Chapter 2

My sudden question caught Bianca off guard, and even Richard couldn't help but speak up, "You're not in school anymore?"

I lowered my head and answered quietly, not knowing what else to do.

"My mom won't let me go to school. She says girls don't need that much education and told me to get a job instead. She wants to sell me off and use the money to buy my brother a wife."

I looked up at Richard carefully, and this time my voice came out stronger and more determined.

"I'm a really good student. I've never ranked lower than third in my class, so I won't fall behind. Even when I wasn't in school, I kept reading on my own. I really want to study. I want to go to college, the best college. Can I do that?"

Richard agreed without any hesitation, and he moved fast. One phone call later, he'd arranged for me to attend the same school as Chloe.

I knew they felt guilty, and the more they felt it, the better.

That was enough.

A voice came out of nowhere. "Um, hello? Not to be rude, but why are you playing the victim here? You just walked through the door and you're already guilt-tripping my sister. What's it gonna be like once you actually live here?"

I looked up and saw someone standing on the stairs—a tall guy in casual clothes with sharp features and that restless teenage energy.

He came down the stairs slowly and stopped next to Chloe, standing there like he was protecting her.

"This is your brother, Ethan," Bianca told me, then turned to look at him. "This is your sister. Say hello to your sister."

The kid had an attitude. He looked at me and scoffed, "I only have one sister, and it's not her."

*****

At the dinner table, I ate like I hadn't seen food in days.

Ethan didn't even bother coming down to eat with us, but whatever. The food was amazing, and I wasn't about to let his attitude ruin my appetite.

Bianca kept piling more food into my bowl, so I didn't even need to reach for anything myself.

I ate quickly and consumed a lot, and I was too focused on the food to pay attention to anyone else.

Right after dinner, Bianca introduced me to my so-called older brother.

After a quick hello, she took me upstairs to see the room she'd prepared for me.

The room was decorated in pink—not really my style, but I could tell she'd put thought into it. The closet was packed with dresses, all of them pretty and expensive-looking.

Bianca held my hand and asked if I liked it.

I shook my head and pulled up my pant leg, showing her the scars that covered my skin. They crisscrossed everywhere, ugly and raised.

My voice came out flat. "I don't look good in dresses."

Bianca's eyes filled with tears again. "It's okay, sweetheart. We'll get those scars treated and then you can wear all the pretty dresses you want," she said, her voice breaking.

When I looked at her closely, I could see it. We actually did look alike.

She stayed in my room until late, and then she actually wanted to sleep in my bed with me. I shut that down real quick.

Over the next few days, they changed my name to Sophia Reed and transferred my household registration.

Bianca was drowning in guilt, throwing herself into planning a welcome party. However, they were telling everyone I was Chloe's biological sister.

Either way, they were busy as hell and barely home.

It was just Chloe and me on the second floor.

I knew she'd come for me eventually.

"You think you can take what's mine?" She stood in my doorway, and I could see the rage simmering under her skin.

I got up and locked the door behind her, then smiled. "I don't know if I can take anything, but here's what I do know. I'm their real daughter. We share blood, and that's something you can never erase."

I sneered, "You? You're just a cuckoo in the nest, a fake playing dress-up in someone else's life."

I wasn't sure which part hit her the hardest, but something snapped. She lunged at me, and I didn't hesitate.

I slapped her clean across the face, hard enough to make my point but not hard enough to leave a mark.