Pan-fried trout, huh?

That dish was like a nightmare for me.

I remembered that it was my mom’s 40th birthday.

I had secretly learned how to cook that dish because I wanted to make it for her.

I was only twelve at the time.

While making it, I almost cut my hand and got burned by the hot oil.

But after all that effort, when I served the dish, Rachel said she liked it. So, my mom did not even taste it and gave the whole plate to Rachel instead.

I could not forget Rachel’s smug look.

She finished everything before me, but she accidentally got a fishbone stuck in her throat.

My parents panicked and rushed her to the hospital.

She clung to my mom and said weakly, “Mom, don’t blame Clara. I was greedy and ate too much.”

Because of that one sentence, my furious mom slapped me.

She called me vicious and accused me of trying to hurt Rachel on purpose.

Ever since then, whenever Rachel wanted pan-fried trout, my parents made sure someone watched over me and forced me to carefully remove every single fishbone before serving it.

Deboning fish was slow and tiring.

Hoping for just one word of praise from my parents, I had to do it hundreds of times over the years.

I felt sorry for myself.

“You can ask the servant to make it. I don’t want to.”

After saying that, I turned to leave.

But Rachel suddenly grabbed my arm and said pitifully, “Clara, are you still mad at me? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell Mom and Dad about you spending too much money.”

My parents were already angry due to my attitude, and after hearing her words, they became even angrier.

My dad stormed over, raised his hand, and slapped me so hard that I fell to the floor.

“You still dare to be mad at Rachel?!

“Do you even realize that if you hadn’t wasted her living expenses, she wouldn’t have gone hungry and ended up with stomach problems?!”

My mom looked at me with disappointment, but since I was still her daughter, she helped me up.

“Clara, you pretended to have a car accident just to get money. Rachel has already covered for you so many times.

“We made you sign those IOUs for your own good. You need to stop wasting money.”

I held my face. It burned with pain.

But the pain in my heart hurt even more.

I pushed my mom’s hand away and said, “I didn’t lie. I really was in a car accident.”

My mom frowned.

She looked at me as if I was beyond saving.

“Clara, stop lying. Dr. Wilson from the private hospital already told your dad and me. There’s no record of you ever being treated there!”

Rachel took the chance to stir things up.

“Clara, even if you really needed money, you shouldn’t lie to Mom and Dad.

“I still have some allowance left. You can take it. We’re sisters, after all.”

My mom sighed and gently patted Rachel’s head. “Rachel, if only Clara were as sensible as you, we wouldn’t have to worry so much.

“But don’t make yourself suffer because of someone like her.

“She needs to learn her lesson.”

I laughed.

While standing in the middle of the living room, I watched their sweet little family moment and laughed so hard I nearly doubled over.

“Clara, what’s wrong with you?!”

My laughter startled my parents. They quickly stepped in front of Rachel.

They were afraid I might do something to her.

I stopped laughing and coldly looked at my parents. Then I reached into my pocket, pulled out my surgery report, and threw it on the floor.

“I never had the money to go to a private hospital. Isn’t it obvious why you couldn’t find my records?”

My parents froze. They picked up the surgery report from the floor and glanced at it. Their expressions changed.

“Clara, your leg…”

My mom took a step toward me. For a moment, she almost looked worried.

But Rachel quickly cut in.

“Clara, did you really get into a car accident?

“Are you okay? It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for my coming-of-age ceremony, Mom and Dad would have been with you.

“It must have hurt so much!”

She sounded concerned, but her nails dug painfully into my arm.

I knew exactly what she was trying to do. I did not want to stay here and play the fool in their family drama anymore.

I pulled my arm back, and Rachel fell lightly to the floor.

Any guilt my parents had for me vanished instantly.

“Clara! Why are you taking your anger out on your sister?!

“It was just a car accident. You’re fine now, aren’t you?

“Apologize to Rachel right now!”

I did not bother arguing and simply turned to leave.

My dad was so furious that he grabbed a vase and smashed it on the floor near my feet.

“Ungrateful brat! Are you trying to run away from home?!

“Fine! You’ve borrowed enough money over the years! Pay it all back by next week! If you don’t, I’ll have the lawyers throw you in jail! This way, you’ll learn your lesson!”

Glass shards cut into my leg. Blood dripped down, but I did not seem to notice it.

I was not even surprised by his words.

I turned back to look at them.

They thought I was scared and ready to surrender.

But as I stared at their proud, self-righteous faces, I felt nothing.

Without another word, I turned away. Just before closing the door behind me, I said, “Okay.”

If that was what they wanted, I would pay them back.

Once I did, I would have nothing to do with this terrible family ever again.

As I walked out of the house, I could still hear my dad yelling.

I ignored him.

Limping past the neighborhood gates, I realized the world was so vast.

Without a home, I had no idea where to go.

I looked up at the twinkling star in the sky and felt just as lonely as it did.

I crouched down, hugged my knees, and tried to warm my cold body.

My parents were not always like this.

They were known as a loving couple in the circle.

As their only daughter, they had once treated me like a princess.

But everything changed when Rachel came.

She was the daughter of my parents’ close friends.

After her parents died in a car accident, none of her relatives wanted to take her in.

So my parents did.

At first, I was excited to have a sister.

Being an only child was lonely sometimes.

We even had the same birthday.

I gave her my favorite toys and prettiest dresses.

But I never thought that sweet Rachel would act like a snake and hurt me.

Back then, we were still in elementary school.

My parents were busy with work, so they gave me money and asked me to buy Rachel food.

Rachel said she would eat with her friends, so I gave her two-thirds of the money without thinking twice.

But when my parents came home, she had fainted from hunger.

They rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors said she had low blood sugar and stomach issues. At the same time, my parents found an expensive designer bag in my room.

“We told you to take care of Rachel, and this is how you do it?”

“Clara, you’re just a kid, and you’re already buying luxury bags?”

I panicked and tried to explain that I had no idea where the bag came from.

Back then, my parents still trusted me.

They held back their anger and said they would ask Rachel when she woke up.

But as soon as she opened her eyes, she said, “Mr. Quinn, Mrs. Quinn, please don’t blame Clara. I didn’t eat because I don’t like to.”

What she said with teary eyes made my parents put all the blame on me.

My parents hugged her lovingly and said they would treat her like their own daughter.

From that day on, they saw me as selfish and materialistic. I was no longer their beloved daughter.

In eight years, all they gave me were 300 IOUs.

I pulled out the stack of IOUs from my pocket and flipped through them again.

50,000 dollars.

I had just graduated from high school. How was I supposed to get that much money in a week?

I took on as many part-time jobs as I could.

One night, my childhood friend, Owen Lynch, saw me working as a waitress at a nightclub.

I had no choice. I needed money. My days were already packed with jobs, and this was one of the few that paid well and offered weekly wages.

Some customers tried to take advantage, but I kept my boundaries, and no one dared to force me to do anything.

I counted how much more I needed to earn after a week of work.

But to Owen, my job meant I had no self-respect.

He was out drinking with his friends and spotted me right away.

At that moment, I was carrying a tray of drinks when he suddenly grabbed my wrist. The expensive drinks slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.

“Clara, you ran away from home just to throw a tantrum. Rachel has been worried sick!

“I can’t believe you’d stoop this low and work in a place like this!

“Do you even care about her?”

I ignored his angry questions and simply stared at the broken glass on the floor.

What a waste.

There went my night’s work.

My silence made Owen even angrier.

My manager hurried over to apologize.

“Mr. Lynch, you know Clara?

“Oh dear, I knew her clumsy nature would get her into trouble. Clara, hurry up and apologize to Mr. Lynch!”

Mr. Lynch.

How important he sounded.

I looked at Owen. He was dressed so properly, nothing like the little boy who used to beg me to play with him.

But of course, the Owen who once adored me and promised to protect me forever had long fallen hopelessly for Rachel, just like my parents did.

Sometimes, it felt like Rachel was the female lead of this world, and I was the villain meant to fall apart.

Everyone who once loved me ended up loving her instead. It was like a curse.

There was no way out.

Owen did not notice I had zoned out.

He scanned me from head to toe. His face was full of disgust like he was looking at something dirty.

Then he grabbed the menu, ordered ten bottles of strong liquor, and looked down at me.

“Forget it. An apology from someone like you is worthless. You like serving drinks, don’t you?

“Clara, drink all ten bottles, and I’ll not only let this slide but also give you 100,000. How does it sound?”

I did not respond. I just grabbed a bottle from the table.

I knew Owen just wanted to embarrass me.

He knew exactly how tough things had been for me ever since my parents started setting up rules for me.

At my worst, I could only afford one meal a day.

My stomach was already ruined, far worse than Rachel’s ever was.

At first, Owen was firmly on my side and even said he would help me reveal Rachel’s true colors. He even gave me his family heirloom. But later, what did he say?

He said, “A little hardship won’t kill you. After all, you owe Rachel.

“After spending time with her, I realized she’s not a bad person.

“Clara, she’s your sister. You don’t have to see her as an enemy.”

As I drank the first and second bottles, Owen crossed his arms and watched me with amusement.

He was waiting for me to give up and beg.

But after the third, fourth, and fifth bottles, his expression started to darken.

I kept drinking like a machine. By the time I got to the eighth bottle, he finally stopped me.

Owen grabbed the bottle from my hand and smashed it.

How strange. He looked angry.

But why?

He was the one who asked me to drink.

I saw his lips moving, like he was saying, “Clara, are you throwing your life away for money?”

The next moment, his anger turned to panic.

“Clara, what’s wrong?”

I collapsed to the floor and blacked out.