Chapter 2

The SAT was finally over.

My mom stood at the entrance with a bouquet of flowers, my dad held a diamond necklace, and Martin had a brand-new phone in his hand.

They all stood there and waited eagerly.

I was not foolish enough to think that any of those gifts were for me.

Sure enough, the next second, they walked right past me and went straight to Yvette.

My mom gently wiped the sweat from Yvette’s forehead. “You’ve worked hard, sweetheart. Now you can take a good rest and wait for college to start.”

Martin handed Yvette a brand-new phone, tablet, and all the latest accessories. “Latest models. You can give your old ones to Natalie.”

He turned around and held Yvette’s old phone out to me.

The affection in his eyes disappeared the moment he looked at me. All that remained was indifference.

“Take it. Don’t say we favor Yvette.”

I did not reach for it.

I stared at the phone. It was still almost brand-new, but my eyes began to sting.

For years, everything I got was something Yvette no longer wanted. Electronics, clothes, shoes, everything.

She got the latest models every year.

So even when I got her hand-me-downs, they were still good things.

But those good things hurt me more than a slap ever could.

“I don’t want it.”

I refused.

A flash of surprise crossed Martin’s eyes before he tossed the phone aside.

“Fine. Don’t take it. It’s not like I was begging you to.”

Then he seemed to remember something, and his brows furrowed.

He asked, “You’ve been acting strange today. Did you turn in a blank SAT or not?”

I froze.

No.

I had answered every question to the best of my ability and completed the entire test.

But I nodded anyway.

Only then did he stop watching me. He turned back to Yvette and held an umbrella over her to shield her from the sun.

Plenty of other parents had come to pick up their kids.

My family was right there, yet I felt like an orphan.

I lowered my eyes and stopped looking at them. I was about to leave when Yvette called my name.

She stepped forward and grabbed my arm.

“Natalie, don’t blame Mom, Dad, or Martin. They’re only doing this for me. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you in the future.”

I pulled my hand away without a word.

“You don’t have to.”

Her face stiffened. She bit her lip and looked hurt.

My mom could not stand it. She stepped forward and shoved me hard. “Who do you think you’re giving that attitude to?”

I stumbled back several steps before I managed to steady myself.

I wanted to fight back. I wanted to ask them why they treated me so unfairly.

Why was I always the one they sacrificed to teach Yvette a lesson?

Why did they have to ruin my future just to give Yvette a better one?

But when I saw the disgust in my mom’s eyes, the words died in my throat. I could not bring myself to ask.

All the strength drained out of me.

There was no point anymore.

All three of them looked at me with contempt. Then they surrounded Yvette and got into the car.

There was still no room for me, even though it was a seven-seater.

I forced on a smile.

I took a deep breath and pushed down the bitterness in my chest.

It did not matter anymore.

I had finished my test. All I had to do was stay away from them in the future.

The moment they drove away, heavy rain came pouring down. The other students left with their parents.

My mom and dad did not even stop.

They actually sped up and drove away.

I looked away with a bitter smile and ran toward the bus stop.

By the time I got home, I was soaked from head to toe. They were sitting on the couch and drinking ginger tea.

My mom froze when she saw me.

“There’s no more ginger tea. Dry your hair yourself.”

My voice was flat. “Okay.”

I went back to my room. The cold seeped into my bones.

A little while later, someone knocked on my door. Martin stood outside with a cup of ginger tea. “I made some more.”

I froze. I reached out to take it, but he suddenly smiled.

“After you drink it, remember to call Uncle Ryan. Tell him you’re going to work at his cement factory. We don’t have time to deal with you.”

My whole body went still. A bitter smile crossed my face.

“Okay.”

He turned and walked away. That was the last time I felt anything for him.

It did not matter anymore. I did not care anymore.