Chapter 1

To soothe my adopted sister's hurt feelings, my brother swapped my dream acceptance letter from the country's top art academy for a mediocre state college thousands of miles away.

In the living room, the document stamped with a strange logo was painfully bright.

The relatives looked at each other, and a wave of suppressed whispering broke out.

"What happened? Didn't Addy get into the National Academy?"

"Well… South Hill State isn't bad, but it's nowhere near the Academy."

I stood there gripping the hem of my shirt, my head spinning.

My brother, Caleb, walked over and patted my shoulder with a helpless sigh.

"Addy, Tessa failed her finals and cried for days. She loves art so much but doesn't have your talent. My heart broke for her. Just let her have this win to cheer her up."

"Don't worry, it's just for show. I'll swap it back for you before the semester starts."

"Do you really think the family would let you graduate from a dead-end school like that?"

Silence filled the room, the air turning cold and heavy.

Every eye was fixed on the thin piece of paper in my hand.

My aunt's hand, holding a teacup, froze mid-air.

"Is this… South Hill State? In the middle of nowhere?"

"The National Academy versus South Hill? That's a massive drop."

"A teaching degree is fine," my sister-in-law said, her smile stiff as she tried to bridge the awkwardness. "It's stable for a girl."

I looked up, my gaze moving from the strange letter to Caleb's face, then to my boyfriend, Xavier, standing beside him.

My knuckles were white from gripping the paper. My voice felt dry. "You changed my application… didn't you?"

Caleb avoided my eyes. He picked up his drink and took a long gulp.

"Yes, I did."

He set the glass down, his tone growing irritable.

"Tessa knew you got into the Academy and felt worthless. She cried for days and wouldn't eat."

"I had no choice but to appease her first. I'll pull some strings before the semester starts and fix it."

"It's all my fault…"

Tessa, standing behind Caleb, looked pitiful with her red-rimmed eyes.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I just… I felt so useless."

She sniffled, her voice trembling.

"Caleb, don't blame Addy. I'm the one being difficult. Addy, I'm so sorry. Please don't make it hard for Caleb in front of everyone. He only did it for the family."

"Why are you apologizing?!"

Caleb cut her off, his face softening with pity for her.

Then he glared at me, his brow furrowed.

"Look at how mature Tessa is! And look at you, questioning me in front of all our relatives over something so small? Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me? You're incredibly selfish!"

I turned to my boyfriend, Xavier.

"Xavier, do you think this is my fault too?"

Xavier looked at me with disapproval, his tone accusing.

"Addy, you shouldn't have blamed your brother in front of so many people. Tessa is young and hurting. Your brother just wanted to comfort her."

"It's not a major issue. Our families have enough influence to coordinate with the school before classes start. You're just making a scene and humiliating Caleb. Behave yourself. Don't be so immature."

Tessa, hiding behind Caleb, gave me a tiny, provocative smirk before quickly lowering her head again, acting like a victim.

Caleb turned and patted her back, his protection obvious.

I was about to speak when my father interrupted me.

He cleared his throat, his voice brook no argument.

"Your brother made a mistake by not consulting you first."

He looked at me, his eyes cold.

"But Addy, your reaction is far too extreme. We don't air our dirty laundry in public. Whatever happens, we deal with it behind closed doors as a family. Why must you humiliate your brother and this entire family in front of our relatives?"

My mother joined in, her voice coaxing.

"We know you're upset. But you have to look at the big picture. You know Tessa's situation. She's emotionally unstable."

"Your brother was desperate. Maybe his method was wrong, but his heart was in the right place. He just wanted to keep the peace in this home. You're the older sister. You need to be more understanding."

She walked toward me, reaching for my hand, but I flinched away.

Her hand hung awkwardly in the air, and her voice began to crack.

"Addy, I know it's hard… I know how hard you studied."

She wiped a non-existent tear from her eye, her tone shifting.

"But you have to think about your brother. He's under so much pressure! Tessa is… she's sensitive. She didn't do well, and she's in a dark place. Your brother was afraid she'd do something reckless."

"If something happened to your sister, what would I do? Just do this for me, okay? I promise your brother will fix it before school starts."

She looked at me with pleading eyes, as if my refusal would make me a heartless monster.

Tessa curled into my mother's arms, whispering through tears.

"Addy, I'm so sorry… Don't be mad at Caleb. I won't paint anymore. I'll give everything back to you. I'm just the adopted daughter. Everything in this house belongs to you anyway. I don't deserve any of it."

She sobbed, looking so fragile she might break.

Caleb immediately pulled her closer.

When he looked at me again, his last bit of hesitation was gone, replaced by ice.

"Did you hear that? Tessa admitted she was wrong! Can't you just back down? Do you have to make everything so ugly?"

Xavier sighed, standing up to grab my hand.

"Addy, stop it. Apologize to your parents and Caleb, and we can move past this. Stop acting like a child."

I gently pried my hand from Xavier's grip.

"Apologize?"

My voice sounded strange to my own ears―calm, without a single ripple of emotion.

"Apologize for what? For having my future stolen behind my back? For wanting an explanation? Or for… not swallowing this whole mess and smiling at Tessa like you wanted?"

My mother gasped. "You!"

I didn't wait for her to finish. I leaned down and picked up the South Hill State acceptance letter from the floor.

The paper was wrinkled and ugly.

"You're right," I said, placing the paper neatly on the coffee table so it faced all of them.

"I'm not mature enough to keep the peace in this family."

I stood up straight, my back rigid. I let my eyes sweep over each of them one last time.

"Since this home requires me to be that kind of mature to stay… I'm done."

I didn't look at their faces. I turned and walked straight toward the foyer.

Behind me, my mother's voice rose in a tearful wail.

"Addy! Where are you going! Come back here right now!"

Then came my father's low, furious growl.

"Let her go! If she's so brave, tell her never to come back!"