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Todos los capítulos de My Sister Returned, and I Left: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

10 Capítulos

Chapter 1

The moment I realized they were heading in my direction, I instinctively ducked behind a nearby van. I'd barely come home during the four years I spent in college. It wasn't because I didn't want to see my parents. Home had simply become too difficult. After my sister, Alexandra Sterling, jumped into the river, my parents sold our old house to cover the cost of searching for her and moved into an aging apartment complex on the south side of the city. Eventually, Dad told me the company was struggling with cash flow. Mom said she wasn't feeling well but couldn't bring herself to spend money on a doctor.So I applied for student loans and worked every spare hour I had. I tutored students, handed out flyers, and worked overnight shifts at convenience stores. Every month, I saved as much as I could and transferred the money to my parents. Mom always accepted it. Then she'd send me messages like, "Ella, you're all grown up now. Look at you. You finally know how to take care of yo

Chapter 2

Once I'd calmed down, I opened my email and found six job offers waiting for my response. The position in Riverton was the farthest from home and had never even been on my list of options. Dad's back was getting worse, and Mom was always complaining about her legs, so I'd planned to stay close enough to come home and spend time with them on the weekends. But now, without giving it a second thought, I accepted the offer in Riverton. I wandered around aimlessly until evening before finally dragging my suitcase home. When I opened the door, Mom was sitting in the living room, sorting through the groceries she'd just bought. She'd changed back into the old sweater she'd worn for years, and a few cheap fruits sat on the coffee table. On the wall hung my sister's memorial portrait. Alexandra had been 17 in the picture, smiling with a quiet, gentle expression. A fresh bouquet of white roses sat in front of the portrait.Mom froze when she saw me. "Ella? What are you doing back?

Chapter 3

The next day, instead of going back to campus to finish checking out of my dorm, I followed Dad's car to find out where Alexandra was living. He led me to Oakmont Residences in the north end of the city, one of the most expensive luxury apartment complexes around. I'd passed the building before, and I still remembered joking with my classmates that if I ever made enough money, I'd love to go inside just to see what it was like.When security stopped me at the entrance, I gave them my sister's name. The guard checked the register, then immediately waved me toward the elevators.So Alexandra wasn't worried about anyone finding her after all. The only person she'd been worried about was me. The elevator carried me to the 27th floor. I rang the doorbell and waited. It took a long time before the door finally opened. Alexandra stood in the doorway wearing a silk nightgown, with a sheet mask covering most of her face. The moment she saw me, the cup in her hand slipped from her

Chapter 4

That night, Mom and Dad summoned the entire family. But they didn't dare bring everyone to the luxury apartment where Alexandra was staying. Instead, they had our relatives come to the small rented house I shared with my parents. They arrived in separate groups, careful not to attract attention. Too many people showing up at once might make the neighbors suspicious, and the last thing my parents wanted was for anyone to discover that the Sterling family's daughter—the girl everyone believed had drowned seven years ago—had been alive all along.Aunt Sophia, Uncle Walter, Aunt Winona, and several cousins whose names I could barely remember crowded into our cramped living room. Alexandra sat in the middle of the couch with Mom holding her hand tightly, while Dad stood by the window, smoking. Everyone's attention was on my sister, as if she were the only person in the room who mattered. Not one of them asked how I'd survived those seven years. Aunt Sophia was the first to sp

Chapter 5

During my first week in Riverton, Mom and Dad didn't call me once. Mom sent a few messages, though."Did you get there safely?""Don't make any rash decisions just because you're angry." "Your sister hasn't been doing well these past few days. Once she's feeling better, your dad and I will sit down and talk things through with you." I didn't reply to a single one. …Winters in Riverton were colder than back home. I rented a tiny studio apartment with an elevated highway right outside my window, and the traffic never seemed to stop, even late into the night. The apartment was cramped and noisy, but I didn't mind. For the first time, the space was entirely mine.Work at the accounting firm was hectic. As the newest hire, I was responsible for organizing receipts, making bank runs, checking financial statements, and handling whatever else needed to be done. When things got busy, I barely had time to eat lunch. Still, I liked being busy. At least every transaction had a s

Chapter 6

Two months later, my parents finally tracked me down at the accounting firm where I worked. That afternoon, I'd just returned from a client's office when the elevator doors opened. Mom stood at the far end of the hallway, wearing an old padded coat, her hair completely unstyled. She clutched a thermal flask in both hands while Dad sat in the waiting area, looking exhausted. For a moment, they looked like ordinary parents who had spent months searching for their daughter and had finally run out of places to look. One by one, my coworkers glanced in my direction. The moment Mom saw me, tears spilled down her cheeks. She hurried toward me. "Ella, how could you be so heartless? Your father and I have been looking for you for two months. You couldn't even pick up the phone." I instinctively took a step back. "How did you find me?""You listed your workplace address when you replaced your Social Security card." Dad stood up, his expression hardening. "So you've grown up enou

Chapter 7

That night, Mom texted me. "Allie's in the hospital. The doctor says it's acute anxiety. Are you happy now?" I stared at the messages for a long time before finally replying, "Is she in a private room?"Mom never answered. But half an hour later, I saw that Alexandra had posted an update on social media. The location tag showed the city's most expensive private hospital, and the photo featured a bouquet of imported tulips beside a beautifully plated steak and fries. Her caption read, "With my family by my side, there's nothing to be afraid of."I closed my phone, but not before taking a screenshot and saving it to a folder labeled "The Sterling Family".There were already 372 pieces of evidence in that folder containing records showing how they'd fabricated the story of my sister's death, seven years' worth of her spending and travel records, bank transfers proving Mom and Dad had secretly sent her money while pretending they were struggling financially, and messages reveali

Chapter 8

Mom's face slowly drained of color. Dad, who had been sitting silently on the couch, finally spoke. "What exactly do you want?"I reached into my bag, pulled out a document, and placed it on the table. "First, stop opening or maintaining any bank accounts, insurance policies, or other financial accounts in my name. Second, I want the education fund you've been holding for me returned in full." Mom froze. "What education fund?""Starting when I was eight, Grandma and Grandpa gave me money every New Year's. Then there was my scholarship money, along with the cash gifts they gave me when I came of age. "You told me you were keeping all of it safe until I graduated from college so I could use it to buy a home." I looked directly at Dad. "Over the years, it added up to 486,000 dollars. And last month, 200,000 dollars of that was transferred to Alexandra's overseas account."The living room went dead silent. Dad's fingers twitched against his knee before he finally said, "Your sis

Chapter 9

Seven days later, Dad still hadn't provided the complete transaction records. My lawyer eventually uncovered the truth himself—the education fund had been drained in installments over the previous three years, with the final payment transferred to an art studio registered under Alexandra's name. Alexandra had always called it her dream. But the money she'd used to make that dream a reality had come from the education fund my grandparents had set aside for me. The day before the hearing, Mom called me. She was crying so hard she could barely get the words out. "Allie cut her wrists. Ella, she knows she was wrong. She said she'll give all the money back. Please come see her. Just once." I didn't refuse. I went to the hospital that afternoon.Alexandra was lying in bed with bandages wrapped around her wrists, her face pale against the white pillow. Dad sat beside her, looking as though he'd aged years overnight. The moment Mom saw me, her eyes filled with tears. "Allie knows

Chapter 10

A year later, Mom stood by the same river where Alexandra had supposedly jumped seven years earlier. When she called me, her voice was trembling. "Ella, you're all I have left. I want to see you." I went to the river and found Mom sitting on the other side of the safety railing. Her hair had turned noticeably grayer since I'd last seen her. When she spotted me, she reached out a hand. "Ella, forgive me, and I'll come back over." The wind coming off the river was strong, just like it had been seven years ago. I stayed behind the railing and didn't move any closer. "Mom, come back over." "I want you to promise me you'll forgive me." "I can't promise that." She began to sob. "I'm your mother." "That's why I came," I said quietly. "But coming here doesn't mean I'm going to hand my life back to you." Mom stared at me, disbelief spreading across her face. "I gave you life." "And I'll take care of you financially when you're old," I said. "I'll pay for what I'm responsib

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