Chapter 2

2

"Nora Mercer, your sister ended up like this because of you, and you don't feel a shred of remorse! How did I ever birth such a rotten, evil seed?"

That ordeal only ended after my mother starved me for three full days, forcing me to bow my head and plead guilty.

I still vividly remembered her bragging to my father with a smug smile.

"This is how you break a child. Otherwise, she'll never learn her place in this house."

Those horrific words had come from an elite graduate of a top-tier law school.

Back then, I should have accepted the brutal reality that my parents never loved me. If I hadn't clung to that pathetic shred of hope, I wouldn't have carried this quiet torment all the way to my grave.

The harsh sound of their voices pulled my wandering thoughts back to reality. My parents were still taking turns berating me.

Their words were sharp as daggers, making it sound as though I were their sworn enemy rather than their flesh and blood.

My heart died completely. For the first time, I realized that dying was actually the most merciful release I could have asked for.

Stella stayed in the hospital for another month before she was finally discharged.

"Where the hell is Nora? Did she die out there on the streets? She's been throwing this tantrum for a month, and it's completely out of hand!"

The moment my mother stepped through the front door, she noticed the thick layer of dust coating the furniture and the moldy food rotting inside the fridge.

She exploded into an immediate rage.

It was sickeningly ironic. My parents had spent an entire month by Stella's bedside, never once checking on me.

Not once did they wonder how I was surviving on my own without a single penny to my name.

Only when they saw an uncleaned house did they suddenly remember my existence. Even then, their first reaction wasn't concern for my safety, but fury over my lack of obedience.

I had already turned numb to their malice. Their slanders and hatred no longer caused a single ripple in my heart.

Stella, sensing an opportunity to fan the flames, put on her trademark tearful act.

"It's all my fault. I'll call Nora right now, beg for her forgiveness, and plead with her to come home. If she refuses, I'll track her down and get on my knees."

It was always the same routine. Whenever Stella played the fragile victim, my mother's heart melted with agonizing tenderness.

A few delicate tears from Stella were all it took to redirect all blame onto me.

Growing up, the amount of abuse I suffered because of Stella's little performances was endless.

Sure enough, my mother ground her teeth in disgust.

"She doesn't deserve an apology from you! All she did was give up some stem cells. It's not like it could kill her, yet she acts so dramatic! If she doesn't want to come back, she can rot out on the streets!"

Stella didn't stop there. She pulled out her phone and dialed my number anyway.

Despite her harsh words, my mother leaned in, listening intently to the phone speaker. She was clearly preparing an arsenal of insults to unleash the moment I picked up.

The automated operator announced that the phone was switched off. Stella quickly switched to our messaging app and sent a voice note.

"Nora, I'm so sorry for everything. Please don't be mad at Mom and Dad. Whatever problem we have, come home so we can talk. You can hit me or yell at me all you want, and I won't complain."

Her voice was drenched in angelic sweetness. If I didn't know what a venomous snake she truly was, even I might have been moved.

After waiting for several minutes without a reply, my mother lost the last shred of her patience.

"Stella apologized so humbly, yet that ungrateful brat still acts so arrogant! She doesn't deserve to be my daughter!"

With a vicious swipe of her thumb, my mother removed me from the family group chat.

If this had happened when I was still alive, my heart would have shattered into pieces.

Even though that four-person group chat had been entirely dedicated to praising Stella every single day, I had never brought myself to leave.

I had foolishly clung to the delusion that staying in the chat proved I was still a member of the Mercer family.

I was like a dirty thief peeking through a window, watching a happy family thrive, knowing there was never a place for me in their world.

"Mom, please don't be upset," Stella purred softly, leaning into my mother's chest with a triumphant smirk. "You still have me."

My mother gently stroked Stella's hair with endless adoration.

"You're the only good child I have, Stella. I truly wish I had never given birth to that selfish leech!"

A bitter, hollow smile formed on my spectral lips.

All my life, my mother had repeated that very sentence like a sacred mantra.

"I regret giving birth to you!"

I desperately wanted to tell her that I never asked to be brought into this world. If I had known what awaited me, I would have rather been born a stray dog than a child in this house.

She gave me life, and I paid it back in full to save her golden daughter. We were finally even.

My father walked out of the kitchen with a warm, beaming smile, setting down a lavish spread of roasted chicken, creamy pasta, and fresh salads.

He cheerfully called my mother and Stella over to dinner.