After I had just cleaned up all the mess on the floor, my mom pushed open my bedroom door with a cake box in hand. She sat down in front of me and showed me the box.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, right? There are some leftovers. Eat."

Although my family would doubt and hurt me again and again, I would always soften up whenever I faced my mom.

Back in my original world, I lost both my parents when I was very young. I had to live with my uncle and aunt. They treated me as nothing but a burden, providing me only with the bare minimum. Whenever I saw others in their mom's arms, I would always watch them enviously.

When I came to this world, I enjoyed the familial love I never had. My mom treated me like her treasure and loved to call me "her baby Fiona". When I was sick and got hospitalized, she would care for me and stay with me the whole day, delaying her work.

From my new parents, I experienced the things I never had. I grew addicted to their affection, so much so that I didn't return to my original world even after I had finished my mission.

However, everything changed the moment Remy was found.

I stopped my thoughts from wandering too far, and opened the cake box in front of me with shaky hands.

Whatever tenderness in my heart instantly dissipated when I saw what was inside. It really was leftover cake—in fact, there wasn't much left to begin with. There was only one piece left, most likely after all the pieces had been taken. It lay sadly on the side.

My mom should have just thrown it away, but she still brought this tiny piece for me. I wasn't sure if I should hold the box or just drop it.

My mom, thinking I was overjoyed, grinned.

"Alright! Now that you've eaten the cake and celebrated your birthday, there's something I want to tell you. I heard from your teachers that you managed to get a recommendation for guaranteed admission. Can you tell your teachers to give it to Remy? With your results, it should be easy for you to get into Royal University. But for Remy, it'll be difficult. Speaking of which, you owe Remy this. Don't forget what you did to her."

My mom's voice was gentle, but her words were akin to blades cutting right into my heart. I felt something hard stuck in my throat, choking me.

"I can't do that, Mom."

My mom frowned, displeased with my disobedience. "Why can't you, when all you need to do is say a few words? It's just like what Remy said. You've never treated her like she's family! I can do anything for you, but you tell me you can't do something so simple when I need your help. Is this how you repay me, Fiona?"

When I saw how impatient my mom was as she looked at me, my insides throbbed painfully. At that moment, I wanted to tell her a lot of things.

I wanted to explain why I couldn't do what she told me to.

I wanted to ask her if I should just give everything to Remy without question.

I wanted to ask her if…if she really hated me that much.

Despite that, I swallowed all the words that I wanted to say.

What was the point of telling her all those things? If they believed this was how I was like, explaining myself to them was pointless.

"Alright, Mom. I'll talk to my teacher about it," I said, lowering my gaze.

She seemed quite surprised with my lack of resistance. "You really will?"

I couldn't blame her for being suspicious. Previously, whenever they told me to let Remy have her way, I would shake my head in protest and voice my unwillingness. They had to yell at me first, and only then would I give whatever Remy wanted with a frown.

This time, I didn't fight back before agreeing to it.

In a few more days, I would be leaving. Arguing was pointless.

My mom, unaware of my thoughts, smiled serenely.

"It's just as Blake said. You'll mature after we ignore you for a few days. See? You finally understand that Remy's your younger sister. You have to go easy on her. You owe her so much, so this is how you should repay her. In the future, you should be like this and stop fighting with her again. Understand?"

Mocking language, turning a blind eye to the situation. That was the best way to educate one's child.

I looked at the gentle woman in front of me, finding her starkly different from how I remembered her. The way she cared for me in the past seemed like a product of my delusion.

A bitter smile reached my lips, and I suppressed the anguish inside of me.

Once my mom had the answer she wanted, she didn't stay. When I heard the door closing, I looked at the "cake" in front of me for a while before throwing it into her bin.

Don't waver, Fiona. That's not your mom.

The next morning, I put on my face mask as usual and walked out of my room.

Remy was busy showing my parents the draft that she stole from me yesterday, her face the epitome of glee. "Dad! Mom! Look at this! This is the draft I've spent a long time working on! I'm good, aren't I?"

My dad took the draft from Remy and nodded in satisfaction. "As expected of my daughter. I don't really understand this, but I feel that you can definitely get a prize!"

My mom held Remy, putting their faces close together. Her smiling lips and shining eyes showed how pleased she was. "You're the best, Remy! Once the result is out, we'll take you out to celebrate, alright?"

"Really? That's great! Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" Remy threw her arms around my mom and kissed her.

Out of the four of them, only Blake remained silent as he looked at the draft my dad was holding. His eyes darkened, and it seemed like he was thinking about something.

I knew what was on his mind.

Before Remy returned, Blake would protect me with all his might. Regardless of the circumstances, he wouldn't allow me to get hurt—not even a little. His friends who saw this would call him a "knight templar big brother". Blake didn't find the moniker embarrassing; rather, he wore it like a badge of honor.

"So what if I'm a knight templar big brother? You don't get to be one even if you want to," he had retorted.

When my parents grew distant from me, I thought Blake would still love me like he did in the past. I was his cherished sister, wasn't I?

But when I showed him the draft I spent two nights working on, he simply sneered at me. He gave it a look, and scoffed, "Is this all you can do? Anything Remy can do is better than your draft. You want to win the competition? Try again next time!"

At this moment, I surveyed his reaction.

It was just as I had thought. He knew I was the creator of that draft, but he didn't reveal it and said nothing. He glanced at me, then started showering Remy with compliments.

"You're so good, Remy! If I compare this with the past winners, you'll definitely nab the top place. I'm proud to be your brother."

I lowered my gaze, hiding the loneliness in my eyes.

What were you hoping for, Fiona?

You're no longer Blake's beloved sister. He wouldn't tell your parents the truth and reveal Remy's rotten true personality. She's his beloved sister now. And you? You're just a wicked sister he despised for bullying and hurting Remy.

I sighed. My gaze swept over them briefly.

My parents were standing at Remy's either side, protecting her in the center. Blake was bending forward, as if all he cared about was Remy. None of them noticed me at all. They were so happy together, it made me look like a stranger.

They were the perfect family—I was the unnecessary one.

The bitterness in my heart threatened to spill out.

Remy, noticing this, grinned at me. "Say, Fiona, why don't you come and look at my draft? Isn't it pretty?"

She looked at me expectantly, thinking I was simply pretending to give the draft to her yesterday. She had purposely mentioned this in front of our parents so it would anger me into demanding it back.

Only one person knew the truth, but he simply allowed Remy to do whatever she wanted. Even if I argued with her, who would believe me? The moment I started a commotion, she would pretend to be hurt and use it against me.

Confident that she had fully understood my personality, Remy smugly waited for me to start a fight. Unfortunately, she was in for a disappointment.

I sighed. This was the first time I didn't start a fight with her.

"It's very pretty," I said.

When Remy didn't get the conclusion she wanted, she stared wide-eyed at me. "What did you say, Fiona?"

"I said," I repeated, "it's very pretty."