Chapter 2

2 That night, my parents had me share a room with Lily. I lay awake, pretending to sleep, my mind racing, planning how I could become independent and leave this house. My past life had taught me that from the moment Lily entered our family, my parents and brother became hers and hers alone.

Later that night, Lily tiptoed out of bed. I watched through narrowed eyes as she walked straight to my parents' room.

“Mommy… Daddy… It’s so dark… My eyes hurt… I’m scared…” she whimpered.

My parents, blinded by sympathy, didn’t stop to consider how Lily, in such unfamiliar surroundings and with impaired vision, could have navigated to their room in the dark while experiencing an episode with her eyes. They simply held her close, their own eyes brimming with tears.

“Don't be afraid, Lily. Mommy and Daddy are here.”

Lily trembled, burrowing into my mother’s arms, acting terrified. “Mommy… Daddy… Can I really stay here? Ashley… she…”

My heart sank. The next moment, my father stormed into our room and yanked me out of bed.

“What did you say to Lily?! How could you be so insensitive? She’s sick and she’s been through so much! Can't you just be nice to her?!”

“Honey, calm down,” my mother pleaded, though she continued to cradle Lily, making no move to comfort me. “Ashley’s still young. She’ll learn.”

They took Lily back to their room, leaving me standing outside in my thin pajamas. My mother used to check on me every night, tucking me in before leaving. Now, they seemed to have forgotten I was just a seven-year-old child, also afraid of the dark and the cold, and desperately needing their love.

In my past life, Lily had pulled these stunts frequently. She would feign an eye episode, then, while my parents were consumed with sympathy, fabricate stories to make me look bad.

As a child, I gradually became aware of the threat. Since Lily’s arrival, I had transformed in my parents' eyes from their sweet, loving daughter into a “bad girl.” I started competing with Lily, wanting everything she had. Lily, however, was a master of playing the victim, always appearing gentle, timid, and yielding. This only made my parents feel even more indebted to her.

I fought with Lily my whole life, but I never won. Even David, my brother who used to adore me, fell under her spell. Everyone in the art world knew the Evans family had two daughters: the sweet, fragile, artistic genius, Lily Evans, and the spoiled, jealous, talentless Ashley Evans.

This time, I decided not to compete. I would live the life I truly wanted.