On the very day I was brought back to the Anderson family, the dog raised by the fake daughter, Sophia Anderson, bit me.

In pain, I kicked the dog away.

To my shock, my parents locked me inside the dog cage just to please Sophia.

“Claire Anderson, you’re too vicious. This is to teach you a lesson. Even though you’re our biological daughter, our love for Sophia hasn’t changed one bit!”

Mrs. Anderson looked at me, her voice cold and emotionless, her eyes even carrying a trace of disgust.

Sophia sneered at me and said, “Did you really think you’re the true daughter of the Anderson family?”

“Mom and Dad love me, not you!”

“They only brought you back because someone recognized you, and they didn’t want you to ruin the Anderson family’s reputation!”

“Tonight, you’ll sleep with the dog.”

With that, Sophia smirked and turned away.

I looked at the Andersons, my heart full of bitterness. The affection I had longed for had turned into this cruel reality.

If this was what family meant, then I would rather not have it.

“Claire, you’ve grown up with no discipline at all! Today, you must be punished!”

Mr. Anderson glared at me coldly.

Soon, I was shoved into the cage, trapped with the vicious dog that had tried to bite me earlier.

Buddy, as they called him, now glared at me with predatory eyes.

I begged Mr. and Mrs. Anderson desperately to let me out.

But instead of helping me, they stared coldly and said, “Claire, Buddy is a gentle dog. If even he doesn’t like you, then the problem must be you!”

Hearing such absurd words, I was struck with disbelief.

So this was the affection I had been yearning for all along?

“Don’t worry, Buddy has had his rabies vaccine. He doesn’t carry rabies. Since you want to live in our home, you must learn to get along with him!”

Mrs. Anderson added coldly, “Buddy is Sophia’s favorite dog. If he can’t accept you, how can you ever be a part of the Anderson family?”

They left me there.

Sophia lingered, smirking, even setting up a live stream device.

“Claire, did you really think Mom and Dad love you?” she mocked.

“They knew years ago that I wasn’t their biological daughter, but they still loved me!”

“As for you, if someone hadn’t recognized you, they would never have brought you back.”

“They already told me that a child raised outside doesn’t deserve to be their daughter!”

“Buddy listens only to me. Tonight, you’ll keep him company. I believe tomorrow morning will be quite a spectacle.”

She glanced at her live stream camera with pride. “Tonight, it’ll definitely go viral! As for me, I’m off to get my beauty sleep. Claire, I hope when I wake up, you’ll have learned to behave.”

“From now on, whenever you see me, you should wag your tail and beg like Buddy does. Otherwise, you’ll suffer.”

After saying that, Sophia turned and left.

My face went pale.

So all this time, the family affection I had dreamed of never really existed. And yet, I had foolishly believed I had finally found my true family.

I reached up and pressed the hidden button on my brooch.

They didn’t know that my return to the Anderson family was never about fighting Sophia for inheritance. I had already built a much better life outside.

The brooch I wore carried a tracking system, a gift from Michael Carter when I left.

Michael had told me, “If you ever find yourself in danger, just press this button, and I’ll come to you.”

Naively, I thought I’d be safe in my own family’s home.

Now, I knew how foolish I had been.

I turned toward Buddy, the rabid-looking dog, who bared his teeth at me. His mouth opened, revealing sharp fangs, his growls filling the cage with menace.

I shrank back, but there was nowhere to retreat—the cage walls pressed hard against my back.

Seeing my fear, Buddy snarled louder, his foul breath hitting my face.

Then, with a sudden leap, he lunged straight at me.

I had no way to escape.

I could only fight back with all my strength.

His teeth sank into my arm, the pain searing and unbearable.

Driven by desperation, I grabbed him and, ignoring the agony, wrapped my hands around his neck.

The dog whimpered and struggled, but I knew if I let go, he’d attack me again.

So I held on tighter, pressing down with all my strength.

Soon, Buddy loosened his bite, leaving deep, bone-piercing marks in my bleeding arm.

Still, I didn’t release him. My hands tightened mercilessly around his throat.

“Claire, stop it!”

A furious scream rang out, and the next second, I saw Sophia rushing toward me.

She kicked at the cage with her high heels, but the bars kept her out.

“Claire, if you kill Buddy, I’ll kill you!” she screamed in panic.

I ignored her, my grip only tightening.

Seeing that I wouldn’t stop, Sophia frantically searched for the cage key, shouting again and again, “Claire, I swear I’ll kill you!”

By then, Buddy had gone limp, his paws stiffening in death.

I knew—I had strangled him.

And I also knew what punishment awaited me now.

Sophia’s face twisted with fury, her voice shaking with rage. “Claire, if Buddy’s dead, I’ll make sure you pay with your life!”

I stared back at her coldly, unflinching, as she screamed to the servants behind her:

“Get in here! Drag her out!”

The Anderson servants rushed forward and opened the cage.

They dragged me out of the cage and pinned me to the floor.

Across the room, Sophia knelt on the ground, clutching Buddy’s lifeless body.

When she turned her eyes on me, I saw nothing but madness and hatred burning there.

“Claire, you’re dead!” she screamed viciously.

She barked orders to the others: “Hold her down. I’m going to finish her!”

Rushing at me, Sophia slapped me twice across the face.

Pinned to the ground, I couldn’t move, couldn’t even resist.

Through the pain, I raised my head and spat out, “Sophia, if you hadn’t sicced that dog on me, none of this would have happened!”

“This was Mom and Dad’s idea,” she sneered. “They said you needed discipline. You dared to challenge my dog the moment you arrived—what’s next, fighting me for the inheritance?”

“That’s why they wanted to teach you a lesson.”

Sophia’s lips curled smugly. “Now that you’ve killed Buddy, Mom and Dad will hate you even more. Your troubles are just beginning.”

My heart sank, but before I could speak, her hand cracked across my cheek again.

I nearly blacked out.

Not satisfied, she struck me once more.

“Just looking at your face makes me furious!” she shouted.

“Mom and Dad already promised me everything. But then you show up, looking exactly like Mom when she was young! That’s the only reason they brought you back!”

“Well, I’ll fix that tonight. I’ll ruin that pretty face of yours. Then let’s see who still dares call you the Andersons’ real daughter!”

Panic flared in my eyes. I tried to resist, but too many hands held me down.

Sophia raised her heel and drove it into my face.

The sharp heel pierced my skin, agony ripping through me as I cried out in pain.

“Ha! Look at you now, Claire. Do you look like a daughter of the Andersons anymore?”

“I’ll tell you the truth—you’ll never be the real one. I am!” Sophia declared proudly, lifting her heel again.

Another stab of pain, blood spilling across my face.

The agony in my face and arm blurred into numbness, all of it inflicted by the Anderson family themselves.

I raised my head weakly, gazing toward the door with desperate hope.

Would Michael come in time? If not, I might never see him again.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. So this was the family I had yearned for.

And yet, they had become my death sentence.

“Claire, listen well,” Sophia sneered. “In this family, I’m the only daughter. Once I ruin your face, no one will ever acknowledge you as an Anderson!”

Her voice cut into me, but I could no longer speak. I didn’t even have the strength to struggle anymore.