I fell for Gabriel completely, drowning in his gentleness. I loved him hopelessly, giving him all my trust and dependence.

Who would have thought that the person who treated me the best would also be the one who hurt me the most?

My eyes reddened, but before I could speak, Alyssa suddenly burst into tears.

"Gabby, now that Sister Ellie is back, are you going to leave me?"

"It’s fine... Everything belonged to her in the first place. I’ll give it all back. Someone as unnecessary as me shouldn’t exist anyway!" With that, she pulled out a knife and slashed her wrist.

The blade was dull, leaving only a faint red mark. Yet my parents and Gabriel were all utterly horrified.

My mother sobbed as she held Alyssa tightly, while Gabriel, filled with concern, called for a private doctor.

My father, on the other hand, stormed toward me and slapped me hard across the face.

Teeth clenched, he seethed, "You wretched thing, why did you come back? The moment you show up, misfortune follows!"

"What has your sister ever done to you? Why must you force her like this? Someone as vicious as you should’ve died in prison!"

Alyssa’s sobs only fueled my father’s rage. He grabbed a teacup from the table and hurled it at me with full force.

But the pain I braced for never came.

When I looked up, I saw Gabriel standing in front of me, shielding me.

"Uncle, Auntie, please don’t be too hard on Ellie."

My parents shot me one last furious glare before rushing Alyssa to the hospital in a panic.

Once they were gone, Gabriel gently pulled me into his arms, comforting me in a soothing voice.

"Don’t be sad, Ellie. You still have me. My love will always be only for you."

I looked up at him.

His gaze shimmered with tenderness, filled with what seemed to be deep affection.

As if he truly loved me.

I lowered my eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "I’m fine... I’m used to it."

"You don’t have to worry about me. Go take care of your wound."

Gabriel smiled softly. "My Ellie has always been so understanding."

"I need to marry you as soon as possible—so no one can ever bully you again," he added.

Like he did with Alyssa, he reached out and ruffled my hair before turning to leave.

Watching his retreating figure, I felt nothing but emptiness.

The esteemed CEO of the Synthova Corp was actually willing to marry an ex-convict with a crippled leg—for Alyssa’s sake.

Such a love was truly remarkable.

I took a deep breath and returned to my dusty little attic.

Despite feeling tired, I still tidied everything up. However, just as I was about to lie down, a message from Alyssa popped up on my phone.

It was a video.

In it, my parents sat on either side of her, their faces filled with concern.

Meanwhile, Gabriel knelt in front of her, carefully feeding her spoonfuls of food.

His eyes overflowed with tenderness.

Another message popped up.

[You probably don’t know this voice rang out, but Gabby and I have been engaged for a long time.]

[In everyone’s eyes, I’m not just the one and only eldest daughter of the Myers family—I’m also the future Mrs. Turner. You will never take my place.]

Engaged?

Then what about Gabriel’s promises to me?

Shocked, I logged into my alternate account and checked Gabriel’s social media.

Pinned at the top was their engagement announcement.

Scrolling further, every single post was about Alyssa.

In the five years I spent in prison, Gabriel had used his connections to let Alyssa take my place and enroll at Princeton University to replace me.

But she had no interest in studying.

Instead, she spent her days in romance, indulging in a dreamlike love story with Gabriel.

The two of them, fingers intertwined, strolled through lavender fields.

Under the Eiffel Tower, they made vows of eternal love.

While I rotted in prison, enduring beatings and insults, they traveled the world, hand in hand, marveling at its beauty.

I was penniless, unable to even afford a taxi after my release. On the other hand, they spent fortunes on countless luxurious jewels and designer accessories.

In the years I was locked away, they had already become the perfect couple in high society.

No wonder Gabriel never visited me—not even once—just like my parents.

I foolishly believed he was busy gathering evidence to clear my name.

Little did I know, he was simply too preoccupied indulging in a love story with Alyssa.

The pain in my chest felt like a blade slicing through flesh.

I lay in bed, letting silent tears stream down my face.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

I answered absentmindedly—only to hear a voice I never expected.

"Ellie, I heard you were released. How have you been?"

Of all people, the first to check on me after five years wasn’t my so-called family.

It was an old professor I had met only once.

We exchanged brief pleasantries before he got to the point.

He told me that all these years, he had been fighting for my case, trying to reduce my sentence so I could join a confidential research institute as soon as possible.

"You’re an extraordinary talent. Whether you agree or not, I will continue investigating the accident and prove your innocence!"

His words sent a wave of warmth through my frozen heart.

Back then, I had pushed myself beyond my limits, desperate for my parents’ approval. Not only had I been accepted into multiple top universities, but I had also been selected for a national research team.

But before I could even make a choice, the people I loved most—my own family—conspired to throw me into prison.

Now, I had finally seen through their deception, the hypocrisy of my parents and Gabriel.

I would never again chase after a love that was never meant for me.

Tears blurred my vision as I accepted Professor Michael’s invitation.

At that instant, I heard the excitement in his voice. "Wonderful! I’ll pick you up in five days. Don’t be late!"

"I won’t."

I turned to look at the picture on my phone—Gabriel and Alyssa locked in a tight embrace.

Then, I turned and marked a horizontal line on the wall.

A habit I had picked up in prison.

Back then, I counted down the days until I could reunite with Gabriel.

Now, I was counting down the days until I could finally leave for good.

—

A cold draft seeped through the attic window, making the pain in my crippled leg unbearable.

Just as I winced, Gabriel knelt by my bed, massaging my leg with gentle hands.

When he saw I was awake, his reddened eyes met mine.

"I had no idea you suffered so much in prison," he whispered. "I swear, I won’t let those who hurt you get away with it!"

Those who hurt me? Wasn’t he the worst of them all?

I bit down on my lip, tasting blood as I fought hard to suppress the raging storm inside me.

I lowered my head, refusing to speak.

Then, he said something that made my stomach churn.

"Ellie, marry me." His voice was filled with deep affection.

"I can’t bear to see you living like this in the Myers household. This tiny, broken room... even their maids wouldn’t stay here."

I lifted my gaze, watching the sincerity in his expression, and let out a mocking smile. "You really want to marry me?"

"Of course! Have you forgotten? We grew up together. The moment you were brought back to the Myers family, I already liked you."

"But my parents might not approve. If it comes to that, we can secretly get our marriage certificate. Then, on the wedding day, Alyssa can take your place at the ceremony. That way, no one will mock or gossip about you."

As he spoke, he slid a massive diamond ring onto my finger, his expression filled with nothing but love and devotion.

But the moment I saw the ring, I recognized it instantly.

This was the one Alyssa had worn before.

A relic from the British Queen, worth over a billion.

It symbolized everlasting love.

The love was real.

But the ring on my finger was fake.

And the person Gabriel truly loved was never me.

I swallowed the pain rising in my chest and looked at Gabriel with teary eyes.

"Ever since I came to the Myers family, my parents deemed me unworthy, forbidding me from meeting outsiders. They told the world I was just an adopted daughter while letting Alyssa take my place and live the glamorous life of a wealthy heiress."

"And now, you think I’m unworthy too. You want Alyssa to replace me at my own wedding with you."

"Am I really so shameful? The one who did wrong isn’t me—it’s Alyssa!"

She was the one who stole my identity. She was the one who caused the accident and ran away. She was the one who schemed and framed me over and over again.

Why was it that she got to be loved by everyone, living in luxury without lifting a finger while I must bear all the consequences, hiding in this dark attic just to survive?

Fury surged in my veins.

I ripped the ring off my finger and threw it with all my strength.

"I refuse, Gabriel!" I shouted.

The diamond ring drew a perfect arc through the air—and landed squarely on Alyssa’s face as she stood by, eager to watch the spectacle.

She covered her cheek, her eyes brimming with tears. "Sis, do you really hate me that much? Will you only be happy if I die? Fine, I’ll just die then."

"Goodbye, Gabby. I hope you and my sister live happily ever after."

With that, she turned and ran off, sobbing.

Gabriel shoved me aside without a second thought.

My injured leg buckled, and I collapsed hard onto the floor.

Fresh blood seeped from my wounds, staining the cold ground. But Gabriel didn’t spare me a single glance.

He was too busy chasing after Alyssa, his face filled with worry.

"Ellie, don’t think that just because you served a few years in prison, you can boss Alyssa around!"

"If you hadn’t suddenly come back, she wouldn’t have been so distressed, wouldn’t have gotten drunk. This is all your fault—it has nothing to do with her!"

"You only spent a few years behind bars, but Alyssa has suffered the torment in her heart all these years. She’s the real victim. Why can’t you just let her go? You’ve really let me down!"

His words sliced through me like an axe, splitting my heart in two.

I sat there, frozen.

Not until I watched Gabriel carry Alyssa away did the tears finally fall.

So this was what he meant by "favoring" me.

For a long time, I just sat there in silence.

Then, slowly, I wiped away my tears and began packing up my few belongings.

If I was destined to be alone in this life, then I might as well cut ties with those who never truly loved me.

From now on, we would walk separate paths—and never meet again.

—

The day of my meeting with Professor Michael finally arrived.

Carrying my worn-out backpack, I was about to leave when my phone rang.

"Ellie, I found an eyewitness from that year. He’s willing to testify for you."

"Not only that, I’ve uncovered something else—something that concerns both the Myers and Turner families. It’s up to you how you want to handle it."

I stared at the documents he sent over, my breath hitching.

If this information went public, the Myers and Turner families would never know peace again.

I hesitated.

And in that moment of hesitation, Alyssa suddenly appeared before me.

Before I could say a word, she shoved me hard—sending me crashing into the pool behind me.

The icy water swallowed me whole, stabbing into my body like a thousand blades.

Shivering violently, I fought my way to the edge—only for the Myers family’s bodyguards to shove me back in.