On the morning of the second day, my mom, Laura Stone, finally remembered me.

"Ralph, that's enough," she said. "I think Catherine has learned her lesson. Let her out. If she stays in there too long, she might start resenting Betty."

Ralph frowned. "Fine, just this once. As her brother, I'll teach her properly from now on."

My dad, Zach Stone, chimed in casually, "What's the big deal? Just buy her something nice to make up for it."

Betty chuckled, "Speaking of which, Ralph, you promised yesterday to take me shopping. You can't back out now."

Ralph tapped her forehead playfully. "Of course not. Let's go right now."

Laura looked at Betty fondly. "Count me in. Remember that custom necklace you liked? I ordered one for you. Today, your dad will drive and carry our bags."

Zach smiled at them and stood up. They had been talking about letting me out, but in the blink of an eye, they totally forgot about me.

They headed to the mall in high spirits while I drifted behind them. Betty shopped nonstop, buying whatever caught her eye. Ralph and Zach grinned, paying without a second thought.

Laura carefully helped adjust her clothes. They looked like the perfect, happy family.

When they passed a toy store, Ralph paused. Betty linked her arm through his, asking sweetly, "What's up? Why did you stop?"

He snapped out of it. "Nothing. Just remembered a promise to get Catherine a bunny plush."

Betty wrinkled her nose. "I knew it. You like her more than me."

She turned away, pretending to be upset. Ralph started coaxing her right away. "No way. You're the only little princess in my heart."

His phone rang, cutting him off. The nanny's anxious voice came through. "Miss Catherine Stone hasn't made a sound since yesterday. I'm worried about her."

Ralph frowned irritably. "What's there to worry about? It's just some mango juice. She is not gonna die from that."

"But there are no sounds," the nanny said. "I'm afraid she is in trouble."

Ralph grew impatient. "Ignore her. She is doing it on purpose to gain sympathy. How many times has this happened? When are you gonna learn?"

He hung up, glanced once more at the bunny plush, and walked away.

Back when I was reclaimed by the Stones, I felt dazed and out of it.

Their mansion was gorgeous and cozy. Laura had set up a comfortable bed for me, but I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Whenever I closed my eyes, my foster father's hideous face haunted me.

Ralph found out and handed me a bunny plush. "Remember this? I gave it to you when you were little. You used to hug it to sleep every night. If you can't sleep, try holding it."

Tears filled my eyes as I clutched it.

Later, Betty cut it to shreds with scissors, and I stormed over to confront her.

She burst into tears, all innocent. "It's all my fault. But you said I stole your drawing and tore up my award certificate. That drawing was mine. I just got mad and took it out on your plush. I'm sorry."

Ralph pulled her into his arms while our parents comforted her.

I ran out crying, but Ralph caught up. "Can you stop being so unreasonable? Betty has been tolerant enough."

Seeing his darkening face, I swallowed my words and whispered, "Then, can you buy me another bunny plush?"

He softened and raised his hand as if to pat my head, but in the end, he did nothing. I thought I could act a little spoiled sometimes. Later, I learned how foolish that hope had been.

...

As Laura slipped the custom necklace around Betty's neck, Zach suggested, "Let's get one for Catherine too—to cheer her up."

Ralph frowned. "How? These are customized. We didn't order one for her."

Zach shrugged. "There's a gold shop at the entrance. Get her a gold chain."

"Sure, why not?" Ralph chuckled. "She is so money-hungry anyway. She'd love gold."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Betty chimed in hesitantly. "She is vain at school. Giving her something so expensive might make her even more materialistic."

"Betty's right. We can't feed that bad habit," Laura agreed at once. "So, what do you think we should get her?"

"Doesn't she like bunnies? How about a bunny hair clip?" Betty replied. "I saw some in that lifestyle store we passed."

"Sounds good. We'll go with that." Laura nodded, but then her phone rang.

It was my aunt, Olivia Walton. Her voice was thick with emotion, making me freeze. She trembled, trying to hold it together. "Laura, where are you?"

Unable to hold back anymore, I wailed in agony, though no one could hear me.

In the two years since I had returned, only Olivia had always stood by me, trusting and loving me unconditionally. I hadn't wanted to die at all. I had wanted to grow up, earn money, and pay her back.

Life had been hard on her, but she was tough, never asking her wealthy sister for a cent, yet she often secretly slipped me money to buy things I liked.

Betty and I were both their daughters. Yet she got 100,000 dollars a month just in allowance, while I only got 500 dollars.

That had been Betty's idea too. "It's easy to get spoiled going from rags to riches. We can't let her develop bad habits."

Back then, I already felt inferior. Standing next to her, I looked like a scrawny, ugly duckling. Kids at school said all kinds of crap, calling me an illegitimate kid, the nanny's daughter, or an adopted orphan.

Betty would always look troubled and say, "Don't talk nonsense. Blood-related or not, she is my sister."

Though years of malnutrition had stunted my growth, there were similarities in our faces. Yet no one believed we were twins.

...

"Poor Catherine... She is still so young!" Olivia let out a piercing wail. "If you don't want her, give her to me! I will raise her! Why did you kill her? Hurry back! Come see her!"

My spirit touched the ground for the first time. I knelt, clutching my chest.

Ralph snatched the phone. "Aunt Olivia, can you stop playing along with her act? How many times has this happened? You're always on her side. Aren't Betty and I family too? She made Betty have an allergic reaction. What's wrong with locking her up for a couple of days?"

"Ralph!" Olivia shouted. "How can you say that? She is your sister! She died! Her whole body turned blue from suffocation. She bit through her tongue, her mouth full of blood. How could you be so heartless?"

A flicker of panic crossed Ralph's face, but it vanished quickly. "Since she is my sister, maybe you should stop interfering in our family affairs. I'm disciplining her for her own good."

He hung up and stared at the phone for a moment. "We've shopped enough. Time to go home."

Betty suddenly stumbled, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Laura rushed over. "Betty, what's wrong?"

She shook her head weakly. "Nothing. Maybe low blood sugar from shopping for so long."

Ralph grabbed her arm, steadying her. "Let's get you something to eat. Then we'll go home."

Laura faltered. "Maybe I should head back first."

Betty looked displeased. "Mom, you know how close Aunt Olivia and Catherine are. She's exaggerating things. Ralph just locked Catherine in the basement. He didn't hit or yell at her. How could she be dead?"

She choked up. "Aunt Olivia likes Catherine more than Ralph and me. Are you going to follow her example?"

"Of course not. Come here, my sweet girl. Don't cry." Laura pulled her into a hug, patting her back.

Ralph waved his hand irritably. "Catherine just wouldn't stop causing trouble. Let's eat first. Don't let her ruin our mood."

His open disgust stung my heart, and I closed my eyes in pain.

Back before I got kidnapped, Ralph had liked me. When Betty and I fought over toys, he'd divide them fairly. "One for Catherine and one for Betty."

When I sneaked into his bed and begged for a story, he'd indulge me with a helpless smile. "What am I gonna do with you?"

But when I was rescued and taken back, everything had changed. He always took Betty's side and would not listen to my explanations.

Eventually, I stopped defending myself and grew quieter. But then, he complained about my gloomy personality. "You're so dark and moody. No wonder none of your classmates like you."

I had frozen in place, stunned.

When Betty said some kids were bullying her, I'd rush over without thinking to stand up for her. But turning around, she cried to the teacher. "Catherine grew up in the backwoods. She doesn't know how the world works. She didn't mean to hit anyone."

When they accused me of stealing, she'd pretend to defend me. "No way. Catherine isn't like that. Sure, she only gets 500 dollars a month for allowance, but she wouldn't steal. Our family's loaded; she doesn't need to. Though my mom lost two necklaces lately, we can't blame her every time something goes missing."

Thinking back on all that, I suddenly felt like dying wasn't so bad after all. Being framed again and again, with no one believing me, was suffocating. Every night before bed, it felt as if a mountain pressed on my chest.

At the restaurant, Betty ordered enthusiastically, considering everyone's tastes. The others watched her with pride.

Leaving the table, Ralph went outside and pulled out his phone. I floated after him and watched as he dialed my number. Only beeps came from the line. No one was answering.

"What a pain! Drives me nuts," he cursed under his breath.

Then he texted me: [What games are you playing now? You're something else—selfish, vicious, gloomy, and disgusting. Even locked in the basement, you still find ways to manipulate people. Don't you have a shred of decency?]

After the meal, they started to leave the mall. Ralph suddenly turned back, and when he returned, a gift box was in his hand. "Alright, it's almost ten. Time to head home."

Betty stared at the box, her eyes narrowing.