Chapter 3

After confirming my admission documents, I returned home at noon.

As soon as I pushed the door open, before I could even kick off my shoes, a slap cracked across my face.

The force sent me staggering backward, my back slamming hard against the shoe cabinet. A loud ringing filled my ears, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.

Clutching my cheek, I looked up, only to meet Mom's eyes. They were filled with hatred, as if she wanted to skin me alive.

"You ingrate, do you have to push your sister to the point of no return before you're happy?"

Mom's voice was high-pitched and harsh, light-years away from the loving front she usually put on in front of me.

Dad stormed out of my room with the review materials I had organized and several physics books that I treasured the most. The very next second, he tossed all of them onto the floor.

The pages were strewn across the floor, ruthlessly trampled under his shoes, leaving behind a trail of black footprints.

"What's there to brag about, getting into some worthless community college? How dare you leave your mock exams out just to rub them in Winona's face?"

Dad trembled with anger. "After spending ten years on the streets, is this all you've learned? These underhanded tactics?"

Winona's wrist was wrapped in thick gauze as she leaned against the couch and wept, "Dad, Mom, don't blame Hannah. It's all because I'm stupid. I'm not as smart as her. I don't deserve to stay in this family…"

The more she played the victim, the more Mom and Dad glared at me as if I were their enemy.

I wiped away the blood from the corner of my mouth, looking at the utter mess on the floor. All of a sudden, I found the situation sickeningly absurd.

When I first returned home, I'd pull myself out of bed at 6:00 am every day to prepare breakfast for them. Even when hot oil blistered my hands, I never complained.

I studied tirelessly and strived to rank first just to earn a genuine smile from them. Yet, they had already paved a smooth path for Winona to study abroad and intended to send me along as her unpaid maid.

Looking at the two livid faces before me, I finally popped the question that had been weighing on my chest.

"I'm your biological daughter. Why are you treating me like this?"

The living room fell silent in an instant.

Mom froze for a moment before blurting out, "We've raised Winnie for more than a decade. While she was here with us, bringing us joy, where were you?

"Aside from having a small amount of our blood running through your veins, what have you ever done for this family? How could you possibly compare to Winnie?"

I guffawed until my shoulders trembled, yet not a single tear spilled from my eyes.

I belatedly realized that the decade I had spent fending for myself wasn't regarded as hardship. It was seen as my fault because I hadn't contributed anything to the family.

Dad's expression hardened, and he was about to reprimand me when the landline rang. He answered the call and casually pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello? Who is this?"

The very next second, the excited voice of my homeroom teacher, Frank Lawson, burst through the speaker.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild! This is incredible news. Hannah scored 1550 on her exam!

"She ranked first in the entire city. The admissions office at Pennington College has been blowing up my phone, desperate to recruit her! You two are way too modest. Why haven't you shared the good news with anyone?"