Chapter 1

"Solana, where's your pay for this month? And where the hell have you been?"

Mom's shrill voice pierced through the thin wooden boards of the attic, buzzing in my ears like a drill.

I dragged my exhausted body down the stairs and handed over the 4,000 dollars I had just been paid.

She snatched it from me, pulled out the bills, and, right in front of me, flicked through them with saliva-wet fingers, counting at speed. Then, her brows twisted into a tight knot.

"That's it? 4,000 dollars is barely enough to buy Mia's supplements! I bet you've just been slacking off at the factory!"

My younger sister, Mia Lawson, stepped out wearing a brand-new white flowy dress, emerging from my room—no, her room now.

She carried a plate of apple slices cut into little bunny shapes. Without sparing me a glance, she went straight to Mom and Dad, her voice soft and spoiled.

"Mom, Dad, the finals will be held in Washburn. Flights and hotels aren't cheap."

Dad picked it up immediately. "My good girl, don't you worry about money. You've got your sister for that."

He turned to me, eyes cold, as if he were looking at a faulty tool. "You hear that? Talk to your factory boss and get next month's pay in advance. And quit walking around like a corpse all day!

"The only value you have is being a stepping stone for your sister. Worked to death? That's your blessing. Don't act like you don't know what's good for you!"

The house was spotless, bright from end to end. Only I stood there, stained and out of place, like I never belonged there.

Mia picked up a slice of apple and chewed it slowly, her eyes sliding toward me, amused, like a cat toying with a mouse. "Solana, you'd better work hard."

She lifted her wrist and showed off her brand-new smartwatch. I had seen it online. The price was exactly 4,000 dollars.

"After all," she continued, "this family is counting on that tiny bit you bring to the table."

Mom chimed in right away. "Your sister's right. That's your only value. We had you just to pave the way for Mia!"

I looked at the three of them, warm and happy together, while the smell of machine oil clung to me no matter how hard I scrubbed. My stomach churned. I lowered my eyes and tucked every emotion away.

"I understand."

Seeing how docile I was, Dad relaxed a little. Mia, on the other hand, wasn't satisfied.

She padded over in her fluffy slippers, stopped in front of me, and lowered her voice to a whisper only I could hear. "You've changed, Solana. You would've run off and cried in secret had this happened in the past. You're killing the fun."

I raised my head and looked at her quietly. The face that shared 70% of my features carried nothing but the smug glow of a victor.

Back then, I could never make sense of it.

I studied like my life depended on it, pushed myself to the brink, and nearly burned myself out, only to get beatings and scoldings from my parents, as well as mockery from Mia.

She, on the other hand, had a desk full of comics and novels, yet she could take first place in every competition without breaking a sweat.

Teachers praised her. The media put her on a pedestal and called her a once-in-a-century genius.

It never added up… until a week ago.

I had a fever that climbed to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. My head was spinning, my thoughts slipping out of focus. A kind woman at the factory brought me home, but my parents said I was bad luck and dumped me in the attic to fend for myself.

Half-conscious, burning up, I grabbed a scrap sheet and started sketching out a geometry problem. I drew an auxiliary line, got it wrong, and without thinking, scribbled a crooked little turtle beside it.

The next day, the fever broke. I went downstairs for water and saw Mia's weekly math test lying on the table. The last question on the paper was the same geometry problem I had worked on the night before.

In her solution, there was that same incorrect auxiliary line. Right next to it, a crooked little turtle, identical to mine, sat quietly on the page.

The teacher must have taken it for some kind of special notation. There was even a red circle beside it, with a comment that read, "Unusual, but interesting approach."

At that moment, the blood in my body ran cold.

Mia wasn't a genius. She was just a shameless thief.