I had always been greedy. Even a penny on the ground was something I couldn’t resist picking up and hiding away.

My family hated that about me. And now, when I showed no interest in ten million dollars and only wanted to stay in the city, they despised me even more.

“I’m not going back because…”

My voice trembled as I tried to explain, but before I could finish, Ben cut me off with a wave of his hand. “Enough. You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But you won’t get another chance. Mr. Wilson, come in!”

A man in a white lab coat walked into the room, holding a strange-looking pocket watch. His expression was serious and focused. Without a word, he bowed respectfully to my parents and to Steve.

Ben’s voice was cold. “Start the procedure. Extract her memories immediately. I want to know where Emily went.”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Wilson replied without hesitation. He moved to the machine, pressed three buttons, and then handed three metal helmets to my parents and Steve.

“Mr. Zeller,” he explained carefully, “once the three of you sit down and put these helmets on, you’ll be able to view the subject’s memories through the built-in visual interface. Based on her brain activity, she’ll only be able to recall three memories. Anything beyond that is extremely dangerous and could cause brain damage, seizures, bleeding, or permanent memory loss.”

“Three times is enough. The first one should be about Emily’s disappearance. She definitely knows something,” Steve said impatiently as he grabbed a helmet and sat down beside me.

Mr. Wilson hesitated. “The subject’s emotions are unstable. I recommend guiding her through hypnosis to help her recall Miss Emily’s disappearance gradually. Forcing it too quickly could be harmful.”

Steve frowned but said nothing. My parents nodded in agreement, letting Mr. Wilson proceed as he saw fit.

A few moments later, all three of them were seated with the helmets in place. Mr. Wilson dimmed the harsh lights and stepped in front of me.

I stared at him numbly, completely still.

He pressed a button on my helmet, and soothing, rhythmic music filled my ears. I felt a cool sensation at the back of my head, as if some liquid had been injected.

“Miss Lily,” Mr. Wilson said gently, “please don’t resist. You know the more you fight it, the more painful it becomes. It’s better to—”

“Alright,” I murmured. My voice was calm, and I let myself relax completely.

Mr. Wilson paused for a moment, clearly surprised, but then focused again. He lifted the pocket watch and slowly swung it in front of my eyes.

“Miss Lily, go to sleep. In your dream, you’ll remember your first meeting with Miss Emily. It was a happy time between sisters.”

His voice was low and hypnotic. My eyes fluttered shut, and within seconds, I drifted into sleep.

Time folded in on itself, and distant memories began to surface, warm and golden, like sunlight breaking through the clouds.

*

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself sitting in a luxury car.

It was Steve’s Maybach S680. He was driving himself, taking my parents, me, and Emily, whom I was meeting for the first time, home with excitement.

Oh. I was dreaming about the first time I went home.

I turned my head and saw Emily beside me. Her bright hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. She held my hand and talked nonstop, her smile warm and easy.

“Wow, you’re so tall, Lily. What are you, like five-five? I’m barely five feet. Guess I’m the short one here,” she said with a playful pout.

Then she looked down at my hands, her expression softening. “You’ve had it rough out there, haven’t you? Your hands are all cracked. You won’t have to do farm work ever again, I promise.”

My parents sat nearby, smiling warmly as they watched us.

I felt tense. My plain clothes and awkward posture made me look like a beggar next to Emily. But her warmth quickly eased my nerves, and my throat tightened as I murmured my thanks.

Emily waved it off, then reached into her backpack and pulled out a cup of lemon tea.

“Lily, our family already has everything. Giving you something expensive wouldn’t mean much. You can buy whatever you want anyway. But I thought this lemon tea would mean more.”

Her tone carried a touch of pride. “It’s my favorite drink. I usually have the housekeeper make it, but this time I made it myself. I hope you like it.”

Ben chuckled. “That’s a pretty modest gift for Lily’s homecoming.”

Emily shot him a playful look. “You don’t get it, Dad. It’s not about how much it costs. It’s about the thought that counts.”

The car filled with laughter.

I blinked, soaking in the warmth around me. For the first time, I thought, “So this is what it feels like to be a daughter who can laugh and tease her father.”

I took the cup and, under Emily’s expectant gaze, drank every drop.

It was delicious.

But within moments, I felt a sudden pressure in my bladder.

It wasn’t normal. It hit all at once, like a dam bursting inside me.

My legs started to shake. My lips turned pale. Cold sweat slid down my back.

“I can’t wet myself,” I muttered to myself.

This was my first time meeting my family. I couldn’t humiliate myself like that, not in Steve’s car.

“I have to get out,” I thought frantically.

But we were on the highway.

“Lily, are you okay? Do you feel sick?” Emily noticed something was wrong and grabbed my hand.

My family turned to look at me.

Steve cracked the window open a little to let in some air, trying to be considerate. But the rush of cold wind only made it worse.

“Can we… stop for a minute?” I asked weakly.

“This is the highway,” Emily said softly. “There’s a rest stop in about six miles. Just lean on my shoulder for a bit and relax.”

She pulled me close before I could protest. My parents reassured me, saying it was fine, that we were family.

I opened my mouth to explain anyway, squeezing my legs together as hard as I could.

“Dad, Mom, Steve, we really should stop the car. I—”

Before I could finish, Emily shifted slightly, and her hand accidentally pressed down on my stomach.

A shiver ran through my whole body.

I lost control of my bladder.

Warm liquid spread between my legs, soaking through the seat and dripping onto the floor mat.

The sharp, embarrassing smell quickly filled the small space.

Emily gasped and instinctively pulled away. “Lily, you—”

My parents turned to look at me, their faces stiff with a strange mix of surprise and discomfort.

Steve braked hard on the shoulder and glanced back in disbelief, his eyes fixed on the large, wet stain.

He had always been a clean freak. His car was spotless. And now it was filthy and stinking of urine.

My face burned with shame. I stared at my lap, trembling.

I was terrified of being scolded. Terrified of being hit. I couldn’t bear any of it.

When the car started moving again, the mood had completely changed.

Emily tried to keep things light, chattering as if nothing had happened. My parents comforted me, telling me it was alright.

Steve said nothing. He hated the mess, but he didn’t yell. He just drove in silence, his expression dark and heavy.

Then I heard his voice again.

“This stupid girl is really making us watch this crap? Disgusting. My car was ruined because of her piss.”

The voice sounded distant. It wasn’t from the memory.

Oh.

I understood then.

It was Steve in the real world, the one watching my memory, still disgusted by me.

But I couldn’t wake up.

All I could do was listen to his contempt.

My parents looked disgusted too.

“She wet herself the first time we met her. Is she stupid? Couldn’t she use the bathroom before getting in the car?” Ben snapped.

Mary sighed. “She really isn’t normal. Even if she had to go, couldn’t she just say something? Instead, she suddenly peed in the car. If word gets out, how will the Zeller family ever hold its head high?”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

So they had despised me from the very beginning.

They just never said it out loud.

The dream continued, clear and vivid.

When we returned to the mansion, the housekeeper had already cleaned up. I was greeted with a grand welcome that had clearly been planned in advance.

Everyone seemed genuinely happy to see me.

After the small celebration, I was given a bedroom on the third floor.

Emily helped me make the bed, still as cheerful as ever, comforting me about what had happened.

“Lily, don’t take it to heart. None of us care about that. Get some rest, and later I’ll take you shopping,” she said brightly.

She was so warm and kind.

At the time, I was still grateful to her. But I wasn’t naive. I had a faint suspicion there was something wrong with that lemon tea.

So I said gently, “Emily, did you add something weird to the lemon tea? I started feeling strange and lost control of my bladder right after drinking it.”

I had never imagined she did it on purpose, so I asked her directly.

Emily froze for a second, then turned and smiled. “Oh, so you figured it out? I didn’t think you’d notice. But it doesn’t matter. I just added a little diuretic.”

I stared at her, confused. “What’s a diuretic?”

After fifteen years in the countryside, I knew nothing beyond how to work the fields and endure beatings.

Emily let out a soft laugh. “It’s good for your stomach. You’re going to be treated like a princess now, so I wanted to help you get healthier first. You don’t mind, right? I didn’t expect you to actually pee in the car.”

Her smile shifted. The playfulness vanished, replaced by something sharp and smug.

That was when I realized it had all been her doing.

But after years of abuse and humiliation, I had already learned to stay silent.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. All I felt was the dull ache in my chest.

Seeing me like that, Emily covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Then she stumbled out of the room in a dramatic rush, tears suddenly spilling down her face.

Startled, I stood up just as she ran straight into Steve’s arms on the stairs.

He immediately asked what was wrong.

Emily shook her head, pretending not to want to say. Steve frowned and pulled her closer. “Tell me,” he said.

“It’s my fault,” she sobbed. “I shouldn’t have given her the lemon tea. She wet herself because of it. She got mad and scolded me. I just wanted to do something nice for her.”

Her tearful words made Steve’s expression darken instantly.

My parents heard everything from downstairs and came up to comfort her.

They all stood outside my door, looking in at me without saying a word.

It felt like there was an invisible wall between us, one I could never cross.

I sank down on the bed and curled up.

So this new home wasn’t the paradise I imagined.

It had its monster too.

*

The distant memory brought tears to my eyes.

I didn’t want to see more.

I forced my eyes open.

Mr. Wilson stood in front of me, observing and taking notes.

Beside him, my parents and Steve removed their helmets one by one, taking a break. Their expressions were strange. They exchanged glances but said nothing.

Tears were still streaming down my face.

I wasn’t even sad anymore. It was just the force of the memory overwhelming me, squeezing tears out of me before I could stop them.

“Alright, stop crying,” Steve muttered. He pressed his lips together. “I misjudged you back then. Emily was just a kid, always playing around. Don’t take it too seriously.”