To cheer up their depressed adopted daughter, Ashley Reid, my parents don't dare to treat me nicely. They've even locked me in a pitch-black room more than 700 times, just to put a smile on her face.

At first, they feel guilty toward me. But eventually, even my older brother, Liam Reid, who used to care for me the most, treats it like it's all perfectly reasonable.

When Ashley's depression finally starts to ease, I work up the courage to kneel and beg them to seal off that room for good.

But at her birthday party, simply because I'm wearing the only T-shirt I own, she starts tearing up and asks my parents if I don't like her.

My parents and Liam rush to comfort her and, yet again, lock me away in that dark, endless room.

"Summer, you're her elder sister. You have to be more considerate of her feelings."

"If you hadn't insisted on wearing something so tacky for her birthday party, she wouldn't have gotten so upset."

"You've gotten used to it after all these years, right? One more time won't matter to you."

I curl up in the corner, gripping my hair, unable to say a word.

Three days later, they finally let me out. They remind me not to upset Ashley again.

But I just stare at them blankly. "Sorry, who are you?"

When they heard my question, the middle‑aged couple in front of me froze, looking stunned. But the surprise lasted only a second before it turned into irritation.

"Summer, stop messing around and come out!"

"Your sister says she feels like eating your cupcakes. Go bake her some!"

Hearing the word "sister" made my head throb, like needles were stabbing my skull. Countless images flashed through my mind, but none of them were clear.

I knew one thing for sure, though. Whatever those memories were, they had to be painful.

The voices kept yelling, making the room feel even more suffocating.

I had no choice but to slowly step out of the room. But the moment the light from outside hit me, I screamed uncontrollably. As soon as the brightness hit me, my skin burned like it had been set on fire. Terrified, I recoiled, but then I heard a young man's voice.

"Summer, what are you pretending for? Weren't you always complaining about how much you hate this dark room? Now that we're letting you out, you're acting all dramatic. Hurry up and get out. Don't upset Ash!"

This man's attitude toward me was just as nasty as the middle‑aged couple's.

I trembled all over and didn't respond. I didn't want to go out at all.

They were right. I really did hate this pitch‑black place. I was terrified of the dark, and my heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it would burst.

But even though the world outside was bright, something inside my head kept whispering that if I went out, I'd be walking straight into pain. Like a newborn, I curled into myself and hugged my body tight until that overwhelming fear subsided.

Then, I heard a young lady speak. She sounded upset, her voice tinged with hurt. "Dad, Mom, Liam, haven't you gotten Summer out? It's all my fault for being so spoiled. Is she unwilling to come out because she's mad at me?

"Summer, I'm sorry. I really am. Will you come out?"

She sounded like she was crying.

The three who had spoken to me so harshly moments ago instantly switched to comforting her, their tone a thousand times gentler than anything they'd ever used on me.

"Ash, don't overthink it. None of this is your fault."

"It's Summer being ungrateful and throwing a tantrum. You're our precious one. Why apologize to someone like her?"

Someone like her?

Were they talking about me?

I touched my chest. There was a dull ache there. Was I hurting because of what they said?

But I really couldn't remember anything. It was as if my past was wrapped in fog, impossible to see clearly.

Those people didn't care what I was thinking. They just kept coaxing the young lady until she finally calmed down.

I heard their footsteps as they walked her away. But the very next second, a large hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

The young man's voice from before sounded again. "Summer, you actually triggered Ash again! You're so cruel that you don't even deserve to be called my sister. Hurry up and come out. You need to apologize to Ash!"

He called me his sister, but the way he treated me was anything but affectionate. He looked more like someone confronting an enemy.

Before I could even process what was happening, he grew impatient and stormed into the dark room, grabbing my arm and yanking me toward the door.

I couldn't physically fight a grown man, but the fear of the outside world made me struggle instinctively. "No… Stop!"

I stretched my hands out and gripped the only table in the room, my nails digging into the wood until they nearly broke.

Feeling my fear, the man just snorted. "Are you finally scared now? What took you so long? Someone like you needs to suffer a bit to learn your lesson!"

He kept pulling me toward the door with brute force. My nails finally broke, and the pain shot through every finger, making me cry out.

"Can you shut up? If you keep yelling and it scares Ash, I won't go easy on you!"

This man, who I assumed was my brother, kicked me in an attempt to make me quiet down. Seeing that I kept screaming, he clamped his hand over my mouth.

The closer we got to the door, the more my eyes shook with fear. Somehow, I found the courage to bite down hard on his hand. He yelped and released me.

Without hesitation, I scrambled back into a corner.

He laughed under his breath, annoyed and amused all at once. "Summer, you've really picked up some nerve, haven't you?"

In the darkness, lit only by the faint glow of his phone, he swung his arm and slapped me across the face.

"You're the eldest daughter of the Reid family, yet you've got zero manners. How dare you bite me? Didn't you used to beg us on your knees because you were terrified of going into the dark room? What are you pretending for now? This is just about not wanting to apologize to Ash!"

I didn't answer. I was just stunned.

Were they really my family?

In my understanding, families should support each other and live in harmony. At worst, they might act distant. But what were these people doing? They shoved me into a pitch‑black room, hit me whenever they felt like it, and wouldn't even spare me when I fell to my knees.

What exactly was I to them? Their daughter? Their sister? Or their enemy?

I shivered all over. No matter how I tried, I couldn't find an answer.

Seeing that I didn't respond, my brother grew angrier. "Don't want to come out? Fine. Then stay in here for the rest of your life!"

He kicked the door hard, then told someone to lock it. Before he left, I heard him tell the others not to bring me any food or water.

The room fell quiet again, and everything was dead still.

It seemed the room had been soundproofed. After the door closed, all I could hear was my own ragged breathing. Not a single other noise reached me.

I stayed huddled in the corner. As I was unable to hear anything, I couldn't even tell how much time had passed. But my spasming stomach reminded me that I needed to eat.

I couldn't remember anything clearly, but it felt like I'd already been shut in here for days with no food. That explained the gnawing hunger and the pain in my stomach.

I pressed my fist against my abdomen, trying to dull the pain even a little. But it didn't help. I didn't know how many times this had happened, but my stomach felt torn up. Waves of pain shot through my body, making cold sweat pour down my body.

I lifted my arms and banged on the door, hoping someone outside would rescue me. My movements were practiced like I had done this hundreds of times before. But even when I ran out of strength, the door didn't budge.

This place felt like a prison made just for me.

I didn't know how long it was until my lips cracked from dryness and my body was close to giving out.

Then suddenly, I heard a soft click.

A faint beam from a flashlight cut into the darkness, and a plainly dressed woman slipped inside. When she saw me, her whole face was filled with worry.

"Ms. Summer, is your stomach acting up again? I brought you some medicine and oatmeal. Hurry and eat before Mr. Reid or anyone else finds out."

As the woman spoke, she set a tray down in front of me. On it were some stomach medicine and a warm bowl of oatmeal.

I swallowed hard. Even though she looked a little familiar, I still watched her with caution. "Who are you? And why are you bringing me food?"

The woman's eyes widened like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Ms. Summer, don't you remember me?"

I nodded slightly and told her I seemed to have lost my memory.

The look of pity in her eyes only deepened.

If she hadn't told me she was a maid, Melinda Cole, I would've thought she was the only one in this house who actually cared about me. After all, the people who locked me in this little dark room didn't even treat me like a person, much less feel any sympathy for me.

I thanked Melinda, took the stomach medicine, and lifted the bowl of oatmeal, gulping it down in big mouthfuls. It was just plain oatmeal, nothing special, but I had no idea how long I'd gone without eating.

"Slow down. If it's not enough, I'll get you more from the kitchen. I really don't know what Mr. and Mrs. Reid are thinking. How could they treat their own daughter like this?"

She looked at me with pity, feeling indignant for me.

From her, I learned some things about the Reid family. It sounded like something out of a melodrama.

My name was Summer Reid, and I was my parents' biological daughter. When I was born, they mixed me up with Ashley Reid, and we didn't get switched back until we were ten.

At first, my parents, Bobby Reid and Sapphire Loyes, along with my brother, Liam, felt guilty toward me, the child who had grown up outside the family.

But they favored Ashley more. And after she developed depression from feeling insecure and fearing they'd abandon her, my parents and Liam decided I should be the one to make sacrifices.

The big bedroom that was prepared for me was taken back. And even though I was the biological daughter, they told everyone that I was adopted.

They always assumed I bullied Ashley, and to make her happy, they built this room to punish me.

Melinda had only been working here a short time, and she'd already seen me locked in here dozens of times. Every time, I begged them not to do it. But the Reids never listened.

Melinda felt sorry for me, but as a maid, there wasn't much she could do. "Ms. Summer, you've tried everything to make them like you more. You don't deserve to be treated like this!"

She looked like she was about to cry.

Honestly, as I had lost my memory, I didn't care what that family thought of me. Listening to her talk about the past just felt like hearing someone else's story. I didn't feel sad or angry.

I took her hand. It was rough but warm. "Melinda, thank you. You've already helped me so much."

She brushed away her tears with her other hand, her eyes holding emotions I couldn't make sense of. Quietly, she murmured, "It's probably better that you don't remember any of that."

I heard her but didn't think much of it. I just kept eating. I was so hungry I felt like I could've eaten the tray too, but in reality, my appetite was strangely small. It was just a tiny bowl of oatmeal, yet I barely made it halfway before my stomach started to feel uncomfortably full.

I was reluctant to stop, but my stomach just couldn't take more.

I was about to hand the bowl back when a cold, icy voice came from the doorway.

"Melinda, Summer, what are you two doing?"