Chapter 2

As I was about to get up and leave, my brother grabbed my wrist and yanked me onto the stage. "Apologize to Lila."

My dad stood up, all self-righteous. "If you don't say sorry, don't think about us coming to your wedding."

Mom nodded along.

My brother let out a cold laugh. "When the Coopers find we're all missing, you'll be embarrassed."

I was the one wronged, but my family threatened me with my wedding.

They knew how much this wedding meant to me after seven years with Ryan; no one wanted it more than I did.

I used to post message after message in our family group chat, talking into the void. All I ever got back were suspension points.

It turned out that it didn't mean they had read it. It meant they didn't care at all.

I didn't even get to pick the menu for my own wedding.

They didn't care about my wedding, and they couldn't care less about me.

I was completely drained, with no fight left in me. I looked at Lila and said, "I'm sorry."

Blood trickled from my forehead, splattering onto the floor.

Mom said, her voice icy, "Lila didn't hear you."

Ryan sighed. "Chloe, you really shouldn't have said that. Give her a real apology and don't make a fuss."

I kept saying sorry.

By the hundredth time, my throat was raw and tasted like blood. Only then did Lila finally smile.

She grabbed the yogurt from the side and poured it over my head with a grin. "Eat it, Chloe."

The yogurt oozed down my collar, unpleasantly sticky.

My mom sighed, wiping the blood from my forehead. "Both Lila and you are our daughters. We're only trying to treat you two equally."

But I was gasping for air, with one knee on the floor.

My brother said coldly, "Lila is still crying. Maybe Chloe should apologize to her again, huh?"

He kicked me. "Drop the act. Get up and apologize."

*****

But then everything went black, and when I came to, all I could see was the hospital ceiling.

Ryan was beside me, looking worried as I opened my eyes. "Chloe, you're awake. Are you feeling okay?"

His expression was tinged with regret. "Lila was crying so much that we all forgot you're allergic to yogurt."

It turned out that after I passed out, my family thought I was faking it.

Luckily, a waiter nearby cried out, "Look, her skin is covered in red rashes."

Only then did Ryan notice I was barely able to breathe.

My brother walked in with some fruit and said impatiently, "How come you never told anyone you're allergic to yogurt?"

I'd told them so many times.

Back when Lila was sick as a kid, my parents sent me to live with my grandma.

Whenever my parents showed favoritism toward Lila, my grandma would use a broom to drive them away with no mercy.

But when I turned seven, my grandma passed away.

She held my hand and said, "Sweetie, no one is going to protect you anymore. Try to be a good girl from now on."

I'd spent all these years behaving myself. Still, no one in this family listened to me.

I looked at my fiancé quietly. "Ryan, let's end our engagement."

Ryan froze for a second. "You're mad at me? I've only been going along with Lila for your sake."

My brother frowned. "You're calling off the engagement because of this? That can't threaten anyone."

Ryan gently wiped away my tears, his voice getting softer. "Hey, you're merely worn out. After the wedding, I'll take you overseas for our honeymoon. The two of us, no Lila, alright?"

I glanced at Ryan's phone and saw it was still lingering on the flight booking page.

My heart softened a bit, and I was about to say something when Lila called, her voice sweet and tearful. "Ryan, where are you?"

Ryan always had that distant look in his eyes.

I used to think that was how he was.

But now, on the phone, he looked so gentle and caring. "Lila, be good. I'll be right back."

Ryan turned to me, totally unfazed. "I'm gonna head out. Have a rest. We're putting off the wedding for two weeks. You're not up for it right now."

My brother nodded. "Yeah, Lila will handle the rest of the ceremony for you. Take it easy and get some rest."

All I felt inside was endless sorrow and pain. I called my old boss. "You said you wanted to transfer me to the Southeast Regional Office. I'm in."

Since all I ever got to be in this family was the vicious side character, I had to walk away and become the main character of my own life.