Chapter 2

The winter night wind seeped in through the window frame, turning the entire room into an icebox. After three years as a ‘jinx’, I was now getting a new title.

The wolf inside me curled up even more, burying her nose into her tail. She hadn’t whimpered in a long time. After all, there was nothing left to grieve about.

No one remembered that it was also my eighteenth birthday today, and no one believed that I had never touched Chloe.

On the sofa, Chloe reached out and gently patted Mom’s shoulder, acting the part of a deeply understanding angel.

“Mom, please don’t talk about Aurora like that. No matter what, she’s your biological daughter, your own flesh and blood. I’m just an adopted orphan who’s been hogging yours and Caleb’s love for years. It’s only natural that she doesn’t like me. I completely understand–”

“I’m sorry,” I cut her off suddenly, my voice flat.

The house fell silent once more. Both Mom and Caleb froze for a second. Even Chloe blinked in surprise.

I sighed and repeated myself. “It’s my fault. I apologize.”

Over the past three years, scenes like this had played out countless times. Every time, I’d be too stubborn to admit fault, refusing to speak a lie, and the wolf inside me would bristle, refusing to bow to a false accusation. However, I was leaving tomorrow.

If admitting fault could bring them peace and leave me with a somewhat decent memory during my final twenty-four hours in this house, then so be it. At least when I thought of them at some Vanguard Legion training base in the future, I wouldn’t remember them for their curses and glares.

Caleb was the first to snap back to reality. He had a look of “I knew it” on his face.

“You finally said it. Fine, but you’d better not step out of line again. Chloe merely sprained her ankle this time, but if you hurt her next time, an apology won’t get you off the hook.”

I murmured in quiet agreement, offering nothing else. It would be a lie to say that my brother’s threat didn’t make me sad. However, I pushed that feeling aside and turned to go upstairs.

Chloe grabbed my wrist. Smiling, she handed me her newly replaced ID card, making sure I saw the name on it—Chloe Sol Miller.

“Sol” meant the one and only—the Miller family’s only daughter and Caleb’s only sister.

Mom’s voice drifted over from the sofa, offhand and casual.

“From now on, Chloe will be the one and only sweetheart of our family. Don’t get confused.”

Caleb nodded before he turned to Chloe and apologized to her tenderly, all because he said they had all seen it earlier and had briefly, mistakenly treated me as a person who actually existed.

Chloe giggled as she jumped up and wrapped both arms around his neck, already pushing for a limited-edition designer bag as compensation.

Noticing that I hadn’t made a sound yet, Mom slammed her mug onto the coffee table.

“Did you hear me? Are you deaf?”

I kept my head lowered, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Got it. From now on, Chloe will be the only one.”

After all, after tomorrow, I wouldn’t exist in this house anymore either.