Chapter 2

Annie clung to Mom's arm and coyly said, "Don't blame Georgia, Mom. She didn't do it on purpose."

Although she sounded as if she was trying to smooth things out, the look in her eyes was smug and provocative.

Everyone thought Annie was the sweet and understanding daughter of the family. But I knew better. She wasn't as kind as she appeared to be.

I had chosen the date of my mating ceremony after discussing it with her.

I have been trying my best to get along with Annie, hoping to obtain my parents' approval and Jeff's attention. After all, that was what they wanted—for the two of us to be close.

She'd helped me choose this date, even promised me she'd present a gift for me.

I was delighted. I thought Annie had accepted me, and things between us would no longer be cold and distant.

But I wasn't expecting her gift to be this—a mating ceremony with no groom, no family, but a lone bride waiting to be ridiculed by the crowd.

Ever since we were kids, Annie had always played these little games. She would ask Mom, Dad, and Jeff to choose between the two of us.

She'd always be the chosen one, even though I got better grades, was better at doing chores, and was even more obedient.

I wasn't angry at all. I was only sad and heartbroken.

"That's right, I was the one who picked the wrong timing," I said. "That's why I'm not mad at Annie."

Everyone was taken aback when they heard how I was blaming myself. They thought they must've heard it wrongly. I didn't react the way they'd expected. There were no tantrums, no outbursts.

In the past, I would've kicked up a storm even over something trivial. And with a day as important as my mating ceremony ruined, I actually stayed calm. I even admitted that I was the one who picked the wrong timing.

As I quietly watched their surprised and confused gaze, I felt saddened deep down.

They were aware that anyone in my place would've been angry. Despite this, they still chose Annie.

They'd even anticipated my anger and tried to stay ahead of it, telling me not to be upset and be the bigger person.

When I didn't cause a scene like how they'd expected, Mom, Dad, and Jeff exchanged glances. They felt something was off, but couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Dad let out a relieved sigh when he saw that I was truly not angry, his stern expression relaxing. "You've grown older and mature now. Family shouldn't fuss over little things. You can't just throw a tantrum over a mating ceremony. We'll reschedule it in a few days."

"You're right. I was immature to have thrown tantrums back then. I won't do it again."

My family then went back to chatting, with Annie doing most of the talking. She'd even occasionally ask my opinion about her studies.

But now, I didn't offer differing opinions like I would in the past, as everyone would just think I was picking on her. Instead, I merely smiled and praised her for doing a good job.

The entire conversation stayed warm and pleasant. And only then were Mom and Dad convinced that I truly wasn't angry anymore.

There was a full spread ready on the table by dinnertime, all of which were Annie's favorites. None of them were anything I liked.

I lowered my head and stayed silent. Annie continued to boast to everyone about how she'd soon represent her academy in the upcoming interuniversity hunting tournament.

Mom and Dad showered her with praise. They seemed to have forgotten that I was the champion of our year's hunting tournament back then.

Perhaps I was being too quiet, but Mom finally noticed me and placed a salmon roll on my plate.

I looked up in surprise.

Mom awkwardly explained, "Stop saying we favor Annie, okay? Just eat up."

I fell silent for a long time, not touching the salmon. I placed my fork down and said, "I'm done eating."

My action made Mom feel like I was challenging her authority. It was as if I was silently rejecting her good intentions and using my silence to express how upset I was about everything that happened today.

She immediately shot up. "I'm serving you food, yet you're not eating it. What are you trying to do?"

Before she could continue, Annie suddenly turned red in the face, and her body broke out in a rash. "Dad, Mom, I don't feel good… I can't breathe…"

"She's having an allergic reaction!"

Jeff was the first to react. He glared at me and said, "I knew it! You had something else in mind when you agreed to make the shrimp and cheese crepe for Annie! I've warned you, yet you still went and tried to hurt her."

Mom returned to her senses and shoved me hard. "I thought that you'd grown up, Georgia. I thought you'd learned to care for your younger sister and think about the bigger picture. But you've only gotten worse. You actually tried to kill her! How did you become so cruel?"

Dad and Jeff cast a look of disappointment at me.

"Let's send Annie to the hospital for now!" Jeff carried Annie and rushed out of the house.

Before leaving, Dad glared at me and said, "You'd better pray that Annie is going to be okay. I won't forgive you if anything happens to her!"

I sat slumped on the floor after everyone left. Watching their retreating backs, I softly explained that I didn't try to kill her.

The shove from Mom earlier left a gash on my lower leg. Blood was trickling down, yet I couldn't feel anything. That was because my heart hurt more.

This wasn't the first time I was falsely accused, and every time, they never believed me.

Forget it. I would just leave it be.

The maid in the house saw that I was sitting slumped on the floor and gasped, "Oh my god, that's a huge cut. Let me help you!"

"I'm fine. There's no need to." I rejected her help and struggled to get back to my room. My journal was lying on the table, waiting.

I could still remember back when I was six, we were poor and at the bottom of the pack hierarchy.

We lived in a rundown slum in the city. Our parents had to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet for the three of us.

They decided to send one of us to live with Grandma in the countryside to ease the family's burden.