They continued their little performance, oblivious to my existence, parading around as the perfect family of four. And there I stood, like a prisoner awaiting the gallows, my voice stuck in my throat, unable to defend myself.

“What are you staring at? Do you want to harm Erica again?” Everett finally spared a moment to come to his precious sister's rescue, his tone dripping with righteous indignation. “She begged us to wait for you so we could celebrate New Year’s Eve together. But instead of coming home, you were out messing around with God-knows-who. And the moment you return, you pick a fight with Erica! How could I have a sister with such a venomous heart?”

Everett finally found time in his perfect little life to defend his precious sister. My parents stood behind him, cheering him on like they were rooting for some kind of prize fighter. They had completely forgotten that Erica was the daughter of their sworn enemy—the same person who tried to ruin the DuPont Family name and swapped us out when we were babies.

“What now? You lost your voice? Felling pain from your stomach cancer?” Everett taunted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Do you really think that I’m gonna buy it? We all know that you are an outstanding faker. Since you came back, all you’ve done is harming Erica. Now, get up and apologize to her!”

Before I could say a word, Erica was already sobbing, her eyes red as she put on her best act.

“Everett, please, don’t be mad at her. I take her place. She has a right to hate me.”

They looked at me as if I were some kind of stray dog, not their flesh and blood, not definitely not a sister. They had forgotten the truth—how it was only after Erica’s accident and her need for a kidney transplant that I was found and brought back.

Years of neglect and malnutrition had stunted my growth; I was a full head shorter than Erica and my thighs were thinner than her arms. I was forced to donate a kidney and more than half of my blood, to save her. How could someone as frail and broken as I possibly bully their beloved daughter?

“I'm sorry, Evangeline. I didn't mean for things to turn out this way,” Erica continued, her voice full of pity. “This is my fault. If I hadn't let them check your medical report, none of this would have happened.”

She cried, playing the victim, but I saw the smug glint in her eyes. She knew her secret would remain safe. Just like how she had stolen my meal card at school.

I turned to my mother, praying she would intervene, that she would finally stand up for me. But instead, she comforted Erica, asking me repeatedly if I’d lost the card myself.

With a weary sigh, my mother finally said, “Maybe it’s best if we just send her back. Pretend I never had her as a daughter.”

I met their cold, condemning eyes, my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach. In a daze, I pulled out the crumpled medical report from my pocket, nearly destroyed from being run over by a car.

“Mom, I need to tell you… This is my medical report,” my voice cracked as I handed it to her.

The paper was battered and stained with blood—my blood, from when I was pushed out of the car and slammed against the rocks. I trembled as I held out the last piece of proof, hoping beyond hope that this would finally make them see the truth.

Mom hesitated as she took the report. A flicker of doubt crossed her face.

Erica’s expression faltered. Panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly masked it with worry. “Mom, watch it. There’s been news about the new spreading virus. That paper’s dirty, are you sure you want to touch it? I just don’t want you to get sick.”

Mom’s face darkened, but she still unfolded the report. Her brows furrowed deeper with every line she read. Dad and Everett leaned in to see, their curiosity overtaking their judgment.

Mom’s eyes reddened as she reached the end. For a moment, the air seemed to still.

My dry, aching eyes stung with the return of tears.

Mom had always said she loved obedient, well-behaved daughters. I had been obedient. I had been well-behaved. If they could give Erica, an adopted daughter, their unconditional love, then surely they could find it in their hearts to love me, their biological child.

They would take me to the best doctors to treat my illness. They would buy me warm clothes, cook me delicious meals and decorate a cozy room for me.

We would spend one last New Year’s together as a family. They would wish me a Happy New Year and they would say, “Happy Birthday,” to me.

I would fight this cancer with everything I had left, trying to hang on for just a little longer.

If they couldn’t bear to part with Erica, I would try to accept her. If she liked Lucient, I’ll step aside---I’ll give him willingly. As long as I still had my parents and my brother that was enough for me. I dreamed of going to the amusement park with my mom and dad and walking back to school with my brother, proudly telling everyone I wasn’t some unwanted child with no family.

I wanted to fall into my mom’s arms and act like Erica, the way she would cling to her. Maybe Mom would pinch my cheeks and tell me how pretty and adorable I was, just like she did for Erica.

“It’s okay, Mom. I don't---” 

I couldn't stop myself from reaching out, one step at a time, towards her. But before I could hug her, a slap landed on my cheek. 

I stopped in my tracks. My ears rang. My head was spinning. The world seemed to move away in slow motion. 

“Where did you get this fake medical report? Who was the doctor who gave this out, don't you know that this is against the law? I can't believe you are so cunning!”

Mom's muffled voice slowly reached my ears. She seemed to be speaking from far away even though I was less than a foot away from her. Coupled with the agonizing ringing, I could barely catch a single word she said. 

“What? I can't hear you, Mom. Can you come closer?” 

“I raised Erica with my own sweat and blood. Don’t you think I know what kind of person she is? A girl who cries if she accidentally steps on an ant is supposed to have schemed to hide your cancer? Is that what you expect me to believe?”

“Erica has been feeling guilty and trying to make up for everything, since you came. But look at you—scheming, tricking her, playing the victim when it was your lies that got exposed! You’re really have the nerve playing with fire!”

I stood frozen, my face burning with the weight of their accusations. The pieces of my medical report, torn and crushed, felt like a silent mockery. Erica’s feigned guilt, her insecure little act, had turned into a symbol of her victory.

“Mom, I didn’t—” I tried to explain, but my voice was so weak it was barely a whisper. 

“Get out! I don’t have a daughter like you!”

My mother’s roar shattered the air. Dad and Everett stared at me with disappointed eyes, as if I were nothing but a criminal in their eyes. I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. I couldn’t understand it—why didn’t they believe me?

Erica knelt beside me, her voice soft but laced with venom. “See? You’ll never be better than me. No matter what you do, they'll only hate you more.”

“Erica, stay away from her,” Everett snapped. “From now on, I don’t ever want to see her set foot in this house again!”

With trembling legs, I forced myself to stand up and staggered towards the door. But it seemed Erica wasn't done with me yet.

She suddenly pulled out a piece of paper and exclaimed, “Oh, what's this?” 

“Evangeline!” Her eyes widened in fake shock. “Why do you have this? Equity agreement letter. You can’t be… Are you pretending to have stomach cancer so you can scoop up our entire family fortune?”

The moment those words dropped, she hurriedly covered her mouth and acting like it was something she shouldn't have said.  Her calculated hesitation unleashed a storm of fury against me.

Everyone turned to glare at me with hatred.

“No wonder you insist on proofing you have stomach cancer. Turns out you're just greedy and want to swindle our family's fortune!” Mom fumed, disappointment in her eyes.

“Who put you up to this? You’d better explain yourself, or don’t even think about coming back here!” Dad’s face turned ashen.

“What is wrong with you? We went out of our way to bring you back, gave you the title of DuPont heiress and you still aren’t satisfied? Now you’re conspiring with outsiders to hurt your own family. Shame on you!” Everett gritted his teeth, his rage palpable. He kicked me hard in the knee. 

The sickening snap of my knee joint was enough to make me scream out in agony.

Erica, standing smugly off to the side, pretended to be the voice of reason. “Maybe Evangeline didn’t mean to. She’s young and probably doesn’t understand how the world works. If you throw her out, someone might take advantage of her.” Her words were like pouring gasoline on a fire, stoking the flames of fury.

“Take her upstairs and lock her in the attic. She’s not coming out until she explains herself.”

“No! Please! I don’t know anything! It’s not mine.” I begged them in desperation, clutching my injured legs as they dragged me. I remember the doctor said I only have one month to live and I beg harder.

“Please, please, don’t lock me in the attic! I'll die.”