Chapter 1
Being taken back by the Quinn family for the third time, I was already too tired to fight for their affection.
When the fake heiress fell down the stairs, I "confessed" before anyone could accuse me. "Yes, I pushed her. Punish me if you want."
The room fell silent before someone sighed, "If only Nora were our real daughter." I acted as if I hadn't heard a thing and walked away without hesitation.
This time, I didn't argue, didn't compete, and didn't lose my sanity over their blatant favoritism anymore.
But suddenly, they were the ones who couldn't accept it.
My mother, eyes red, demanded, "Why are you treating me like a stranger now?"
My eldest brother, Andrew, frowned. "Are you using this tactic to force us to admit we were wrong?"
Frank, the brother who disliked me the most, let out a cold laugh. "Summer, what scheme are you plotting this time?"
What scheme could I possibly have?
Less than six months after being taken back into the family, I had already been cast out twice and tasted every form of humiliation.
I finally understood something.
Instead of groveling for scraps of affection, it was far wiser to secure the luxurious life in front of me, the finest education money could buy, and the elite connections of a billionaire family.
As for the Quinn family's love?
It no longer held any real weight to me.
*****
After the Quinns brought me back for the third time, I just didn't bother anymore.
I totally gave up and let things slide.
When Nora Quinn tumbled down the stairs, I didn't even wait for everyone to start pointing fingers. I owned up right away.
"Yeah, I pushed her. Go ahead, punish me," I said.
Andrew Quinn was the first to burst out of his room. He hesitated for a second and then looked at me.
"Why would we punish you? You were downstairs, and Nora was upstairs. There's no way you pushed her," he said.
It hit me.
Yeah, those days back with my foster parents were pure hell.
I was up before dawn, went to bed way past midnight, almost dropped out of school, and nearly got sold off to some old bachelor.
After all that suffering, I just ended up getting jumpy and overreacting to everything.
"Oh, right." I nodded, giving him a polite, earnest look.
"Old habits die hard. Sorry," I said.
Andrew just stood there, stunned, not saying a word for a long moment.
He didn't start lecturing me right away like he usually did.
I figured maybe I'd thrown him off by admitting so fast, messing up his whole scolding routine.
So I added, trying to be considerate, "Should I let you do your usual scolding first?"
Andrew's frown deepened. His lips moved, but he still didn't say a word.
Seeing he wasn't going to say anything, I just shrugged and turned to leave.
Just then, Frank Quinn finally showed up, late as usual.
He shot me a look, then glanced at Nora sprawled on the floor, and instantly blew up.
"Summer, you just got back, and you're already bullying Nora?" he snapped.
He glared at me, jabbing a finger in my direction. "Didn't you learn your lesson? You want to get kicked out again?"
My face went white.
I glanced at Andrew, but he just froze for a moment and then looked away. He didn't stick up for me.
Our mom, Kellen Quinn, right behind him, wouldn't meet my eyes either. She went over to help Nora up.
I gave him a wry smile, looked straight at him, and said in a flat tone, "Yeah, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have stood by the stairs, distracting Princess Nora, so she couldn't see where she was going."
Frank choked for a second and then exploded, "What kind of attitude is that?"
"Get back to your room and reflect on your actions!" he barked.
Edward Quinn's angry voice thundered in right after. By the way, he was our father.
"Okay," I replied.
I didn't bother arguing.
I'd tried standing up for myself so many times before, and every single time, it just made things worse.
Kellen was caught off guard when I didn't throw a fit like before. She looked at me, opening her mouth as if to say something, but stopped herself.
Just then, Nora clutched her ankle and let out a soft whimper.
Kellen immediately spun around, hurrying over in a panic.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? Let me see..." she cooed.
"Summer, seriously, why are you just standing there by the stairs? Don't you know Nora gets scared so easily?"
Kellen shot me a glare, grumbling under her breath.
I was not surprised at all.
If someone loved me, they would love me no matter what.
And if they didn't, it wouldn't matter whether I threw a tantrum or played the good girl. They would always find something to criticize.
I shrugged, didn't spare them another glance, and walked off to my room.
I shut and locked the door.
I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
From outside, I could hear their voices, full of laughter.
I lowered my gaze.
It felt like I'd never truly belong in this family.
No matter how desperately I fought for their attention or how much I tried to let go now, nothing ever changed.
I gave a wry smile, got out of bed, and sat down at my desk.
No point forcing myself into a crowd that didn't want me.
Why waste time moping around?
I chose to keep studying.
There was no need to compete out loud. I would focus quietly on my work and move ahead at my own pace.