Chapter 1

The maid's cries brought half the people in the neighborhood out of their houses.

I'd fallen into the ornamental pond by the front gate. The water was only knee-deep, so any normal person could've easily climbed out by themselves.

However, I was born with a weak heart and lung problems. Even a chilly breeze could land me in the hospital, let alone being completely submerged in water. The moment I hit the water, I started coughing violently. Then, I choked on the water, which only made me cough harder, trapping me in a vicious cycle.

Jasper Harmon, my older biological brother, came rushing out, but his first instinct wasn't to pull me out. Instead, he turned around and covered Melanie Harmon's ears.

"Don't be scared. I'm here. She's just trying to scare you on purpose."

My mother hugged Melanie, too. "Melanie has depression. She can't be exposed to such scenes. Take her back to her room at once."

Only then did my father tell the maids to fish me out.

I huddled beneath a blanket, but even louder than my coughing was the alarm from the health monitoring wristband on my wrist. It was wailing like a siren.

When Dr. Grant Thompson, the Harmons' family physician, arrived, he quickly checked my vitals and paled.

"Ms. Wendy has a congenital heart disease and a severe blood-clotting disorder. Didn't you read her medical records from the orphanage?"

Mom, Dad, and Jasper didn't say a word. My medical records were over 60 pages long. They'd only bothered to look at the paternity test results.

The arrival of the ambulance broke the awkward silence. The paramedics were just about to load me into the vehicle when they looked up and found Melanie already lying on the stretcher inside.

They froze. "Isn't this the patient who needs emergency treatment?"

Without a second thought, Jasper replied, "Melanie has depression. She was triggered by what just happened, too. She needs treatment as well."

One of the paramedics wanted to argue, but when she saw that I was coughing so hard I was practically bringing up blood, she could only ease me onto a chair instead.

"What is wrong with this family…" she muttered.

Hearing her remark, I felt uneasy and tried to offer an explanation. "It's fine. I don't deserve to be in an ambulance of my own. I'm already glad I was allowed to hitch a ride."

Jasper froze when he heard that. But just then, the ambulance siren started blaring, and Melanie immediately covered her ears while trembling. Instantly, he instructed the driver, "Turn off the siren! Melanie can't tolerate high-frequency noises!"

The doctor riding in the ambulance didn't even turn around. "The patient who actually needs emergency treatment could go into cardiac arrest at any moment. Anyone who needs silence can get off."

Jasper's face turned livid with anger, but he didn't dare say another word. Mom finally turned to look at me. But the moment Melanie called for her, she quickly turned away again.

It hit me then that the Harmons knew full well which one of us had a more serious condition. They were simply accustomed to prioritizing her needs above all else.

True enough, I was unworthy.

After Dad paid the hospital fees, he went off to take a phone call. Mom accompanied Melanie to her counseling session, while Jasper waited outside for them the entire time.

I was the one lying in the emergency room, yet the only person who stuck around to sign my paperwork was the family butler, Eric Gardner.

Eventually, Melanie showed up. She stood by the doorframe, her eyes red-rimmed. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't misspoken, Wendy wouldn't have fallen into the water."

Jasper immediately snapped, "Hear that? Melanie is taking the blame for you."

"I didn't go toward the pond on purpose," I corrected them. "I just thought I wasn't worthy of exiting through the main entrance, so I tried looking for a side door, but I accidentally slipped."

The doctor checked my medical records once more before looking at me, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Dad suppressed his anger and said, "Don't ever say such things again. Since you've reunited with the family, you're a Harmon now."

…

In the evening, the family arranged for me to move into the largest room on the third floor. Melanie stood in the doorway and started to wheeze as she said, "It's fine. This was originally my art studio, but if Wendy wants it, she can have it."

Mom's heart ached for her at once. "Wendy just got back, so she didn't know it was your art studio.

"Wendy, why don't you use another room instead?"

"Okay." I immediately handed back the key.

Half an hour later, Jasper kicked open the door to the new bedroom I was given. When he saw the empty closet, he scoffed.

"Why's the brat trying to act like she's been wronged, huh? Is she pretending to run away from home just because she had to use a different room? Does she expect all of us to go out looking for her?"

Eric, who followed him in, informed him, "Ms. Wendy hasn't gone anywhere, Mr. Jasper. She simply thought the guest bedroom was too good for her, so she decided to move into the spare bedroom in the staff quarters instead."

Jasper was taken aback.