Once I uttered the word "affair," it was clear that Dad's temper had calmed down. After all, he was in the wrong.

Because, in the past, I was always the obedient one.

But ever since Mom passed away last year, everyone around us, neighbors included, said I had changed. They claimed I couldn’t cope with Mom’s death, which was why I had become this way.

So, over the past year, Dad had come to accept my increasingly aggressive behavior and, if anything, he had started to be more lenient with me.

But what he didn’t know was that, before Mom died, she had left me something.

"Anna, it’s been a year since your mom passed away, and I think it’s time for you to get used to living with Aunt Lydia and Yvette. We’ve come today to surprise you with this news."

A surprise?

It was indeed a surprise.

"Aunt Lydia, you’re not the mistress my parents used to argue about, are you?"

I stared at Lydia, feeling satisfied as I saw the panic flicker in her eyes.

I almost wanted to laugh.

"Of course not, Anna. Your dad has never cheated on your mom. You know your mother’s illness was what caused everything."

Mom’s illness? Wasn’t it all because of you two?

"If you’re not a mistress, I have no problem with it. Mom has been gone for a year, and Dad does need someone to take care of him."

A year after Mom passed? I clearly remembered that the night she was buried, Dad didn’t come home.

The reason they chose today to tell me was just so they could maintain the illusion that they didn’t want to disturb my high school exams.

"Your dad knows you’re so understanding."

Dad looked pleased with my response, but he failed to notice the calculation in Lydia's eyes, or the condescending glance Yvette gave me.

Dad quickly married Lydia.

The day they got their marriage certificate, Lydia and her daughter moved in.

Yvette even made sure to take the smallest guest room, which made Dad fuss over her even more.

"Anna, have you estimated your exam scores yet?"

Yvette walked into my room with some fruit, and I ignored her as I scrolled through messages from my high school classmates in our group chat.

"No."

I answered honestly.

"I think I should be able to get into Harvard University with my scores. I’ve heard your results aren’t so great. Are you planning to repeat the year?"

It was only their first day living here, and she already couldn’t sit still?

"None of your damn business."

I rolled my eyes. Having learned my lesson from the last time someone tried to throw water on me, I had no need to pretend to be polite with Yvette.

"Looks like Anna’s really gotten feisty. That incident with your mom jumping off the building must have been quite a blow, huh?"

Yvette casually sat beside me, holding my hand with a look of fake concern.

She was still as infuriating as ever.

"If you came into my room just to talk nonsense, you can leave."

Yvette looked like the picture-perfect, high-achieving student, while I had become the rebellious little troublemaker over the past year.

No more holding back.

"Well, if I told you I’m also Uncle Shaw’s daughter, would that make you excited?"

Yvette boldly provoked me, and all I could think was one word.

Idiot.

Did she really think I didn’t know she was Dad and Mistress Lydia’s daughter?

The reason I didn’t recognize her was simply that I’d never met her before, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know she existed.

"You're just an illegitimate child, the daughter of a mistress. What’s there to get excited about?"

Yvette’s face changed instantly. She had come to provoke me.

But not only did she fail, I had just roasted her in return.

"You really look just like your mom, exactly the same... cheap!"

Slap—

I’d wanted to slap her for so long.

Yvette was thrown to the ground by the force of my slap, and my hand was numb from the impact.

"Wahh, you dare hit me! Mom, Uncle Shaw, Anna hit me!"

Yvette was genuinely crying, tears streaming down her face from the pain.

She waited until Dad and Lydia were far enough from my room, then entered to provoke me. Wasn’t her purpose to frame me?

Well, I’d slap her back. If she gets hurt, it’s her loss, but I’ll definitely gain something.

"What happened? Who hit you?"

Lydia was the first to run over. Seeing her precious daughter sitting on the floor, crying, she shot me a quick glare.

After all, Dad hadn't arrived yet, so there was no need for her to put on an act just yet.

"What’s going on here? How could you two be fighting?"

Dad's study was far from here, and by the time he arrived, I’d already put eye drops in front of Yvette.

I was quick—Lydia didn’t even notice.

Honestly, in that moment, I couldn’t even muster a smile. I was too numb to cry.

"Dad, I didn’t hit her. She hit herself."

The villain always tells on others first. Both daughters were crying, and for a moment, Dad didn’t know who to believe.

"How could I hit myself?"

Yvette lowered her hand from her face, making sure Dad saw the swelling.

But the swelling was just that—swelling. There were no fingerprints.

"I brought Anna some fruit with good intentions, but Anna didn’t appreciate it. She said I stole Uncle Shaw from her and then hit me."

Dad looked between us two, obviously deciding Yvette’s injuries seemed more serious, so he naturally leaned toward believing her.

"Anna, did you hit your sister?"

"I didn’t! She hit herself, and she said she was going to steal you away from me and make me an orphan."

As I said this, I couldn’t stop a few tears from slipping out. It was true; this man was my biological father.

Even though I knew how poorly he treated Mom, he hadn’t hurt me as badly.

But it was this very man who destroyed our family. He wanted to be with another woman, manipulated Mom, and drove her to her death.

Mom loved him so much, but he never looked back. He wouldn’t even divorce her.

My words finally seemed to snap Dad back into reality. Thankfully, he still felt guilty about me.

"She also said she’d throw me out of this house. She hit herself just to make you believe her!"

"Well, both of you are eighteen, but you’re still just kids. Can’t we just let it go?"

Lydia also found my words more convincing, and she didn’t want Dad to believe me.

So even though Yvette was pulling on her sleeve, she still didn’t believe her daughter.

Yvette’s scheming skills were no match for her mom’s.

"Mom, she really hit me!"

Yvette was utterly frustrated now. After all, the slap… I was the one who gave it.

"Dad, am I going to become an orphan?"

Dad didn’t say anything, so I knew I had to turn up the heat.

"If I’m being framed like this and you won’t protect me, what’s the point of me even living? I might as well just die!"

Crying, throwing a tantrum, and threatening suicide—sometimes you overdo it, but when used sparingly, it’s surprisingly effective.

While they were distracted, I quickly stood up and ran for the balcony.

As I climbed out the window, Dad finally realized what was happening. He yanked me back inside with a forceful pull.

"Dad believes you. How could Dad not believe you?"

Seeing me about to jump startled Dad, and it terrified Lydia. Lydia’s trust finally shifted toward me.

"Yvette, apologize to Anna!"

"No! Why should I apologize?"

Yvette wasn’t going to admit to something she hadn’t done.

"She’s the one who hit me!"

"I have security cameras in my room. Whoever laid a hand on the other will leave this house today."

I was better than her, and she couldn’t outdo me.

"I—"

"Apologize to Anna!"