Chapter 4

The door was violently flung open. The next second, Mom's hand landed hard on my face. "Aubrey, how could you treat your sister like this?" "You're nothing but a rotten seed!" Mom's words were incredibly harsh, making me tremble with hurt.

Dad huffed as he helped Luna up from the floor: "Aubrey, you've really gone too far this time." "We know you're jealous that Luna scores better than you, and that she pleases us more." "But why haven't you recognized your place?" "You're just an adopted daughter in our family, an orphan of unknown origin picked up from a dumpster. Your background isn't even as respectable as Luna's." "At least we know her parents were our deceased friends." "You, a worthless stray, what right do you have to compete with Luna?"

Worthless stray? Dad's words were like a sharp sword piercing my heart, making me ache so much I wanted to double over. Ryan glared at me like I was his enemy and said: "I think some people are just too comfortable in our house." "Since that's the case, get out of here right now! After all, you're just a stray we picked up from a dumpster." "If we don't teach you a lesson, I don't think you'll ever learn gratitude."

With that, Ryan shoved me out of the mansion. Then, my luggage was roughly thrown out after me. Mom, Dad, Ryan, and Luna stood on the steps of the villa, looking down at me. They looked like true strangers. My eyes stung. What was I still hoping for? This was it. I opened my mouth and heard myself say: "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for raising me all these years. Now that I know my true identity, it's really not convenient for me to live here anymore."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for raising me all these years. Now that I know my true identity, it's really not convenient for me to live here anymore. Please give me my passport." I wanted my passport to leave. Mom scoffed: "What do you need a passport for? Going abroad, are we?" Ryan jeered: "Her? Going abroad? What good would it do even if we gave it to her?" Ryan threw my passport at my face. Then he ruthlessly slammed the door shut. Ryan's voice pierced through the door: "Mom, Dad, don't be soft. If we don't teach her a lesson, she'll never learn!"