Chapter 3
For sixteen years, Emily couldn't figure out why other parents held their children in the palm of their hand, while Lily and Ethan's eyes always held disgust.
Why was it that every time she got first place in an exam, all she got in return was a harsh beating?
Why, whenever she was sick and burning up with fever, did they just toss her into the storage shed and leave her to suffer alone?
Why did they always say, "We should've just thrown you in the river when you were born and let you drown"?
It turned out she was never their real child.
She was switched at birth, just a pawn for their real daughter to get everything she ever wanted.
In that moment, sixteen years of suffering and pain burned like wildfire inside Emily.
She vowed to herself that she was going to break free from this hell, and she was going to make those monsters pay for everything they'd done.
From that day on, Emily started secretly gathering evidence.
Her diary was crammed with notes: every single time they abused her, where it happened, and the twisted ways they hurt her.
Her old phone was loaded with recordings, photos, and even a few blurry videos.
She knew this wasn't nearly enough.
All this evidence might get them locked up for a few years, but that was nothing compared to the sixteen years they'd stolen from her.
She was biding her time. She was waiting for the perfect chance to hit them with something that would really ruin them.
Her chance finally showed up.
A month later, Lily and Ethan were over the moon, telling her they'd take her to the city to show her the world.
But Emily knew exactly what they were planning: they were taking her to meet some creepy old guy who was willing to pay 15 thousand to buy her.
She put on her best act, pretending to be the perfect little girl as she followed them into the city. At the bus station, while they were busy buying tickets, she made a break for the nearest police station.
When the cop, Hardy, rolled up her sleeves and saw the mix of fresh and old scars, the whole station went dead silent.
His eyes were red as Hardy asked, "Kid, did they do this to you?"
Emily nodded and handed over her diary and phone, both carefully wrapped in a plastic bag.
With irrefutable evidence and the charge of attempted human trafficking, Lily and Ethan were convicted on multiple counts, and each was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Emily thought she could finally live a normal life.
She thought her real parents would shower her with all the love she'd been denied for sixteen years.
She thought she'd finally have a real home.
But behind the glittering facade of the Summers family's wealth, there was a chill even deeper than the nightmare she'd escaped.
No one raised a hand to her, no one hurled cruel words, but they wounded her in subtler ways: by pretending she didn't exist, freezing her out, and always showing favoritism to someone else.
They even expected her to let go and forgive Lily and Ethan.
Emily kept reminding herself not to care, not to get her hopes up.
But she was only human. Watching Rachel and others laughing together like a real family, while she hovered on the sidelines like some invisible shadow, she'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt.
But sixteen years of suffering had taught her one thing: if she wanted something, she had to fight for it, even snatch it with her own hands if she had to.
Now that she was back, she was going to take back every single thing that was supposed to be hers.
At dinner, Emily sat at the table, playing the perfect good girl: quiet, polite, and not making a fuss.
Rachel deliberately dumped soup all over her, eyes gleaming with provocation.
"Oops, sorry, Emily. I didn't mean to," Rachel said, her voice dripping with fake innocence.
Before Emily could even say a word, the other Summers family members were already rushing to defend Rachel.
Olivia instantly reached for Rachel's hand.
She asked, "Rachel, are you okay? Did you get burned?"
William shot Emily a frown.
"Watch it next time. Rachel didn't mean it," he said, not even bothering to hide his annoyance.
Alex couldn't stand the sight of Emily, his face twisted in annoyance.
He scoffed, "Come on, it's not a big deal. She's just making a fuss."
The scalding soup soaked right through her thin shirt, burning her skin, but Emily just looked at this so-called family and suddenly let out a laugh.
With everyone staring at her in shock, she calmly reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and pressed play on a recording.
Lily and Ethan's voices came through the phone. Ethan said, "If we hadn't switched the babies back then, would Rachel be living the good life she has now?"
Lily said, "That little bitch looks just like her mother. Better keep a close eye on her."