Chapter 2

The first time I walked into the Quinns' place, I could tell right away I didn't fit in.

I had on dirty sneakers and a washed-out old school uniform, feeling super awkward.

Across from me, Nora was all dolled up in a pink dress, with Andrew and Frank on either side of her, like her own guardians.

When they saw me, not a single trace of joy showed in their eyes.

Frank was the most guarded of all.

He stepped in front of Nora, looking super defensive, like I was some thief about to snatch everything away from his beloved sister.

Back then, I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

I was the one actually related to them by blood, the real sibling here.

If anyone was stealing someone's life, it should've been Nora taking mine.

But nobody else ever saw it that way.

At least, the Quinns never saw it that way.

But of course, Nora just had to be the golden child.

She could play piano and dance ballet, and her grades were solid too.

Who wouldn't love a kid like that?

The Quinns were no exception.

The dinner table was always filled with the Quinns bragging about Nora.

"Nora took first place in the dance competition."

"Nora got another invite for a piano recital."

"Nora did exceptionally well on the last round of exams."

Nobody ever cared about me. I was just the ugly duckling nobody noticed.

Even Kellen, who was so excited to meet me at first, quickly changed and acted just like the rest.

She would always make sure Nora was served first without even thinking.

Whenever Nora acted cute, Kellen would smile at her with that gentle, loving look.

When we went shopping, she always picked out the colors Nora liked, never considering what I might want.

It suddenly hit me that I was never going to stand a chance against Nora.

We grew up in totally different worlds, and the resources we had were like night and day.

I didn't have any special talents.

The only thing I had going for me was my grades.

I went all out trying to keep up with the new school's teaching style.

During that time, I barely got three hours of sleep each night.

By the time finals came around, my scores were nearly perfect.

It wasn't like back in the small town I used to live in, where my grades were almost always flawless.

But for someone who had just arrived in a big city, that alone wasn't easy.

More importantly, at last, I finally had something I was actually better at than Nora.

That day, I was gripping my report card so tight that my hands were sweating bullets.

I could almost see Kellen and Edward's faces lighting up with delight, and Andrew and Frank giving me a thumbs up or patting me on the back, finally proud of me.

But what I got wasn't praise. It was suspicion and punishment.

All it took was an offhand remark from Nora. "Didn't Summer transfer here from a small-town school? How did she improve so quickly? That exam was supposed to be difficult. Could she have cheated?"

The Quinns just couldn't accept that I might actually outshine their precious Nora, the girl they raised themselves.

None of them even bothered to look into it. They all instantly decided I must've cheated.

Edward gave me a brutal slap across the face.

Kellen hugged the shaken Nora, her face full of heartbreak as she looked at me. "Summer, it's okay if your grades aren't perfect, but we will never have a cheater in the Quinn family."

That was the first time I got kicked out.

For being dishonest and for playing dirty.

The second time I was brought back to the Quinn family, I learned to keep my head down and stay quiet.

Until the banquet, where they were going to introduce me to everyone.

That was when Nora falsely accused me of stealing her necklace.

I showed everyone the proof right then and there, clearing my name on the spot.

I thought I'd finally gotten a win.

At least I didn't embarrass the Quinns because of me.

But Edward called me into his study, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Do you have any idea how much disgrace you brought on the family today?"

I just stared at him, totally stunned.

"Even if Nora falsely accused you, couldn't you have handled it quietly? Did you really have to make a scene in front of all our guests?" Edward rubbed his temples, looking exhausted.

"But Nora did it on purpose..." I muttered, feeling small and helpless.

Kellen slapped me hard, her face twisted with frustration. "Why do you always have to go head-to-head with Nora? Can't you just let things go?"

My lips were trembling as I spoke, "So I'm just supposed to stand there and let everyone call me a thief?"

They stood there, just staring at me, not saying a word.

Not a hint of guilt or sympathy. Just disappointment in their eyes.

That was how I ended up getting kicked out again.

Because I didn't know when to just let things go.

Because I didn't care about keeping the peace.