Chapter 1

Three days after welcoming me, the "real" daughter, back into the wealthy family, the family business went bankrupt.

The fake daughter and I were both kicked out of our home, and we had to pay off the massive debt owed by our parents, who had gone missing.

The fake daughter was spoiled but well-educated, so she landed a job as a secretary in an office building.

I was uncultured and received very little education, so I could only work on construction sites during the day and as a cashier at a convenience store at night.

Every month, the fake daughter and I pooled our money and transferred it to the creditor's account so that they wouldn't harass us for payment.

Soon, the final repayment date before the year ended arrived, but my world came crashing down.

The boss of the construction company fled, taking six months' unpaid wages with him.

Faced with repayment reminders and demands from creditors, I gritted my teeth and decided to take a risk by joining other construction workers in donating plasma for money.

*****

When I staggered home tiredly with the money I had earned, I overheard the fake daughter, who had just gotten off work, talking on the phone inside our apartment.

"Dad, Mom, have you had enough of this 'bankruptcy' game yet? Anyway, I've played my part as the loving younger sister to the fullest.

"She now treats me like her true sister who has gone through thick and thin with her. She'll never bully me, or try to hurt me, or be suspicious of me again.

"After Christmas, I think you two can make your appearance. Yeah, that's all.”

I was so dizzy from the plasma donation that I could barely stand.

Apparently, the so-called bankruptcy was just a game my parents played to make me and the fake daughter grow closer.

So what was the point of my eating only two slices of bread a day to save money and pay off the debt?

I looked down at my body, which was so thin that my clothes hung loosely on me, and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, the dizziness had subsided considerably.

My stomach was growling so loudly that it caught the attention of my so-called younger sister, Eugenie Lyndon, who was on the other side of the door.

Puzzled, she opened the door for a look. It was at that point that she found me slumped on the floor.

She hurriedly crouched down to help me up.

"Cheri, what's wrong? You look so pale, and your body is so cold!"

I leaned on her to get up and replied in a normal voice, "It's nothing. I'm just a bit tired. I'll sit down and rest for a while."

She finally released me and patted her chest in relief.

She rolled her eyes at me and muttered, "That's a relief. You really had me worried. With Mom and Dad still missing, you're all I have left."

As Eugenie spoke, she held my rough, calloused hand to support me. A flicker of concern and something unfathomable flashed briefly in her eyes.

She continued, "Come in quickly. My company distributed rotisserie chicken for the upcoming Christmas. I used a portion to make chicken soup just for you. It's been forever since we had a decent meal with real meat."

I only followed her mutely. As I sized up her healthy, rosy face, I could also smell the fragrance of expensive lotions and creams she always wore.

I laughed bitterly to myself, thinking that I was the only one who suffered in the end.

Inside the apartment, we could clearly hear all the sounds from outside as usual. We could even hear snippets of conversations and even the sound of the toilet flushing next door.

That was the downside of staying in cheap partitioned rooms. They offered almost no sound insulation.

Everyone could hear every movement the occupants made inside.

Barely a few steps from the door was a table. There was an electric stove and pan, a multi-cooker, and two sets of crockery and cutlery.

The aroma of chicken soup wafted out of the multicooker, almost making me drool.

Eugenie tilted her head and beamed at me. "Smells good, doesn't it? Let's eat."

With that, she picked up the crockery and cutlery and rinsed them at the sink.

As I watched her busy herself, I finally blurted out what was on my mind. "Eugenie, you don't have to go through all this hardship with me."

Eugenie paused for a moment. Following that, she visibly relaxed her body as she replied, "Cheri, what are you saying?

"Although I'm not Mom and Dad's biological daughter, they have taken care of me for so many years.

"Therefore, I see myself as a part of this family, and you will always be my sister.

"Don't worry. Once we locate Mom and Dad and pay off the debts, the four of us will be able to live together happily again.

"And you won't have to work at the construction site anymore."

With a cheerful smile, she set the freshly washed crockery and cutlery on the table and scooped a bowl of steaming chicken soup for me.

She added, "Dig in. I could hear your stomach rumbling earlier."

I sat down at the table and gobbled down the soup with a side of crusty bread. As usual, classical music from the couple next door accompanied my meal.

Seeing how accustomed Eugenie had become to our environment, I asked myself the same questions again.

Was all this really worth it? Was she made to stay in this kind of place just to strengthen our so-called sisterly bond?

I finished the soup and bread without leaving any crumbs behind.

Eugenie was about to scoop more soup for me, but I grabbed her wrist and stared at her intently.