The Goodbye I Needed

In three days, Summer and I would both celebrate our birthdays.Eighteen years ago, in Cascade City Hospital, Summer and I were mixed up and taken home by the wrong families. That mix-up started my 18-year-long nightmare. My adoptive father looked down on me, and my adoptive mother scolded me every single day...Mom wheeled in a giant mango cake to the party venue, but only Summer's name was on it. My name was missing, and I could not even eat mangoes without having an allergic reaction. Dad put Grandma's pink diamond tiara on Summer's head and said, "Happy 18th birthday, Princess Summer! We're so lucky for the Moon Goddess' mix-up that brought us a daughter like you."Mom added, "If the healer hadn't made that mistake, we wouldn't have found our Summer. Thank goodness for that mistake!" My parents were thankful for the very incident that made my life so hard.I watched the servants give Summer their handmade gifts. Previously, the servants had told me things like, "Don't even

I just shrugged. "Then forget about Summer's opportunity."Mom and Dad were quiet, looking at each other with doubt in their eyes. After a moment, Dad made up his mind and said, "Deal!"Summer's face lit up with happiness.On the other hand, I was crushed. My own parents had chosen her over me again.Summer wore the shirt with my blood on it to interviews with lots of reporters. The Werewolf Performance Association loved her 'brave' story and gave her lots of roles as a strong, independent heroine.Mom and Dad thought I was just mad that night and started trying to make it up to me. They put up a new family photo with me in it and took lots of family portraits to hang at home. They kept promising they would not play favorites anymore.However, I stayed distant from them, not like before.They got more worried, and finally, Dad decided to throw a big family party where they would finally tell everyone that I was part of the family. They should have done that the moment I came hom

For a whole month, my 'missing person' story was all over the internet.Some of the older students could not take it anymore. They blocked those sites and tried to make me feel better.I thought maybe this nice feeling could last forever. However, six months later, Mom and Dad showed up.When they first saw me, their eyes got all watery."Sweetie... You've gotten so thin… Won't you come home with us?""How's it going here? Are you eating okay? We couldn't find you anywhere after you cut the soul link. We asked so many people for help, and it took us half a year to find you. Please come home, okay?"I stepped back, putting space between us. "We're not family anymore. Do I need to remind you that Summer is the only daughter you talk about now?"They looked like they wanted to say something, but they just stuttered.Just then, my mentor came and wrapped me in a hug. "What do you want? Haven't you made her suffer enough?!"I held onto her tightly. "Mom..."A month before, I had a

However, nobody listened to my adoptive parents.Even my biological mom was so mad that she kicked my adoptive mom hard several times.On the way home, the Vektar couple finally realized how much they had misunderstood me. They tried to say sorry, but the words just would not come out. The hurt they caused me was too deep. A simple apology could not fix it.When Summer heard we had visited her biological mom, she was not worried about her real parents locked up in a dungeon. She ran to my biological parents while crying, "Dad... What did she tell you?"She was scared that her biological mother had spilled the beans and I would reveal all the secrets, ruining her image as the 'sweet daughter'.My biological dad looked at her, so mad he actually laughed. He shook his head and clapped his hands, his voice cold as ice. "Well done! You're really your mother's own flesh and blood! How could you only be thinking about yourself at a time like this? I must've been blind to hurt my own daug