Chapter 2

After a month in the hospital, Rebecca was finally brought home.

"Where's Sophie? Is she just going to stay out there forever? She's been sulking for ages. What's gotten into her!" my mom snapped as soon as she walked in.

She glanced at the thick dust covering the floor and cabinets, and the moldy food in the fridge, then started yelling about how filthy everything was.

It was quite ironic. Rebecca spent a month in the hospital, and my mom and my dad stayed with her the whole time, never once thinking about me.

They never bothered to consider how I was supposed to get by alone, with no money at all.

It wasn't until they saw the mess at home that they remembered I existed. But instead of worrying about where I'd been, their first words were to scold me for not being responsible.

I'd already lost all hope in them. Their accusations and misunderstandings didn't even stir a reaction in me anymore.

Rebecca, always eager to stir the pot, put on her most pitiful act.

She said, "It's all my fault. I'll call Sophie right now and apologize, begging her to come back.

"If she still won't, I'll go out and find her, even if I have to get on my knees and plead for her to return."

It was always the same old story. The moment Rebecca started acting all pitiful, my mom would go soft and fall for it. Whatever Rebecca said, trouble would come my way, and I'd always end up being the scapegoat.

Growing up, I lost count of how many times I got put through so much because of Rebecca.

Sure enough, my mom gritted her teeth, her face full of disgust.

"She doesn't deserve your apology. It's just a blood transfusion. She's not dying or anything. She's so dramatic. If she doesn't come back, let her rot out there!" my mom snapped.

But Rebecca wasn't about to let it go. She grabbed her phone and started dialing my number.

Even though my mom was saying all that, she was still listening in, ready to pounce the moment I answered so she could start yelling at me.

My phone was off, so Rebecca just sent me a voice message on WhatsApp.

She said, "Sophie, it's all my fault. Please don't blame Mom or Dad. If there's anything, let's talk about it when you come home.

"You can hit me or yell at me. Whatever you want, I promise I won't complain."

Rebecca put on her best act, sounding so heartfelt and sincere. If I didn't know better, I might have actually been moved.

My mom waited and waited, but I still didn't reply. She started to lose her patience.

"Rebecca's gone out of her way to apologize, and that ungrateful brat still won't respond? She doesn't deserve to be my daughter!" my mom snapped.

With that, my mom booted me from the family group chat on WhatsApp.

If this had happened in the past, it would have broken my heart.

Even though the family group chat only had the four of us, and every single message was about Rebecca, I just couldn't bring myself to quit.

I was fooling myself, thinking that as long as I stayed in that group, I was still part of the family.

I felt like a thief, sneaking glimpses at their warm, happy life, even though there was never a spot for me in their world.

"Mom, don't be mad. You don't just have Sophie, you've still got me," Rebecca cooed, her voice syrupy sweet.

Rebecca got exactly what she wanted, a smug little smile flickered across her lips as she cuddled up to my mom, acting all soft and clingy.

My mom stroked Rebecca's hair fondly. "You're such a good girl, Rebecca. Honestly, I wish I'd never given birth to that ungrateful brat!"

I forced a bitter smile.

Growing up, my mom always had one thing she'd repeat to me. "I really regret having you!"

I wanted to tell her, "I never got to choose my birth. If I'd known it'd turn out like this, I'd rather be anything than end up in this family."

She gave me life, and I paid it back to save her precious Rebecca. Now, we didn't owe each other anything.

My dad came out of the kitchen grinning, having cooked up a whole spread. He called my mom and Rebecca to the table.

My mom was always too busy to cook, but honestly, I never got to taste anything my dad made.

Whenever it was just my dad at home and me, he'd tell me to make myself some macaroni. But whenever Rebecca was around, he'd be all eager, running to the kitchen to cook for her.

I used to think my dad was just awkward and didn't know how to love his kids. It turned out that it wasn't that he didn't know how, he just didn't love me.

"Rebecca's finally getting better, so don't bring up that brat. If only she were even a third as sensible as Rebecca," my dad scoffed.

My dad dissed me, but when he glanced at Rebecca, his face softened with affection.

I knew my dad hated me. He was just trying to hide the fact that he caused my mom's early labor when I was born.

Watching them all sit together, laughing and enjoying their meal, was quite painful.

For the first time, I was desperate to leave this family.

Rebecca had been back for half a month now. When she first returned, my mom and my dad mentioned me, but after that, it was as if I'd vanished from their memories. They never spoke of me again.

First thing in the morning, my mom and my dad took Rebecca to the hospital for a follow-up visit.

After Rebecca's doctor checked her test results and said she was all clear, the family was about to head out when they spotted some nurses huddled together, watching something on a phone.

"How could that woman be so heartless? She actually took her own daughter to court!" one nurse whispered.

"And she's a lawyer, too, supposed to be well-educated, but still playing favorites. She ended up destroying her own daughter," another nurse added.

My mom froze when she heard a familiar voice coming from the video.

On the screen, my mom was making an impassioned speech about all my supposed wrongdoings, presenting the court hearing where she insisted I had to give Rebecca a blood transfusion.

I stayed silent the whole time, only speaking up at the very end.

"Mom, if donating my blood to Rebecca could put my life at risk, would you still want me to do it?" I asked, my voice steady.

My calmness stood out against my mom's hysterics. It was almost unsettling.

But before I could finish, my mom's cutting words completely drowned me out.

"How did I end up with such a cold, heartless kid like you? Do you even realize what's happening right now? And you're still spouting lies. Are you trying to push me over the edge?" my mom snapped.

In the end, I just gave up arguing.

I knew my mom would never trust me. Her only concern was saving Rebecca.

My plea was nothing more than clinging to the last shred of hope.