Chapter 1

1.

My father drove his mistress's daughter to college himself.

Boston in September was still clinging to summer, the heat waves making the red brick buildings on campus tremble. The air was a chaotic mix unique to move-in day―sweat, cheap perfume, and anxiety.

My dad, Richard Vance, was directing three uniformed movers as they carried a set of pink luggage into the dorm building for Lily. He stood downstairs in a bespoke suit, the watch on his wrist glinting in the sun, looking like a CEO inspecting one of his properties.

He paused when he saw me, like he'd run into a stranger in his own living room. "Harper? You came by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Where's your mother? She just let you come alone?"

I forced a smile. "Because I'm an orphan."

He froze. And next to him, the girl, Lily, was wearing my long-lost dress.

…

I dragged a single, worn-out suitcase, its wheels screeching against the pavement. It was heavy, and the plastic handle dug into my palm, stinging.

Not far off, a black Cadillac Escalade was parked, sticking out like a sore thumb among the ordinary family cars. The vehicle was spotless, as if it had just been driven out of a showroom.

Richard Vance―my father―was directing several professional movers in gray uniforms, unloading Lily's luggage from the trunk. It was a complete set of pink suitcases, adorned with delicate initial stickers. The movers handled them as if they were fragile treasures.

He was dressed formally today, a dark gray three-piece suit that looked custom-made, the watch on his wrist gleaming subtly in the sunlight. He didn't look like a father dropping his daughter off at college; he looked like a corporate executive heading to a board meeting.

The girl, Lily, stood beside him, wearing that pale-yellow dress. Her skin was pale, her eyes downcast.

Brenda's daughter.

Our family's… well, I didn't know how to define them.

Richard's eyes never left Lily. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, murmuring something about "remembering to get more exercise."

I stood in the shade of a tree, watching the scene like an outsider.

My suitcase was heavy, stuffed with clothes for all four seasons and law textbooks thick enough to kill someone. The handle left a deep red mark on my palm.

But I couldn't feel the pain.

The movers finally finished. Richard placed a hand on Lily's shoulder, walking intimately toward the dorm.

"Lily, sweetheart, it's the fifth floor. I had them bring it all the way up for you."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Richard. You're too kind," Lily's voice was soft and sweet, with just the right amount of gratitude.

"It's nothing. I hired the best team for you," Richard's tone was full of doting affection.

They walked right past me, their gazes not even lingering on me for a second. It was like I was a tree, a brick, a puff of air.

I followed quietly behind them, keeping a careful distance, watching the movers haul the boxes up to the fifth floor. Richard stood downstairs, directing the setup upstairs with his phone―he had even hired a special dorm decorating team that was already waiting.