Karen, who typically carried herself like a refined lady, had now completely lost all semblance of control.

That resounding slap definitively extinguished any reverence I had once felt for Karen. I stayed silent, struggling to hold back my tears as I fixed my gaze on Karen, who was standing before me.

Yet, Karen perceived me as the embodiment of malice, uttering cutting remarks that tore into my very core. "Who do you think you are? How dare you harm my daughter! Why don't you just drop dead? You've been nothing but trouble. I don't expect you to be as brilliant as Liam and Tina, but at the very least, you shouldn't be so wicked! I truly wish I had given birth to Tina instead."

I clenched my hands tightly, gathering my composure before saying, "It's not my fault. You are well aware that it was Tina who cheated on the exam. I never—"

Yet, before I could complete my sentence, Liam cut me off. "Have you lost your mind, Kiara? You ought to know that Tina's excellence is common knowledge, having ranked first in every high school exam. You, on the other hand, were always dead last. How dare you accuse Tina like that!"

I merely looked at the people before me. I had endless explanations and mountains of evidence against Tina. Ever since I got into Evergreen High School as the top-ranking student, Tina had always switched out all my test papers. This competition was the only time she didn't manage to pull it off.

Still, I knew that no matter what I said, my family wouldn't believe me, as Tina was the only one they cared about.

Tina, nestling in Karen's embrace, looked at me tauntingly. She said, "I know this is all my doing, and you dislike me, Kiara, but I hold no grudge against you. I only wish that I had perished in that accident."

Upon hearing that, Karen and Liam, who were already seething with revulsion, became even more enraged.

Karen directly pointed her finger at me, yelling, "You vile creature! You lured Tina into the river and almost drowned her ten years ago! You wouldn't even be around if Tina hadn't been so magnanimous. How dare you still target her! You are to withdraw from school today! You ought to head back to the countryside and never come near Tina again!"

I merely stood still, feeling my body grow colder, inch by agonizing inch, unsure if it was from the blood loss or the pain in my heart. I had relied on my own efforts to leave that mountain village in the countryside and make it to the city.

Before I came here, I had thought that Karen would welcome me with open arms. I had hoped my academic performance might elicit even a trace of their affection. I had put aside the fact that they had left me in that far-off countryside, where I had to get up at 4:00 am daily to feed the pigs, trek three hours through the mountains to get to school, and had almost died from malnutrition.

I never held any of that against them. I always thought that I was somehow at fault and that if I just behaved better and achieved more in my life, they would eventually accept me into the family. Yet, no matter what my actions were, they would always view me as the inherently flawed one.

I remembered when I was first sent to that mountain village, Tina didn't go as Tina Johnson. She was known as Tina White. She was the cherished only daughter of the White family, the ones who sheltered me back then.

I initially believed that I was just staying in the countryside for a little while, but then I realized that my parents never intended to bring me back with them. They planned to leave me in that mountain village, where school was a grueling three-hour walk away.

The day I arrived in the mountain village, Tina beckoned me to the pond, telling me that only by retrieving the most stunning iris in the pond would my mother recognize my feelings for her and, consequently, reciprocate my affection.

I never sensed any ill intent from her. I simply slipped off my shoes and waded in. Yet, for some unknown reason, Tina joined me in the water as well. She then started to drown, gripping my waist relentlessly, which destabilized me. I ultimately lost consciousness from her relentless dragging.

Upon regaining consciousness, I found Tina lying weakly in my mother's embrace, saying things that made no sense to me. "You shouldn't blame Kiara. I only tried to pull her to safety, but she kept pushing me away…"

I wanted to tell them what really happened, but I was too weak even to utter a single word at that moment. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as my parents held Tina close and departed for home.

I could only watch as they condemned me, saying, "You're truly bad to the bone! You're actually plotting Tina's demise just because I complimented her for being cute."

"I should have smothered her the moment she was born!"

In the end, Tina was taken to the city to live a life of comfort and privilege, while I was left behind in the countryside.

The White family then abandoned their facade when my parents left. They routinely withheld my allowance, denied me sufficient food, and compelled me to toil every day.

However, no one else would intervene on my behalf. It was all because everyone viewed me as a wicked child, all thanks to Tina's drowning incident. Their perception was then cemented by the fact that even my biological parents had disowned me.

Just before she stepped into the luxurious car bound for the city, Tina turned to me. She stuck out her tongue in a mocking gesture. "I'm off to enjoy the fortunate life that was meant for you, Kiara."

Tina's utterance was barely audible, intended for my ears alone. Yet, its implications were immense enough to irrevocably change my entire life's trajectory.

I looked at my parents and Liam, who regarded me as if I were a plague, and at Tina, who was still feigning tears. I felt every ounce of my strength deserting me as I clutched my bag. I then swallowed the metallic taste in my throat and faced them, stating, "I'll leave. But before I do, I want us to formally sever all our ties as family."