Chapter 3

One time, a guard walked past my cell, glanced at me, and spat on the ground with disgust.

"What a vicious snake. She even hurt her own twin sister."

I kept my head down and didn't try to defend myself. I didn't care anymore.

Jessica was right. I was a monster, a pathetic monster who'd foolishly hoped for a mother's love.

That day, the detention center door opened again.

I thought it was David, so I looked up, but instead I saw Jessica's familiar face staring back at me.

She looked thinner and had dark circles under her eyes, but she still carried herself with that air of wealth and privilege.

She looked at me with undisguised disgust and contempt in her eyes.

"You still have the nerve to be alive?" Those were the first words out of her mouth when she saw me.

I looked at her, and my heart felt so numb that I couldn't even feel pain anymore.

"I came here to make you confess." She pulled out a document from her Hermès bag and threw it down in front of me.

It was a confession agreement.

"As long as you sign this and admit that you were jealous of Sophie and arranged for traffickers to abduct her, I'll hire the best lawyer and make sure you get a lighter sentence."

Her tone made it sound like she was tossing scraps to a stray dog on the street.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" She frowned impatiently.

"Why are you treating me like this? I'm your daughter too."

"Daughter?" She burst out laughing like I'd just told the world's funniest joke, and her laughter came out sharp and shrill.

"From the moment they took you away, you stopped being my daughter. Sophie is my only daughter!

"Do you have any idea how many years the neighbors gossiped about our family because of you? Do you know how much Sophie got picked on and whispered about because of you?

"Now Sophie's finally back, and our lives are finally getting back on track. So why did you have to show up again? Why don't you just die!"

Every word cut straight to my heart.

So in her eyes, my very existence was a mistake.

My disappearance had been a relief for them.

And my return was just a problem they had to deal with.

"Back on track?" I laughed, and I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes.

"You mean using my miserable story to scam people for sympathy and donations, moving into a mansion, and driving luxury cars? That's your idea of back on track?"

Jessica's face went deathly pale in an instant. "You... what are you talking about!"

"Am I making things up?" I stood up and walked toward her step by step.

"Mom, have you forgotten where we used to live? Have you forgotten that you couldn't even afford to buy yourself one decent outfit?

"That Chanel suit you're wearing right now costs at least 15 thousand dollars, doesn't it?

"And that bag in your hand—30 thousand dollars? Did you earn that by using your 'search for my abducted daughter' story?"

"Shut up!" She screamed and raised her hand to slap me.

I grabbed her wrist mid-swing. Ten years of hard labor had made me surprisingly strong.

Jessica couldn't break free, and she started cursing at me furiously. "You're insane, you ungrateful brat! I should never have given birth to you."

"You're right." I let go of her hand and took a step back, looking at her face twisted with anger. "You should never have given birth to me."

If you'd never given birth to me, you wouldn't have had to choose between two daughters.

If you'd never given birth to me, you wouldn't have pushed me into hell with your own hands.

"I won't sign it." I picked up that confession agreement and tore it into tiny pieces right in front of her face.

"I didn't commit any crime. The criminals here are you and Sophie."

I looked her straight in the eye and said each word slowly and clearly, "I'm going to prove my innocence. And then I'm going to send both of you to prison."