Chapter 3

3

"You've been living too good of a life, Eve, acting like you don't know what you're doing!"

"Since you don't want to wear the dress, you don't need to come to the party. I don't want you to ruin it."

The family has a party at home, but his own wife isn't allowed to go? That's a huge shame.

But I didn't care.

The party ended late at night, and I heard laughter outside.

I opened the door and saw Michael and Billy holding hands with Lisa, heading for the master bedroom.

It had been seven years. The family's little girl had finally grown up, and she was looking more and more like Sarah.

That was the bedroom for Michael and Sarah only.

I accidentally walked in one time, and he made me kneel in the snow for three days. I almost lost my legs.

I was lying in bed at the time, my knees infected and in pain.

Michael came to see me, and I thought he'd softened up. But he just said coldly, "Good. Now you know how it feels to be in pain. You won't go where you don't belong."

Now, Lisa was moving in, just because she looked like Sarah.

The maids looked at me with disgust, gossiping.

"Some people can't steal a man's heart, even if they try everything. Michael and his son hate her. She can't even go into her own bedroom. People are laughing about it."

"Of course. Michael only loves his ex-wife. That one was just hired to take care of the kid. Now that Lisa's grown up and looks just like her, he's getting interested. Looks like we'll be changing the 'lady of the house' again."

I ignored them, and as I turned around, a metal dart flew past my face.

The sharp edge cut my skin, and blood trickled down.

Billy held the remaining darts, smirking.

"I hate that face. Someday I'm gonna ruin it. My aunt told me, bad women deserve to be ugly!"

I remembered something. When Billy was three, he had a fever, and I took care of him for two days and nights. I didn't eat or sleep.

He finally started to feel better, and I looked like a mess.

But he hugged me and said, "Auntie's the prettiest! Prettier than a princess!"

Later, Lisa came to see Billy often, and that's when he started to hate me.

I picked up the dart, pointing it at Billy.

"Did I ever teach you what happens when you hurt people?"

Billy knew I was a good shot. I'd spent my childhood in the countryside, picking up rocks and aiming at birds.

He looked scared, but he still yelled, "Don't scare me! You were the one who got with my dad and killed my mom! You took her place! I'm gonna get revenge on you! I'm not scared!"

"You wanna kill me, do it now! If you don't, I'm gonna throw acid on you!"

He ran into the master bedroom and slammed the door.

My hand stayed in the air for a long time. Finally, I tossed the dart in the trash can.

I'd made it for his birthday, and now it had come back to hurt me.

I went back to my room and packed my things.

All night, laughter came from the bedroom.

The next day, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw Lisa and Billy playing with a hacky sack.

Billy hugged Lisa, pouting.

"Aunt Lisa, I love you! You look like my mom, and you play the piano like she did. You're better than that phony piece of garbage!"

"When I see you, it's like my mom's still alive. Will you marry my dad? I want him to divorce that home-wrecker. I want you to be my mom!"

Lisa wiped the sweat off Billy's face.

"Billy, you shouldn't say that. If your dad wants to, of course I'll be your mom. Your mom in Heaven would love that!"

She pretended to notice me. "Eve, Billy's still young. He speaks his mind. Don't take it personally."

Even though we shared the same mother, Lisa never called me 'sister.'

Billy glared at me and dragged Lisa toward the study. He was probably telling Michael to divorce me. That's what I wanted.

As I was about to leave, someone grabbed my arm.

My brother, Jack, said, "How are you letting Lisa and Michael hang out alone like that? Good thing Billy was around last night."

"Michael only loves his ex-wife. What if it gets him interested in Lisa? She looks just like the ex-wife. I don't want my sister to be a replacement for someone else."

"I'm your sister, too. Why would you let me stay with a man who doesn't love me?"

Jack frowned. "That's different. Even if Lisa never gets married, I can make sure she's taken care of. If you leave, you're nothing."

I knew it.

He didn't want Lisa to be a replacement, but he didn't want to lose the benefits they got from the family.

So, he could sacrifice me.

Jack said, "I heard about your foster mom. But the family's riding on you. We're about to get a big project in the South District. If you leave now, Michael won't do business with us anymore."

"And Billy's your kid! You can't just leave him! Don't be so selfish."

I laughed. "I don't have the family name. You gave it to me. Now, I'm giving it back."

"Lisa's all grown up. I've been carrying the family's burdens for seven years. It's her turn. If you want the good things, you have to pay for them."

Jack was angry. He slapped me across the face.

"A no-good bastard with no morals. I should've left you to freeze to death like Mom wanted. You're so ungrateful!"

My mother was their mother.

My father was a man in the club.

My mother got back at my father, in revenge for cheating on her, and slept with a male model for one night. I landed there.

The doctor said that she would be unable to have children if she got an abortion.

After I was born, she asked me to discard to dead.

Young, was afraid.

I wiped the blood from my mouth and looked straight at him.

"You made me lose my freedom and my eggs for seven years, all because you were scared. I can't have my own kids anymore."

"I paid you back. "

I was reminded of Lisa's words.

"Instead of bothering me, maybe you should ask Lisa. Maybe she wants to be the replacement."

Jack gave me an angry look and ran toward the study.