Chapter 2

2

Jade came home after a month in the hospital.

"Where is Clara? Is she going to rot out there and never come back? She's been throwing this tantrum for weeks, she's completely out of control!"

The moment my mother walked in, she saw the thick layer of dust on the floors and cabinets. Even the food in the fridge had gone moldy. She started screaming immediately.

It's ironic. They spent a whole month at the hospital with Jade.

They never once stopped to think how I was supposed to survive alone with no money.

When they saw the house was unkempt, they remembered I existed―but the first thing they thought of wasn't my safety. It was how inconvenient I was being.

My heart was already frozen solid. Their slurs and misunderstandings didn't even cause a ripple anymore.

Jade, sensing the need to pour more gasoline on the fire, put on her fragile, pathetic act.

"It's all my fault. I'll call my sister and apologize. If she doesn't want to come back, I'll go find her and kneel until she agrees to come home."

It's always like this. Whenever Jade puts on that innocent act, my mother melts. A few words from Jade are enough to shift the blame, and I am always the one who pays the price.

I've suffered so much injustice because of Jade since I was a child.

Sure enough, my mother gritted her teeth, her face twisted in disgust.

"She's not worth an apology from you! It was just some platelets, she wouldn't have died. She's just being dramatic! If she doesn't want to come home, let her die out there!"

Jade didn't stop there. She picked up her phone and dialed my number.

My mother, despite her harsh words, leaned in to listen, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse the second I picked up.

My phone was off, obviously. Jade switched to sending me a voice message on WeChat.

"Sister, everything is my fault. Don't be mad at Mom and Dad. Come home and we can talk. You can hit me or yell at me, I won't complain."

Jade sounded so sincere. If I didn't know her true colors, I might have been moved.

After a long silence, when I didn't reply, my mother lost her patience.

"Jade is being so kind, and that little brat is just ungrateful! She doesn't deserve to be my daughter!"

With that, my mother removed me from our family group chat.

In the past, this would have broken my heart.

Even though all they ever talked about in that four-person group was Jade, I had clung to it like a lifeline.

I deceived myself into thinking that as long as I was in that chat, I was still part of the Su family.

I was like a thief, peeking into their warm, happy life, even though there was never a place for me in their world.

"Mom, don't be mad. You have more than one daughter. You still have me."

Jade had achieved her goal. A smug smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she quickly nuzzled into my mother's arms with a soft, sweet look.

My mother petted Jade's hair, dotingly. "Jade is the only good one. I wish I'd never given birth to that white-eyed wolf!"

I gave a bitter smile.

My mother had repeated the same phrase my entire life.

"I regret having you!"

I wanted to say that I didn't choose to be born. If I'd known it would be like this, I would rather have been a stray dog than reincarnated into this family.

She gave me life, and to save her precious Jade, I returned it. We're square now.

My father walked out of the kitchen, smiling, carrying a feast. He called for my mother and Jade to eat.

My mother is a career woman who never cooks, but I had never seen my father cook for me either.

When it was just my father and me at home, he always told me to just boil some instant noodles. But if Jade was around, he would jump into the kitchen to prepare a meal for her.

I used to think my father was just clumsy or bad at showing love. I realized too late that he just didn't love me.

"Jade's health is just recovering, don't talk about that bad luck. If only she were even a fraction as sensible as Jade."

My father sneered at the mention of my name, while his eyes were filled with nothing but tenderness for Jade.

I know why he hates me. He just wants to bury the memory of the day he caused my mother's premature labor.

Seeing them sitting there, enjoying their meal, is such an eyesore.

For the first time, I feel an urgent need to leave this house forever.