I was out shopping for clothes with my younger brother when he suddenly spoke.

“You know... you’re really not much to look at.”

At that moment, I was busy comparing shirts I’d picked out for him, so his words didn’t quite sink in right away.

He went on without waiting for my reaction.

“I mean, yeah, you take good care of the house, but you’re nothing compared to our cousin.”

“To be blunt, what you do is basically what a nanny does.”

His casual tone hit me like a slap in the face.

My mother, standing right beside us, didn’t say a word to correct him.

“You’re good to me, sure. You buy me whatever I want. But going out with you, it just feels cheap. With our cousin, it’s different—going out with her feels classy.”

On hearing that, I realized something.

So this was all because I had scolded him earlier—after seeing our cousin wearing the brand-new clothes I had bought for myself. He’d been sulking ever since, convinced I was being petty.

At that moment, I felt utterly done with it all.

So I decided to do something that, at least to me, felt worthwhile.

That very day, I moved out.

The whole family just sat on the couch watching me pack, not a single one of them getting up.

“All this just because of something your brother said?”

“Yes,” I replied curtly.

——

My father sat dead-center on the sofa, eyes glued to the evening news, not sparing me a glance.

My brother kept his head down, tapping away on his phone.

My mother frowned at me like I was a child throwing a tantrum.

“What’s with this attitude again? Your cousin is our family—she’s not your enemy. She wore one of your dresses, so what? Can’t you be more sensible and stop threatening to run away every time you’re upset?”

Her voice was steady, but every word was a judgment.

Actually, the truth was simple. My father’s company was hosting a mid-year party, and he planned to take the whole family.

Except... they brought my cousin along.

And she showed up wearing the dress I had bought especially for the event. The one I had kept neatly in my wardrobe.

I’d made a fuss about it, and they’d been holding it against me ever since.

“Am I interrupting?”

My cousin, Sherilyn, stood at the door with a set of keys in hand.

The same family who had been cold to me just seconds ago suddenly lit up with smiles.

“Sherilyn, we told your uncle to pick you up. Why trouble yourself in this heat?”

My brother rushed over to carry her bags for her, all sweet and obedient.

I watched as they surrounded her, as if she were the real daughter of this household. A sharp, suffocating ache spread in my chest.

“Celine, we’re going to a concert later. Auntie said you weren’t interested, so we didn’t get you a ticket.”

She hesitated, glancing at me.

My brother immediately stepped in front of her. “Don’t bother with her. She’s such a country bumpkin, she probably doesn’t even know what a concert is. She can just stay home and do chores.”

Country bumpkin?

I never imagined the boy I had practically raised would say something like that to me. My grip on my suitcase weakened.

I looked at my parents. “Dad, Mom—are you really not going to say anything about what Levi just said to me?”

My mother sighed, walked over, and gently cupped my face.

That small gesture stirred the tiniest spark of hope in my chest.

If she chose my side—just this once—maybe...

But her next words sent me plummeting from heaven straight into hell.

“Stop making a scene.”

“Look at yourself. In what way can you compare to Sherilyn? If it were her, she’d think of the bigger picture. Of course your brother would prefer her as a sister—can you blame him for telling the truth?”

Her voice was still warm, but every word cut deep.

The pain in my chest became unbearable.

I was done—done with all the comparisons, done with being measured against her.

Like someone possessed, I smashed everything in sight.

The TV. The fridge. The chandelier...

All the things I had bought with my own money.

In the end, it was my father’s slap that knocked me to the floor.

“Enough! You’re insane! I don’t even want to admit you’re my daughter!”

“This is my house—get out!”

Strangely, the moment those words left his mouth, my heart settled. A quiet, indescribable relief washed over me.

Maybe I’d been waiting for this all along.

Waiting for someone to sever this unnecessary tie.

I staggered to my feet. Sherilyn was already being pulled far away by my mother and brother, as if I were something filthy.

Their faces brimmed with disgust.

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

“Ha... hahahaha.”

Dragging my suitcase, I headed for the door.

“Wait!”

A hint of urgency colored my mother’s voice. She grabbed my arm.

“I honestly don’t know what kind of tantrum you’re throwing.”

“Your father has worked for years to get into a senior position. If he’s going to bring someone along, of course it’s going to be Sherilyn—she’s a prestigious university graduate. What would he bring you for? You’ve accomplished nothing.”

“We didn’t tell you ahead of time because we were busy. I’m sorry, alright? I’m your mother, apologizing to her own daughter. You hear me? I said I’m sorry.”

“Next time. Next time, we’ll take you too.”

Sherilyn came over, wearing an apologetic smile. “Uncle was just speaking out of anger, Celine. Don’t take it to heart.”

“He brought me because I’ve been to big events before and wouldn’t embarrass him.”

“You’re his real daughter—I’m not trying to take anything from you.”

“Come on, apologize to him, and let’s put this behind us.”

They were all looking at me.

Waiting for me to bow my head.

“No.”

“Me leaving is the best outcome for everyone.”

After my aunt passed away, my mother had brought Sherilyn into our home.

At first, my parents treated us more or less equally. But once Sherilyn’s academic talent began to shine, the balance tipped.

After every comparison, their gaze lingered less on me, more on her.

These were my parents—of course I fought for their attention. But what could a child do? Cry, shout, threaten...

It only made them despise me more, and said I was petty, selfish, lacking grace. I even wondered if I was really their child. They took me for a DNA test.

Even the brother I’d raised came to believe I didn’t deserve to be his sister, and said I was nothing more than a nanny.

Eventually, when they spoke of their “daughter,” they meant only Sherilyn.

Because she made them proud.

While I became invisible, she became their treasure.

For a few rare crumbs of praise, I took a job close to home so I could take care of my parents and brother.

And what did I get in return?

Nothing but exhaustion.

I was done fighting.

I pulled out a notebook and handed it to Sherilyn.

“Dad’s health isn’t great—make sure you take him to the hospital for a check-up every month.”

“I’ve written down all the house matters in here. Since they already see you as their real daughter, it’s no longer my place to care.”

I didn’t miss the flicker of triumph in her eyes.

Seeing it, my desire to speak further drained away.

“You know,” I said slowly, “you’re actually not a very good actress. You always say you won’t take my parents from me, but that’s all it is—words.”

“When someone truly leaves, they don’t waste their breath.”

Suddenly, something occurred to me. I walked back into my room and pulled out three gift boxes.

Opening the first, I revealed a gold bracelet.

I slid it onto my wrist—it was a little loose.

Well, I had bought it in my mother’s size.

I would get it altered later.

The second gift box held the newest iPhone.

Levi’s eyes lit up instantly, his hand shooting forward on reflex.

“This is for me, right? Give it to me.”

I stepped aside. “I have nothing to do with you anymore. If you want one, ask your other sister.”

His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out.

My father’s gift was a massage device.

I picked it up without hesitation.

No one had expected me to be so blunt, so unapologetic, or that I would still be set on leaving.

My mother stepped in front of me, blocking the door. My father’s face stayed cold and unreadable.

Sherilyn glanced from one person to another before picking up her phone. Her fingers tapped the screen a few times right in front of me.

A second later, my parents’ and brother’s phones all chimed at once.

They glanced at their screens, and the heavy atmosphere instantly loosened.

One message from Sherilyn, and all their phones lit up.

That wasn’t a coincidence.

They were chatting privately, right in front of me.

I’d known about it for a long time. The four of them had their own family group chat—without me.

Hilarious, wasn’t it?

The real, biological daughter of this family was excluded.

I had made a fuss about it before. My request was simple, just add me to the group.

Their solution?

They all went on a month-long vacation, blocked me on every form of contact, and left me alone in the house.

It was summer break during high school. They left me no money. Whenever someone called them on my behalf, the moment they heard it was about me, they’d hang up. No one could reach them.

By the time they came home from their fun, I’d spent half a month living on plain boiled noodles. My face had gone pale from malnutrition.

They didn’t ask how I survived the month.

They only asked if I had “learned my lesson.”

After that, I stopped asking about the group chat.

Now, my brother sat there replying to their messages, a smile playing at his lips, occasionally glancing at me with something almost smug.

Whenever they chatted in that group, I’d always try to wedge myself into the conversation or throw in some sarcastic remark—anything to remind them I existed.

But this time, I stayed calm.

When they saw I was still dragging my suitcase toward the door, Levi glanced at his phone and walked toward me with obvious impatience.

“Alright, fine, I shouldn’t have called you a country bumpkin.”

“Really sorry, okay?”

“Now you should apologize to Dad, right?”

I looked at him quietly. “Levi, you’re a real ungrateful little bastard.”

He clearly thought he was giving me an out, but I didn’t take it. His temper flared instantly.

“That’s enough! The whole family has apologized to you—what more do you want? You trying to drive us all to our graves?”

I slowly shook my head. “You’re in my way. Can you move?”

He froze, clearly not expecting that. “You do realize, Celine, that once you walk out that door, it won’t be easy to come back?”

I touched the swollen side of my face.

What he didn’t know was that I had already given up.

Affection you have to fight for wasn’t worth having.

Sherilyn stepped forward, tugging on my arm, her voice dripping with sincerity.

“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have treated your parents like mine just because I lost mine.”

“If my presence really bothers you, I’ll disappear and never show up in front of you again.”

Her words were humble, but her feet didn’t move an inch.

That pitiful act had everyone rushing to comfort her.

“Sis, how can you leave? If anyone should go, it’s her!” my brother declared.

Watching her fake display of selflessness, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Can you drop the act? If I leave, aren’t you the happiest one here?”

I yanked my arm free. She stumbled back, losing her balance, and fell straight onto the floor—right where shards of glass were scattered.