Chapter 2

For the final exams, I scored ninth in my class. The day report cards came out, Amanda didn't scowl at me for the first time.

She held my report card, staring at it for a long moment. A faint look of approval, which I'd never seen before, crossed her face.

"You've improved. Keep it up," she said, her voice neutral but not unkind.

Those simple words nearly brought tears to my eyes.

That night, an extra plate of my favorite food, chicken tenders, sat on the dinner table.

Amanda pushed the plate toward me, her tone still plain. "Eat up, it'll help you focus."

Lucas frowned and clicked his tongue from the side. "That's just ninth place? I could do better than her with my eyes closed."

In the past, Samuel would've jumped in to praise Lucas, laughing and calling him a genius.

But this time, he shot Lucas a sharp look. "Watch how you talk to your sister. She worked hard and improved a lot. She deserves credit."

I kept my head down, shoveling food into my mouth as tears slipped unnoticed into my plate.

So this was what it felt like to be seen and praised.

"Task completed. Points +10. Congratulations, host. You have unlocked the 'Parental Attention' aura. Keep up the good work." The system's voice sounded surprisingly pleasant now.

I clenched my fists, silently vowing this was only the beginning.

I needed to be better and more perfect.

*****

In the days that followed, I became like a wound-up robot with no rest, no hesitation, just nonstop effort.

Top of the grade. Citywide Honor Roll Student. MTNA Piano Level 10 with Distinction. First place in the regional ballet competition.

The system's tasks grew harder and harder, but I pushed through them all, a tireless warrior determined to win.

My bedroom walls soon overflowed with certificates and trophies, so many that they could barely fit.

I became the "perfect kid" all relatives gushed about, the teacher's pride and joy.

Samuel and Amanda smiled more and more, bringing me to every important event and introducing me proudly to everyone they met.

"This is our daughter, Emily," they'd say, their voices brimming with pride.

They bought me pretty dresses, the latest smartphone, and even rented out a restaurant for a grand birthday party when my birthday rolled around.

Watching them rush around, fussing over every detail for me, I felt like I was dreaming.

This happiness was too good to be real.

I thought I'd finally made it. I'd traded my sweat and effort for the love I'd craved my whole life.

But slowly, cracks started to show.

One day, I spent the entire afternoon drawing. It was something I'd loved since I was little.

I drew a family of four, laughing together at an amusement park, and rushed to show Amanda, my heart full of hope for her praise.

But Amanda barely glanced at the drawing before her brows furrowed in disapproval.

"What's the point of this? You could've spent that time doing extra practice papers," she said.

Her words poured cold water over my excitement, dousing it completely. "Warning. The host is engaging in useless activity, wasting time. Points -5. Parental satisfaction is decreasing."

I froze in place, staring at Amanda's cold expression, a chill creeping into my heart.

I finally understood that they didn't love me for who I really was.

They loved the perfect Emily, the one who brought them glory, who got top grades, who never made mistakes.

Not the real me, the one who loved drawing, who loved reading comics, who sometimes just wanted to be lazy.

What I'd gained wasn't love. It was a transaction.

I'd traded my freedom and my soul for their conditional love.