Mom looked uneasy but calmed herself down. She glanced at the spot where she thought she had seen me standing, but I was gone. She took a deep breath and asked Harvey, who was frantically calling a nurse for a sedative, "Where's Calla?"Harvey was taken aback. "She said she was going to pack before coming to stay here with you. Mom, you're going to be okay. We're still here...""Find her!" Mom shrieked, pushing Harvey toward the door. "Find Calla now!"Confused but obedient, Harvey obliged. He tried to call her, but she did not answer. His messages were not sent out either. I could see his heart sinking.He hailed a cab and went to their temporary apartment, but all he found there was a wreck. Anything of value had been taken. Even his new, pricey underwear.Harvey was dumbfounded. He finally saw Calla's true colors. She was the selfish one.When he got back to the hospital and told Mom, she lost it completely. Truly this time. She swung between shouting for Dad and that they h
Since there was no evidence, the police let my parents and siblings go after they had answered their questions.My family was still shaken as they got into the car."That flickering light was terrifying. I really thought..." Mom trailed off.Worry lingered on everyone's expressions."Mom, it couldn't be," Harvey finally said, struggling with his words. "Frida was always so kind to us. Why would she hurt us?" He seemed to be recalling the way I used to care for them.And I had truly, deeply cared. Even when I did not have much money, I had spent what I earned from my part-time jobs on little gifts for them—a small massage device to ease Dad's headaches, a lucky charm for Mom, a tennis racket that Harvey had casually mentioned liking.Despite that, my humble gifts were nothing compared to the expensive things that Calla would buy for them. They never valued my tokens of affection. I knew that. It was because I saw my gifts in the trash the very next day when it was taken out.They
The questioning officer looked startled by my family's reactions.'It's like they don't think of her as their child or sibling at all. They just rally around Calla as if she's the only one who matters. But Frida is dead though! Dead!'I could read the officer's shock from his expression, and I felt bitter. Even a stranger who never knew me could tell my existence did not matter to my family.The officer frowned and snapped, "This is a murder investigation, so cut the bullshit."My family fell silent and quickly sat back down."The DNA results came in," the officer announced. "The deceased is indeed Frida Yeldham. We also know she was mistakenly switched at birth and had only recently returned home. Looks like she had quite the bad luck. She never got a chance to enjoy life being born to this family, and you managed to get her killed.""Sir, are you sure it was Frida?" Dad stared at the officer, still in denial. "We just wanted to teach her a lesson. We didn't mean to kill her."
Upon returning home, my family found that everything had been ripped apart. The once grand and opulent house now lay in darkness, reduced to burned ruins. The police had already taken my body away, but there were still dark blood stains on the ground.Seeing the destruction, Mom turned away, gagging. "The smell... It's awful."She was not wrong. The stench of blood and decay, layered with that strange, acrid smell of the explosion... It was enough to make anyone cover their nose.My family looked uneasy like they could not believe someone had actually died here. Those bloodstains..."No, it can't be," Mom muttered, "Ms. Marsden said Frida was a thief and was good at picking locks. She must've escaped."I scoffed. I had never stolen anything in my life, and I certainly did not know how to pick locks. I had told them this so many times, but they chose to believe Bethany over me.Dad was anxiously questioning the police officer at the scene. "How did this happen? Our gas line couldn
Dad's expression froze. "What're you talking about? My house exploded? That's impossible. My wife said the staff checked the gas before we left." His tone then changed, taking a more defensive. "Darren, are you just trying to get me to go easy on that troublemaker, Frida? Listen to me, she can't be dead. Even if she is, her body should still be kneeling in apology to Calla."I felt numb hearing this. I knew exactly what kind of person Dad was by now, but what he said seemed to make Darren snap.Darren fired back. "What's wrong with you?! Why would I ever want to get mixed up in your little family drama? I'm telling you your house is gone and your kid is dead! You're on your own if you think I'm in on some plot with her. Her body's in pieces, and you still want it to kneel? Glue it back together yourself! You treated her like garbage all her life, then expect her to kneel?!"With that, Darren hung up. His voice had been so loud that the whole family had heard every word. Mom, Dad, an
Without me around, the family of four had the perfect day together. At night, they gathered in my parents' room. My parents looked serious as if they had some big announcement."Dad, Mom, can't this wait?" Harvey asked, ruffling Calla's hair. "Calla's exhausted from today."Mom sighed. "Harvey, your father has kidney disease, and he needs a transplant. We didn't tell you earlier, but he'll be going to the hospital for surgery as soon as we get home. We thought you two should know so you're prepared."Harvey's eyes went wide.Calla covered her mouth, stunned. Her eyes filled with tears. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Dad?" she asked, her voice trembling. "If I knew, I wouldn't have made you come here to celebrate my birthday. Take my kidney, Dad. I'll do whatever it takes to save you."Her words seemed to deeply touch Dad, who tried to reassure her, "I promised you a birthday celebration. Of course, I have to keep my promises. Alright, don't overthink it, Calla. Knowing that you'd