Chapter 2
After the competition, I glanced at my phone. My notifications were blowing up, all about the Harbor City Power Tower.
[Famous designer Angelina Gibbs submits a flawless blueprint, solving a century-old engineering headache!]
I tapped into BuzzStream and saw that someone had taken the design Angelina showed off on her Instagram and reposted it for everyone to see.
Everyone in the comments was losing their minds over how brilliant the design was, calling the creator a total genius.
It shot straight to the top of the trending list.
At the same time, my parents called, telling me to come home for a celebration.
"Your sister's blowing up online! All that work getting her into Harbor City Light finally paid off. Genius is genius, no matter where she goes. Come home and let's figure out how to make Angelina even more famous."
My dad actually sounded proud for once, bragging about Angelina like she was the best thing since sliced bread.
When I saw Angelina, I didn't hesitate. I slapped her hard across the face, then kicked my fiancé, David Harris, right in the chest when he tried to step in.
"Katherine, what are you doing?" my mom shrieked.
She immediately pulled Angelina into her arms, cooing at her softly, but the moment she turned to me, her face went cold.
"You've always been jealous of your sister, and now you dare to slap her right in front of your father and me? Are you trying to rebel?"
Angelina had been stealing my work and pretending it was hers ever since we were kids, just to soak up all the praise and be called a genius.
After it happened so many times, my parents were completely convinced it was all her own talent.
I glared at my parents and snapped, "Do you even know she stole my unfinished design and submitted it?"
Angelina stubbornly held her face, her eyes rimmed red as she looked at me, refusing to back down.
"Kate, if you wanted the genius reputation for yourself, you could've just told me. Why do you have to drag me down and mess up our relationship like this?"
My parents gave Angelina a sympathetic look, then turned to me, their faces clouded with disapproval.
"Katherine, if you're going to make up stories, at least make them believable. Your dad and I have seen that blueprint ourselves, and it's the best design for the Harbor City Power Tower."
"Ever since you were little, I've warned you not to be so full of yourself. Why do you never listen?"
Before I could say another word, my mom's hand shot up, aiming a slap right at me.
But I wasn't that foolish kid from my past life, always desperate for my mom's love. I dodged back, and she ended up on the floor, totally off balance.
Angelina had a heart condition, and my parents brainwashed me into believing it was all my fault. I'd hogged all the nutrients growing up, so she ended up weak and sickly.
So every time Angelina stole something from me, I just let it slide.
All I ever wanted was for my parents to love me, but that hope was crushed the moment they gave away my address back then.
"Angelina, let's cut to the chase. That blueprint has serious flaws. Withdraw your application now, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened."
"And as for you trying to seduce that bastard David, I won't hold it against you."
Thousands of lives were on the line. I couldn't let my personal grudges cost so many innocent people, so I was willing to compromise.
But my compromise didn't make them see reason.
David clutched his stomach, glaring at me. "No one ever said which Gibbs daughter I was supposed to marry. I'm not putting up with a jealous fiancée like you. From now on, Angelina's the only one I recognize as my fiancée!"
"Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, I'm worried Katherine might go online and drag Angelina's name through the mud. Let's just post on BuzzStream right now and show everyone we're backing Lina all the way."
My parents and David, terrified I'd expose the truth online, instantly pulled out their phones and made public posts on BuzzStream, loudly declaring their support for Angelina.
Angelina kept her hand pressed to her cheek, shooting me a smug little smirk.