Chapter 4 Never One of Them

Jake didn't say another word after that. He made me get back into the car and drove us home, neither of us speaking the entire way to the Morgan mansion.

When we stepped through the front door, Olivia was the first person we saw. She was wearing a white dress, her cheeks rosy and her face practically glowing. Clearly, she'd been having a wonderful time while I was gone.

Her eyes widened when she saw Jake, but the surprise quickly turned to concern as she looked from him to me.

Her brows drew together, and tears welled in her eyes. "Emma, Jake went all the way to pick you up. What did you do to him? Why does he look—"

"Shut up."

Jake's voice was hoarse, but his sharp tone was enough to make Olivia fall silent. Even my parents, who'd just hurried into the foyer, stopped in their tracks.

I looked at Jake in surprise. In all the years I'd known him, I'd never heard him speak to her like that.

He stood with his head lowered, and his shoulders slumped, looking more exhausted than I'd ever seen him.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was quieter, though no less firm. "Emma had nothing to do with it. And from now on, stop making assumptions about Emma or me. Especially you, Olivia."

Olivia went pale. Her lips trembled, and tears spilled down her cheeks. For once, she didn't seem to be putting on her usual innocent act.

She looked genuinely frightened and hurt. "Are you yelling at me because of her, Jake?"

Before Jake could answer, an angry voice came from the stairs. "Jake! How could you talk to Olivia like that?"

I looked up to see Jude rushing down toward us.

I smirked to myself. Great, another bastard.

Jude was the little brother I'd practically raised on my own before the Morgan family found me. Traces of the little boy I remembered still lingered in his face, but the moment his eyes landed on me, all I saw was hostility.

He hurried straight to Olivia's side and planted himself in front of her, as though I were about to hurt her.

"Emma! What kind of lies have you been telling Jake about Olivia this time?" he demanded. "She's always treated you like a real sister! She's put up with so much from you, and you still won't leave her alone!"

I said nothing, but that only made him angrier.

"How can you be so cruel? Now, you're trying to turn Jake against her, too? What, you just can't stand seeing the rest of us happy?"

I'd heard enough. Before he could get another word out, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

His head snapped to the side, and he stood there for a moment, too stunned to move. Then, he slowly lifted a hand to his cheek and stared at me. "Did you just hit me, Emma?"

I met his shocked gaze and smiled. "Yeah, I did. What did you expect, running your filthy mouth like that?"

Jude stared at me as if he didn't recognize me. I'd never spoken to him that way before, let alone slapped him, and for a moment he seemed completely lost.

The anger in his eyes faded, replaced by genuine hurt.

It was an expression I knew all too well, one I hadn't seen on his face in years. Despite everything he'd just said, I couldn't help but remember the little boy he used to be.

I was ten when my adoptive parents died in a car accident. Jude was only three. Overnight, I went from a little girl who could barely take care of herself to someone responsible for a toddler.

The little compensation money we'd received after the accident was mostly taken by relatives who claimed they needed it to cover the funeral and burial expenses. By the time they were done, we had barely anything left to live on.

I started going to the local farmers' market to collect bruised vegetables and wilted greens the vendors threw away. Most days, I'd make a pot of oatmeal so watery one could practically see through it. I'd drink the thin liquid from the top and save the thicker portion at the bottom for Jude.

As he got older, I knew I had to find a way to keep him in school.

We could barely afford food, let alone school supplies and expenses for both of us, so I started collecting empty bottles, cans, and scrap metal after school to earn a little extra money.

Sometimes, stray dogs chased me through the streets. Other times, grown adults who collected scrap for a living shoved me aside and took whatever I'd found. I spent so much time digging through dumpsters that the sour stench of rotting garbage clung to me no matter how hard I washed myself.

At school, my classmates held their breaths and covered their faces whenever I walked past. I hated it, but I couldn't do much. As long as Jude had something to eat and could keep going to school, I could put up with a little embarrassment.

What I hadn't expected was that the same smell would follow me into the Morgan mansion.

My mother, Maria Morgan, hurried toward me with her arms open wide, as if she couldn't wait to hug me. But when she got close enough, she hesitated.

She gave me a quick, awkward hug, then pulled away. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she discreetly raised a hand to her nose.

I stood there, frozen in embarrassment.

I knew exactly why she'd done it, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me.

Jude noticed, though.

While I stood there wishing I could disappear, he reached for my hand and held it tightly. Then, he stepped in front of me and looked up at the Morgan family with all the courage a little boy could muster.

He proudly told them I was the best big sister in the world and that anyone who dared to bully me would have to answer to him.

That was my Jude, the little boy who'd once promised to protect me from the whole world.

For a while, I believed that no matter how much our lives changed, we'd always have each other.

But a year later, Jude came back to the Morgan mansion with Olivia, and everything changed.

I didn't know exactly when he'd started seeing me differently. All I knew was that the sister he'd once called the best in the world had somehow become the worst.

Olivia was kind, wonderful, and everything he'd ever wanted in a sister. Meanwhile, I was selfish, cruel, and manipulative. He even accused me of using everything I'd done for him as a little boy to guilt him into loving me.

According to him, there had to be something seriously wrong with me.

Now, standing in front of me with his head lowered and one hand pressed to his cheek, he looked genuinely hurt for the first time in years.

A part of me still recognized that expression. However, the little boy I'd spent so many years protecting was gone, and I had no intention of comforting the person he'd become.

Olivia, on the other hand, clearly couldn't bear to see him upset.

"Emma, please don't be mad anymore, okay?" she said, stepping toward me. Her voice trembled as she added, "Jude's still young. He doesn't always think before he speaks. I'll apologize on his behalf."

She reached for my hand, but I didn't move to take hers.

"It's my fault for not teaching him better," she continued. "Maybe I never should've come back."

Her voice cracked, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "If having me here makes you so miserable, if I'm the reason this family keeps fighting, I can always leave again."

I almost rolled my eyes.

I'd seen this performance so many times that I could practically predict what would happen next. Sure enough, my mother rushed over and wrapped a protective arm around Olivia. "Olivia, sweetheart, don't say that. This is your home."

Then my father, Joe Morgan, turned to me, his expression stern. "Emma, you just got home. Can't you stop causing trouble for once?"

I looked from him to my mother, who still held Olivia close.

Jude had already returned to Olivia's side, his initial shock forgotten the moment she burst into tears.

They had all gathered around her without a second thought, just as they always did.

…

Meanwhile, I stood alone in the foyer, watching the family I'd spent so many years trying to belong to, comfort one another.

It was almost hilarious. I'd finally found my biological family, yet somehow, I'd never felt more like an outsider.

I let out a quiet sigh. "Wow. You really are one big, happy family."

They turned to look at me, and I smiled. "You disgust me, all of you."

The room fell silent. Joe and Maria stared at me in disbelief, while Jude looked as though he was about to start shouting again.

Right then, Olivia reacted before anyone else could speak.

"Fine! I'll just kill myself!" She pulled away from Maria, sobbing as she backed away from the rest of us. "I never should've existed! I'm the problem! If I'm dead, everyone can finally be happy!"

Before anyone could stop her, she rushed into the dining room, grabbed a knife from the table, and pressed it against her wrist.

"It's all my fault!" She sobbed.

"No, Olivia! Put the knife down!"

Maria hurried after her, panic written all over her face. But instead of trying to take the knife away, she turned on me.

Before I could react, her palm struck my cheek.

"Are you happy now?" she screamed. "Is this what you wanted? You won't be satisfied until Olivia's dead, will you?"

My face stung, but I barely had time to process the slap before she rounded on Joe. "This is all your fault! I told you from the beginning we should've left things alone! We never should've gone looking for our biological daughter!"

Joe glanced at me in silence. He didn't have to say a word, for the resentment in his eyes told me everything.

Jude was no different. He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward Olivia. "Emma! Look what you've done to Olivia! Apologize to her! Right now!"

I looked at Jude's hand gripping my arm, then at the faces around me.

These were my parents and brothers, the family I'd spent so many years trying to be a part of, yet not one of them seemed to care that my mother had just slapped me.

No one asked why I'd said those things.

All they cared about was comforting Olivia and making sure she stopped crying.

Somehow, everything was my fault, and now they expected an apology.

I was tired of arguing with them, so I decided to give them what they wanted. If an apology wasn't enough, maybe my life would be.

"Okay," I said calmly. "I'll apologize."

Jude loosened his grip, clearly surprised.

Joe and Maria looked equally taken aback, but I didn't give them a chance to say anything.

I walked toward Olivia, who was still standing in the dining room with the knife pressed against her wrist.

She watched me approach, her expression shifting slightly. She'd probably expected me to argue or refuse, as I always had. When I kept walking, the hand holding the knife faltered.

"Emma, don't come any closer. I—"

I didn't let her finish.

As I closed in, I lunged forward and grabbed her wrist.

Before anyone could react, I turned the knife toward myself and, with all the strength I had, dragged the blade across my throat.