Chapter 4

When I arrived at the press conference, the security guard at the door glanced at me several times. The hall was filled with people, and I was immediately faced with camera flashes and gossiping.

"That's her, isn't it?"

"She does look unstable."

"How did she end up that way when her sister has earned a PhD?"

My uncomfortable feet shuffled forward, and my fingernails dug into my palms as I clenched my phone, forcing myself not to turn and run. My father, who was below the stage, was the first person to spot me. His face fell. "How dare you show your face here!"

My mother dashed toward me, saying shrilly, "How long are you planning to throw a fit? Chloe graduated with her PhD and has received many international awards. What about you? All you have is a normal degree, and you can't even keep a job!"

The audience below the stage sniggered. It felt like something was stuck in my throat, and it hurt so much when I swallowed that I teared up. "I got good grades when I graduated from university."

My mother sneered. "What use is a degree? Chloe has always been on the path of excellence."

Her words suffocated me, and my chest tightened, feeling like something inside me had broken. I did not feel any grievances, but the hope I had held on to for the past 20 years dissipated. I had been convincing myself that it was just favoritism, and that they still saw me as their daughter. However, the fact was, they had never really seen me as a human being.

"Have you ever allowed me to walk that same path?" My voice was trembling, but I could not stop. "When Chloe was playing the piano, I had to hand out flyers. When she was learning foreign languages, I was washing dishes. When she was attending camps to train for her competitions, I was busy earning money to buy my own school uniform because I had outgrown it."

I looked at them, feeling like I was about to pass out. "You didn't give me the chance to learn, yet you're turning the tables on me by accusing me of not being good enough?"

My father came up to slap me hard in the face. My cheek burned, and I could taste the blood in my mouth. The cameras flashed everywhere around us, and my mother leaned in close to my ear to whisper, "Stop embarrassing yourself." My shoulders could not stop trembling. "The bracelet your grandmother left you is still with me. She had some last words for you before she passed, but I never told you what she said."

Her words chilled me to the bone. I was working part-time at the university canteen the year my grandmother passed away. By the time I found out about it, her funeral was over. All my mother did was send me a text.

Mom: [Your grandmother is gone. No need for you to come back and make a fuss about it.]

Before my grandmother died, she had called me to tell me that she had left a silver bracelet behind for me. She told me, "I'd like to leave something for you to remember me by after I'm gone, Candice."

I did not even see my grandmother before she died, and now, my mother was using her bracelet to threaten me. My lips trembled.

That was when Chloe, who was on the stage, spoke up. "Everyone is here." She looked at my bleeding lips, looking stoic as always.

My mother saw a chance at affirming my failure and said, "Chloe, tell everyone how your sister's mind has always been unstable."

Chloe nodded. "All right."

My father sighed with relief as Chloe turned toward the big screen. "Now that the first stage of the experiment has ended, I'd like to kickstart its second stage."

Everyone turned silent.

"The second stage of the experiment will be on the effects of late-life quality of parents who invested differently in their children."

My mother froze. "What do you mean?"

Candice looked at them. "You just told me that you’ll immediately transfer all your assets, profits from your lectures, and copyrights over to me." She paused for a moment before continuing calmly, "Am I right to say that this hasn't changed since we're streaming live now as well?

My father turned pale as Candice continued, "To ensure fairness, my parents will be entered into the low disruption group as samples."

The screen lit up with the sentence, ‘Second stage experiment subjects: Professors Calvin Sullivan and Maeve Sullivan.’

‘Grouping: Estranged parent group.’

Chloe looked up. "The experiment will be a success as long as you don’t die of starvation, freeze to death, or succumb to any illnesses.”

My mother screamed. Everything below the stage felt like it was infinitely far away, and I forgot the pain in my burning cheek.