Chapter 2
My father, who usually went to bed early, was wide awake, sitting with Ella as she opened her graduation gifts. My mother was picking out stunning dresses online, promising a whole new wardrobe for Ella’s graduation trip.
“Mom, I already have so many clothes, my closet is full,” Ella said in a sweet voice.
“Then we’ll put them in Sophie’s room. She’s always so focused on her duties she never buys new clothes anyway. She doesn’t need the closet space.”
“Is that okay? Sophie will be upset…”
Mom frowned. “Ella, you don’t have to be so timid. This is something Sophie should do for you as her older sister.”
Conner sat nearby, diligently shelling pistachios for Ella.
I couldn’t say a word, just watching the warm scene unfold.
Turns out, a spirit can cry.
The warmth was theirs; the loneliness was mine.
“But Sophie’s still not back, and she’s not replying to my texts,” Ella said, her voice pitiful. “Is she still mad at us? I feel so terrible with her not here.”
At the sound of Ella’s voice, the three of them finally shifted their attention from her and remembered me.
Dad frowned instinctively. “Don’t mind her. She just wants us to revolve around her. When will she ever grow up?”
Mom’s face showed a flicker of impatience. “It’s just a Distinguished Service Award. They give one out every two years. Doesn’t she know Ella’s college graduation only happens once? Why must she throw a tantrum on a day like this!”
Ella pouted playfully at Mom. “Mom, don’t say that. Sophie will be sad if she hears you. She had to practically beg for that award… oh, did I just say that out loud?”
Though she said that, the triumph in her eyes was impossible to hide.
I knew Ella was never innocent.
Growing up, her grades were never as good as mine. Even though Dad, Mom, and Conner adored her and always put her first, Ella would still occasionally fabricate evidence that I had plagiarized. Each time, Dad would beat me without question.
From a young age, I told myself that one day, I would find my own mate and feel what it was like to be someone’s first choice, just once.
But I never imagined that two years after meeting Ryan, his heart would also start to drift toward Ella.
I should have been sad, but perhaps I was already numb. My soul was too numb to feel so much as a ripple of pain.
The housekeeper brought out a platter of desserts, all of them Ella’s favorites. Naturally, they stopped talking about me.
“Ella, college must have been tough. Here, eat more of your favorites.”
Dad and Conner kept feeding her, and soon her cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk’s. She smiled brightly, boasting about her achievements in college. She’d already landed an internship at a top investment bank on Wall Street; her future was boundless.
Dad and Conner listened, showering her with praise.
And I just floated silently to the side.
The clock struck one in the morning. I still hadn’t appeared.
Mom seemed to feel a pang of guilt, finally remembering me. She placed a few slices of strawberry tart—a flavor Ella disliked—onto an empty plate and handed it to my brother.
Her expression was a little unnatural. “Conner, save this for Sophie. She can have it when she’s done with her tantrum and comes back. Let’s not have her think we only favor Ella. See? We saved some for her.”
I stared at the tart slices, feeling nothing.
Conner thought for a moment, then reached for the plate.
Suddenly, Ella shrieked and snatched her hand back from where it rested near a gift.
“Mom, it hurts! This gift—it’s silver!”
