Chapter 2 The Beginning of the Counterattack

Penelope looked at me in surprise. But when she turned toward me, all she saw was a face covered in tears.

"Mom, did my coming home make Wendy unhappy? She's had your love all these years. I'm more jealous of that than anything else. How could I possibly laugh at her? What right would I even have to mock Wendy?"

The more I spoke, the quieter my voice became. My words trembled as I cautiously dragged my suitcase backward.

"Mom, maybe I never should have come back. My return has only made everyone unhappy. I'm sorry, Mom. Maybe I should just leave."

"Wendy." Penelope's voice turned stern. "I've spoiled you too much. I already told you that you were staying with us. How could you lie and accuse Anya like that?"

Wendy had always been Penelope's favorite, cherished and protected. It was the first time Penelope had ever scolded her so harshly.

Only then did Wendy realize she had said the wrong thing.

She admitted her mistake quickly. "I'm sorry, Mom. I misspoke. I didn't mean it that way."

Penelope's attention immediately shifted back to me. She took my hand and fussed over me with concern.

This was treatment I had never received in my previous life, but this time, I wasn't going to fool myself into being moved by a little sympathy.

…

Back then, after returning to the Sutton family, I had spent every day carefully trying to please everyone. I memorized each family member's likes and dislikes. I cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner myself, all for the sake of earning a single compliment.

I had been a wealthy heiress in name, yet I lived more like the family's maid. Even so, I never earned the Sutton family's approval.

Although I inherited Julian Sutton and Penelope's remarkable musical talent and eventually became a moderately successful composer, I remained hidden in the Sutton family's shadow, unseen and unacknowledged.

After realizing I was not as easy to manipulate as she had expected, Wendy behaved herself for a while.

The two of us maintained a surface-level peace.

At the same time, I needed to continue playing the role of the obedient daughter in front of Julian and Penelope, so I didn't openly target Wendy either.

Every week, Wendy took piano lessons personally taught by Julian.

Like a proud peacock, she constantly showed off her accomplishments in front of me, hoping to make me feel inferior.

Unfortunately for her, I wanted exactly those opportunities to show off.

Wendy had studied piano since childhood. Through years of hard work, she had won numerous awards and built an impressive reputation. In my previous life, her achievements in music had made her the pride and joy of Julian and Penelope.

Once upon a time, I had envied her.

Dressed in a white gown, sitting gracefully at the piano while receiving endless praise, she had looked like a fairy-tale princess.

That was before I discovered just how extraordinary my own talent was.

After only one week of touching a piano, I could already play an entire piece flawlessly after hearing it once.

My fingers were long, agile, and strong. They seemed born for the keyboard. However, before anyone could discover that gift, Wendy destroyed it with her own hands.

I would never forget the way she bullied me.

She had slammed the piano lid down on my fingers, crushing them one by one until they went completely numb.

Then, she told Penelope that I had secretly been fooling around on the piano, accidentally damaged it, and injured my hand in the process.

According to her, if she had not found me in time, my hand might have been permanently ruined. The fact that I could still write normally was supposedly a miracle.

Looking back now, the whole thing was ridiculous.

My fingers had been trapped, not my entire body. If I had truly been injured by accident, I could have moved away myself.

The lie was full of holes, yet Julian and Penelope had believed every word. The thought was almost laughable.

…

As I sat in the living room, Wendy's piano music flowed through the house. The piece was not easy. It was obvious she had spent countless hours practicing it.

When she finished, a rare smile finally appeared on Julian's face.

Before he could praise her, I walked into the piano room, clapping enthusiastically. "Wendy, you're amazing. That's such a difficult piece, and you played it beautifully."