Chapter 1

1

The day I handed my Stanford acceptance letter to my adopted sister, my parents finally agreed to take me for my heart surgery consultation.

It was a torrential downpour. I waited at the hospital entrance for ten hours, but they never showed up.

Just as I reached for my phone to call them, a text message popped up.

"We have something urgent to handle. Your heart issues can wait a few more days."

Minutes later, I scrolled past Cora's Instagram story.

"The ultimate reward for getting into Stanford―a surprise vacation with Mom and Dad!"

The photo was a cozy family selfie of the three of them on a plane, beaming at the camera.

In the past, I would have called them in tears, screaming and asking why they hated me so much.

This time, I didn't. I simply walked into the surgery wing alone and left a comment on her post.

"I hope the three of you have a very happy life together!"

Later, after I retook my exams and got into a top-tier Ivy League school to start my new life, my parents begged for my forgiveness.

But that was a lifetime away from the cold rain hitting my face as I stood outside the clinic.

Passersby stared at me, my clothes soaked through and my hair matted to my forehead.

The nurses at the reception desk had changed shifts twice, yet I remained there like a frozen statue.

"Sweetie, it's getting dark. When are your parents coming?"

A nurse I had spoken to earlier tapped my shoulder, her eyes full of pity.

I looked back at her, my voice trembling. "They should be here soon... the rain must have caused a massive traffic jam."

"They promised me... they said they would definitely come."

The last sentence was so quiet I barely heard it myself. I was trying to convince my own breaking heart.

They promised. How could they lie to me again?

I had spent my entire high school career studying until my nose bled to get that Stanford acceptance.

I gave it to Cora just so they would look at me with a shred of love and take my illness seriously.

Was it really too much to ask for them to just sit with me while I talked to a surgeon?

The nurse gave me a sad look before rushing off to help another patient.

A crack of lightning split the sky, and I stumbled back in shock.

My phone slipped from my hand, the screen lighting up to show my chat history with my father.

It was a wall of blue bubbles. I had been messaging them since 6:00 AM.

I had begged them to tell me where they were.

They hadn't replied to a single word all day.

I gripped the phone tightly and took a deep breath.

Just as I prepared to send one last message, the screen refreshed.

Dad: "We're busy with something important. We can't make it. Just wait a few more days!"

My heart hammered painfully against my ribs. I typed back immediately.

"But I've been waiting here all day! The specialist said this can't wait anymore!"

It was like throwing a stone into a bottomless ocean. Silence.

The realization finally hit me like a physical blow. They never intended to come.

In this family, I was always the one meant to be discarded.

I laughed bitterly, ready to turn off my phone, when I saw Cora Thorne's new update.

I clicked it, and a sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

My parents and Cora were making peace signs at the camera, looking like the picture of joy.

The caption read: "Mom and Dad's special gift for my Stanford admission!"

My phone slid from my fingers as tears finally blurred my vision.

The destination on their ticket was the coastal city I had dreamed of visiting for years.

Every time I asked to go, they said they were too busy with work.

It wasn't that they didn't have time. They just didn't think I was worth the trip.

Why? Why did she get to take everything that was mine without a hint of guilt?

My parents, my hard-earned grades, my future.

Even my dream vacation was now hers.

If this were the old me, I would have called them and gone into a hysterical rage.

I would have demanded to know why their biological daughter was always second to an orphan they took in.

But I was too exhausted to fight. I actually smiled.

I smiled at my own stupidity for thinking a piece of paper could buy their love.

I walked into the surgical prep room with heavy steps.

As the surgeon prepared the anesthesia, he looked at me with a confused expression.

"Young lady, why are you here by yourself? Where are your parents?"

I stayed silent for a long time before answering.

"My parents are busy being parents to someone else."