In the beginning, I felt sorry for my adoptive sister too.

That was, until she sliced my arm with a knife and poured glue over my wound during her second night with us.

When my parents returned, she ran to them and sobbed.

“I’m sorry! Charlie’s arm got hurt, and I wanted to help her treat them. It’s all my fault. I understand if she wants to beat me up! Please don’t scold her.”

The wound on my arm burned. I raised it to explain, but they did not believe me at all. They were certain that I accidentally hurt myself while trying to hurt Jenny.

Ever since that day, any conflict between me and Jenny was automatically assumed to be my fault.

It reached the point where, even when they went on a road trip with Jenny and the brakes malfunctioned, they were certain I must have done something to the car.

I climbed up from the floor to try to treat my new wounds, only to hear my parents talking in their room.

“So what if she pieces the trophy back together? We went too easy on her.

“Fixing the trophy is just an excuse. I just don’t want her to interrupt Jenny and Jared’s time together. Do you want him and Charlie to get married?”

“Of course not! I want her to rot in jail! All she’s ever done is make Jenny sad!”

Any hope I had left for this family disappeared. I returned to my room—which was now Jenny’s—to gather whatever papers I had before I served my time.

As I was gathering everything, I saw a familiar video on my phone. It was a vlog from one of the mountains I had hiked years ago, but it was posted on Jenny’s account.

I was all wrapped up and unrecognisable.

The video had raked up a lot of likes.

[I can’t believe Jenny hiked such a dangerous mountain so many years ago! I expected nothing less from my favourite vlogger!]

[It’s a shame she has such a terrible sister. I can’t believe she took three kids hiking just because she was jealous of Jenny!]

[That’s three whole lives she stole! How can she sleep at night?]

They dug up my details quickly, and everyone was soon calling for my downfall online.

Among some of the comments were a few logical voices.

[Could it be some sort of misunderstanding? I remember some hiker saying that they saw Jenny bring the three kids up the mountain, not her sister.]

[I know Charlie. She’s very professional, and she’s never taken anyone to hike with her, let alone a kid.]

Two familiar accounts appeared quickly, commenting under these supportive users.

[I’m Jenny and Charlie’s father. I can confirm that Charlie was the one who took the three kids hiking, and she did it to frame Jenny. She did not expect such a severe outcome. I am embarrassed and ashamed to call myself her father. We should’ve aborted her before she was born.]

[I’m Jenny’s mother. Charlie only managed to hike that mountain after she snuck a peek at Jenny’s research. She’s always been like this, thinking everything that belongs to Jenny is hers!]

…

I no longer knew how to feel, watching my parents twist the truth to clear Jenny’s name.

What hurt the most was Jared’s behaviour.

Since my parents stopped standing up for me, he became the person I trusted and cared about the most. I told him everything, and he was the only person I had ever sent this video to.

Back then, Jared was just an amateur hiker who had gotten caught in a sudden storm. He would have died had I not risked my life to save him.

Since that incident, Jared never left my side. He would look at me as if I had hung the stars in the sky, hoping I would accept his love.

“Be my girlfriend, Charlie! I won’t stop pestering you until you do!

“I can see that you’re going through a lot. Let me share your burden.”

Seeing his consistent efforts, I accepted him and told him everything that was happening at home.

In the beginning, he would comfort me and promise me a future with a family and a home of our own. However, somewhere down the line, he started getting closer to Jenny.

I realized too late. Before I could confront Jared, he and my parents forced me to be Jenny’s scapegoat.

The video killed whatever remaining shreds of love I had for him.

Jared returned at night. When he saw my injuries, he rushed over worriedly. “What happened? Come on. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

I shrugged him off coolly. “Why does she have the video?”

Jared paled. “Jenny wasn’t doing very well mentally in the beginning. You don’t know what that trophy means to her. I only sent it to her because I didn’t want her to hurt or kill herself. You can’t hike anymore, so it probably doesn’t mean anything to you anyway.”

“How are you so sure it means nothing to me?”

Only then did Jared look remorseful. He came to stand in front of me and held my shoulders. He explained gently, “I didn’t think too much about it at the time. We can go to whatever mountain you want, okay? I’ll film a new video for you.”

Looking into his eyes, I felt conflicted, and my mind was a mess.

Then, my parents suddenly rushed inside.

“Jared! Jenny’s hurt!”

Jared let go of me and rushed out, while my parents glared at me for doing nothing.

“You don’t even care if something’s happened to your sister, do you? I already know you’re behind this.”

They ran out too.

As I prepared for bed, I received a call from Jared. He was silent for a long while before he finally spoke grimly. “Come over, Charlie. They found new evidence on the case. I think it might prove your innocence.”

I did not fully believe him, but the chance was too important to ignore, so I rushed to the location he had sent.

When Jared saw me, he averted his gaze and bit his lip nervously.

I was about to ask him what was going on when my father hit my good leg with his hiking pole. I fell to my knees, and I heard my calf bone crack.

I shuddered at the pain.

A few familiar faces approached, and I heard my mother’s voice from beside me.

“I admit that we hid the truth from you. Charlie wanted to beat Jenny. That’s why she took your children hiking.”

My body grew cold. History was repeating itself.

Jared knelt in front of me with concern and whispered, “These families forgave you because they thought it was an accident, but with the new evidence and stories surfacing online, they’re angry and came here to ask for an explanation.

“They couldn’t find you, so they found Jenny instead. I was worried something would happen to Jenny, so I…”

My vision blurred, and I smiled at him. “So you want me to take the blame for Jenny again?”

“Enough! How dare you! You were the one who killed those kids! What does that have to do with Jenny?!”

My father hit my back with the hiking pole.

My mother cradled Jenny against her chest and glared at me.

“These are the consequences of your own actions. I won’t let you drag Jenny down with you! I’ll never forgive you if this triggers her bad memories and sets Jenny’s healing journey back!”

Jared dabbed at my cold sweat and took my hands. “Just let them take their anger out on you, then we can start a new life! I’ll never leave you alone, I promise. I’ll be with you this whole time.”

My father threw his hiking pole at me. “None of this would’ve happened if you weren’t obsessed with hurting your own sister!”

My mother held Jenny close and screamed, “Do you know how much Jenny’s suffered all these years because of you?! She’s finally gotten her chance to start a new and hopeful life! Why are you so determined to ruin it for her?!”

‘Starting a new and hopeful life? What about me? Do I have to live as a murderer for the rest of my life instead?’ I asked myself.

My parents looked unsure when they met my incredulous gaze, and Jared’s eyes grew red.

“Let’s get married after this, Charlie.”

Jenny glared at me resentfully, then closed her eyes and ‘fainted’ in my mother’s arms.

“Jenny!”

Jared whipped his head backward. Hesitation and conflict swirled behind his eyes at the sight of Jenny fainting.

“Jared! You’re the only one who can stop Jenny from hurting herself! Come with us to the hospital!”

“But…” Jared looked at me instinctively. After a moment’s struggle, he tightened his grip around my hand.

“They just want to know the truth about what happened. They won’t hurt you. I’ll be back before you know it. Jenny needs me now, and I can’t let anything happen to her.”

I watched Jared and my parents rush away and closed my eyes hopelessly.

When I opened them next, all that was left was cold indifference.

With a smile, I looked at the families of the three victims and asked, “Do you want to know the truth about what happened?”