Chapter 2

This time, I simply didn't want to give in to Chloe anymore. I couldn't understand why it was my fault again.

I didn't want to argue anymore, so I turned around and walked across the street. A car ran a red light and nearly hit me.

David quickly pulled me back. His eyes were red, and even his voice was shaking. "Are you okay? Did you get scared? Does anything hurt?"

But the more worried he sounded, the worse I felt.

Seeing him looking so shaken and scared made me want to cry.

I quickly turned my head so he wouldn't see my tears.

I couldn't let myself look at him or let myself soften.

I forcefully pulled my arm free and took a step back to put some distance between us. "You don't have to follow me. I'm just going to school. I'm not going to ruin Chloe's future."

David looked stunned when he heard that, but I could still see the relief in his eyes.

I gave a bitter laugh and kept walking toward the street to hail a cab.

He quickly realized what I was doing and angrily asked, "You're just throwing a tantrum. Our car is right here. Why do you have to take a cab?"

I didn't want to sit in the same car as him, so I pulled away when he reached for me.

He clenched his fingers and sighed. "I just want our family to get along. Why can't you understand that? I've taken care of you since you were little. Don't you know how much I love you?"

I suddenly found it almost funny. But I still couldn't stop my tears.

I stubbornly turned my head away and asked through a choked voice, "If you love me so much, then you must know how long I've been preparing for this spot. So why did you give my spot to Chloe?"

He froze for a moment before forcing out an explanation. "Amy, it's different. Chloe is our adopted daughter. All I can do is give her a head start. From now on, she'll still have to make her own way. But you'll always be our little princess. We'll take care of you for the rest of your life. You don't have anything to worry about."

Chloe was the adopted daughter, yet she was treated like the biological child.

I was the biological daughter, yet I was always expected to give in to Chloe.

I wiped away my tears and laughed.

All that love and attention had once belonged to me, before she came into our family.

Back then, David didn't trust the nanny to take care of me. He took me everywhere he went. No matter how late his business dinners ran, he always came home to read me a bedtime story. Every day, he personally drove me to school and picked me up afterward.

Even when he had important board meetings, he would let me sit in the chair beside him.

Everyone knew how much he spoiled me.

But now, all he could do was tell me how hard Chloe's childhood had been and ask me to give in to her.

To him, my questions were proof that I planned to cause trouble at school and refused to let Chloe have what she wanted.

"Let's go home first!" He didn't care about how I felt.

Then he firmly pulled me toward the car. "Please, stop making this such a big deal. Whatever you want this time, I'll make it up to you... Besides, Chloe will be moving out soon. You won't have to..."

I didn't want to hear his empty promises anymore, so I quietly took out my earbuds, put them in, and turned the volume all the way up.

As soon as the car stopped in front of our house, David pulled me out.

The moment Chloe saw his injured arm, her eyes turned red.

She ran over and threw her arms around him, crying. "Dad, why are you hurt? You're bleeding so much! Does it hurt? We need to go inside and clean the wound. Do you need a shot? What if you get tetanus? That would be terrible..."

My older brother, Alex, followed behind her. He looked at David's wound and frowned as he blamed me. "Amy, you're old enough to know better. Why did you run away from home? How did Dad get hurt? Can't you just learn to..."

I gave him a cold look and slammed the car door shut. "This has nothing to do with me!"

I turned around and was about to walk inside when I saw Alex standing between me and Chloe.

My heart sank.

Only when a tear rolled down my cheek did I realize that I was already crying.