was. Twenty years ago, due to a sudden downpour, the entire city was in chaos. In a crowded hospital, two mothers gave birth at the same time, and two baby girls had their lives exchanged by that storm. As I watched my parents embrace Lily in a state of tears, apologizing again and again, my brother stood beside her with reddened eyes, his hands hovering over her head, trembling to fall but hesitating. Howard, like a knight, stood guard beside them, his face filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow. It was as if something had been ripped out of my body, and a chill swept through the room. I couldn't help but take a few steps forward, and my brother was the first to notice me. He quickly approached, blocking Lily's figure with a strange sense of caution on his face. "Collins, what do you want to do?" he asked. Collins, that's my name. It was ironic to hear that name spoken with hostility from my own family, considering I was their most beloved treasure. I opened my mouth, but couldn't find the words to say. What did I want to do? I didn't want to do anything. I didn't understand why my life had been turned upside down overnight. Howard furrowed his brow, and even my loving parents wore awkward expressions. It was like a festive family gathering, but I was the fishbone that suddenly got stuck in everyone's throat. "Collins, you must know what happened. Lily is our true daughter, but our negligence caused her to suffer for twenty years. We're all sorry for that. I hope you'll treat her well in the future," my father said. "Collins, you've had twenty years of Lily's life. You owe her! Our engagement is also a sham. It should have been Lily who was engaged to me! Don't bother me again in the future," my brother said. "Collins, you're not a kid anymore. Your biological parents passed away a few years ago, and you grew up in the family. As long as you treat Lily well in the future, we're still family," my mother said. It was all so unfamiliar, and everyone in front of me was a stranger. I didn't come here to cause trouble. I just wanted to hear someone ask, "Are you okay?" Wasn't Lily the victim? Was I really in the wrong here? I didn't know anything. I thought the people in front of me were my beloved blood relatives. Even if I wanted to abandon a stray dog, I would still pat it before throwing it away, wouldn't I? But the wary looks and reproachful tones made me feel like a stray dog on the side of the road, kicked away and left to roll away. It was like someone had their hands around my throat, making it hard to breathe. Amid the chaos of buzzing in my head, I heard a child-like, innocent voice. "Congratulations, host, on completing the subplot task! Now, please work hard to capture Howard and John's hearts!" ... Our family has moved to a new home for a week now. Our old house was a suburban villa located halfway up a hill, but Lily found it inconveniently far away, so my father arranged for us to move the very next day. Our new home is a single-family house not far from Lily's school, and all the decorations are tailored to her preferences. The French cuisine kitchen is gone because Lily loves spicy food, and the cat has been sent away because Lily is allergic to cat hair. But I love French cuisine the most, and I have raised that cat for three years. The glass greenhouse that I have carefully taken care of for several years in the old villa is also gone. However, I said nothing, didn't even ask a single question. Because I have discovered Lily's secret. That day, when that childlike voice rang out, one word jumped into my mind. A System. Soon, a foreign knowledge was implanted in my mind, as if someone had forcefully injected it into my brain. I finally understood Lily's true identity. She was a host from another dimension, a soul that had taken over the body in this world, much like a spirit taking possession of a physical vessel. The system was there to help her, like a cheat code in a video game. It would give her a series of tasks to complete and offer rewards in return. I tried to search online for answers, but I found nothing except for a bunch of time-traveling novels that were of no use to me. So, I decided to wait and observe. As Lily ate her favorite spicy dish, I heard her talking to the system about how delicious the food was. But the next moment, she frowned slightly, and the whole family was on high alert. Lily was losing her hair, and everyone was worried. She tried to reassure us that everything was okay and that she enjoyed the meal, but we knew she was forcing herself to eat. Dad immediately asked the maid to remove the food, while my brother searched for nearby restaurants on his phone. Mom carefully asked about Lily's taste preferences. It was like watching a theatrical performance. Then, as if on cue, Lily smiled bitterly and calmly said, "It's okay. I used to eat the cheapest boxed meals, and I'm not picky. I'm already happy to be able to enjoy such delicious food." This scene reached its c****x. Mother covered her mouth and secretly glanced over, holding back tears until her whole body trembled. Father sat rigid in his chair and, after a long moment, reached out to pat Mother's trembling body, letting out a long sigh. Brother gently comforted her, inquiring in a careful voice, "Do you like spicy food? How about sweet?" It was as if he was speaking to a dandelion, his breath becoming gentle. I was like a spectator, sitting on the sidelines. Watching as everyone confirmed Lily's tastes, they immediately decided to fire the family chef. I couldn't hold back any longer. But the next second, I shut my mouth tight. It was because Lily asked, "But doesn't Collins really love French cuisine? Is it inappropriate to just switch chefs like this?" Suddenly, all eyes were on me, the spectator. Mother looked regretful, and Father and Brother exchanged a glance, both embarrassed with their lack of awareness of my presence. I understood their meaning. They had forgotten I was there. Before anyone could speak, Lily suddenly looked up at everyone, her expression tinged with disappointment. "It's okay, Collins has been living in this house for so many years, many things have become habits. It's hard to change them in a short amount of time. Everyone can accompany Collins to eat French cuisine, and I can adapt as well." "The host's words are too extreme! My heart aches for you, my little darling!" "Please, even though I used to be a scatterbrain, I still graduated from drama school. Just wait, Collins has such a proud personality, he definitely won't be happy. He'll be pleased!" The alternating voices seemed to tear Lily in half, one side was the pitiful Cinderella, the other was the vicious and domineering queen. Unfortunately, I was the only one who could see both sides. The others could only shed tears for the Cinderella.