Chapter 1

After my parents adopted their friend's orphan, Daisy Singer, they went viral and started a "Good Samaritans" livestream.

With the entire internet watching, they had to treat Daisy better than their own child.

And so, Daisy got proper food while I got the scraps.

She slept in a bed while I slept on the floor.

When she got caught dating too early, I was the one punished, made to stand at the school gate holding a sign, because I "failed to set a good example."

When she said she was scared she'd have to go to school alone after my SATs, my parents livestreamed themselves tearing up my admission form the night before the exams.

They smiled at the camera and said, "Everyone, we treat Daisy like our own. For Daisy's peace of mind, Mara giving up the SATs is nothing."

In that same livestream, after days of worsening stomach pain, I finally couldn't take it anymore. I cried, begging them to take me to the hospital.

But they were too busy panicking over Daisy's broken manicure. They left me there and walked away.

Clutching my stomach, I died in agony in a livestream watched by a hundred thousand people.

Mom, Dad, let all that viral traffic be my final gift to you.

If I could choose, let me be the adopted one instead.

*****

My dad was chatting away to the livestream camera.

"Hey, fam, seafood prices are up again today, so we're making sure Daisy gets it first," he said.

Daisy had seafood chowder and lemon grilled fish laid out in front of her.

The camera panned to me in the corner, where my plate held nothing but a cold bun.

"Gotta do right by our conscience. It's fine if our own kid has to put up with a little hardship, but we can't let Daisy go without," Mom said.

Mom spoke with practiced confidence, sounding totally justified and full of emotion.

The chat and gifts were flying across the screen.

[Absolute legends! They treat their friend's orphan better than their own kid.]

[True role models for our generation.]

The smell of seafood chowder kept drifting over from across the table.

It smelled amazing, but the pain was killing me.

Daisy looked up at me with those pitiful eyes. "Why aren't you eating, Mara? You're not blaming me, are you? If it weren't for me—"

"Nonsense!" Mom cut Daisy off right away. "You're the apple of our eye. Who would ever blame you?"

I didn't say a word, but suddenly all the blame—and the camera—were pointed right at me.

Mom lectured me, "You're the older sister. Don't you get what it means to care for your younger sister?"

Dad, frustrated, shook his head. "I don't have much to brag about in this life, but at least I've always tried to be a good person and live with a clear conscience. If you could learn a fraction of that, I'd be happy."

When the camera wasn't looking, Daisy flashed me a triumphant grin.

I clutched my stomach, my forehead slick with cold sweat from the pain. "Mom, my stomach hurts. I really can't eat."

Mom frowned, about to come over and check on me, but then the top donor in the chat posted a comment.

It read, [Is their real daughter ever gonna quit? She's been whining about her stomachache for days. If she wants attention, at least try something new.

[She's been pretending to be sick and whining about pain ever since her exam admission pass was ripped up.

[Been following this stream for years. Mara has a whole history of faking sick to get attention.

[Her parents are such a kind couple. How did they end up with a daughter who's so jealous and selfish?]

Daisy covered her face and started crying. "Mara must be mad at me for stealing Mom and Dad's affection. She's making up stories again."

Mom didn't spare me a glance, rushing over to hug Daisy and soothing her with all her attention.

Dad, furious, smashed my plate on the floor. The bun, hard as a rock, landed with a heavy thud and rolled right to my feet.

"Lying is all you ever do. You're a disgrace to our family." Dad slapped the table, sounding all self-righteous. "If you won't eat, then go hungry.

"Get out of here. You're grounded in to your room."

I bit my lip, fighting through the stabbing pain in my stomach as I slowly got up and made my way to the storage room.

Behind me, I heard Dad's voice. "Our family values can't be compromised. We won't play favorites just because Mara's our own flesh and blood."

That was right. Not once did they ever favor me, their biological daughter.

Every bit of their affection was reserved for the adopted Daisy.

Daisy got the biggest room in the house, while I was crammed into the storage closet right next to the bathroom.

The only spare bedroom got transformed into a dance studio, all because Daisy wanted to try ballet.

But two weeks later, she whined that her feet hurt from dancing, so they switched it up and made it a walk-in closet instead.

Either way, it was never somewhere I belonged.

I pressed my back against the storage room door, taking deep breaths, trying to keep the pain in my stomach at bay.

I curled up on the single bed shoved into the corner, my whole body trembling so hard from the pain I could barely think straight.

Bang!

The storage room door was busted and couldn't lock, so Daisy simply strode right in.

She looked at me with a smug grin. "Mara, you must be starving, aren't you?"

She let out a giggle, waving a pretty slice of cheesecake in her hand.