I was kidnapped at two years old, and my parents searched for me for eight long years.

When they finally found me, I was working in the fields—thin, in rags, covered in scars from countless beatings.

I could see the disappointment in their eyes. I wasn’t the child they wanted back, not the polished, presentable daughter they had imagined. So I worked harder than anyone else, determined to earn money, to prove my worth.

By twenty, I had a stable job and a well-off boyfriend. We were already talking about marriage.

But one evening, I carried dishes into the banquet hall and froze at the doorway. My father’s voice rang out, clear as a knife to my chest:

“Mira’s education is poor, and she won’t have much of a future. Verena is different—young, beautiful, with a degree from a prestigious university. She’s a better match for you.”

My mother was glowing with pride.

“They’re a perfect pair. A match made in heaven.”

I turned just in time to see my boyfriend kneel on one knee, the ring he once gave me now being slid onto Verena’s hand.

Applause erupted. My parents’ faces lit with joy. My heart froze.

——

Minutes later, a breakup text appeared on my phone.

Barely able to breathe, I shoved the dish into a colleague’s hands and fled the hotel.

That night, my parents came home late, still laughing, still celebrating. When I opened the door, I set a bank card down on the table.

“For the past two years, I’ve been giving you 1,500 dollars every month as pension money. Now that Verena’s back, you don’t need me anymore. Return the rest.”

Their smiles vanished.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Verena is your sister. She hasn’t even finished her internship—how can she support us?”

My father slammed the table. “We raised you for ten years! Food, shelter—was that free? Now you dare demand money back? You ungrateful brat!”

I held his gaze.

“I never went to school during those ten years. You only brought me home to feed and house me. Deduct those costs—return the balance.”

He lunged at me, cursing.

“Miranda, how dare you! I’m your father!”

I laughed, though tears blurred my vision.

“And where’s Verena? Not back yet? Let me guess—she’s at the hotel with my ex, deepening their ‘relationship.’”

My mother’s face went pale. She tried to cover it up, then sighed and sat down.

“Since you already know, there’s no point hiding it. Nick’s family is wealthy. His parents are retired cadres. You’re not good enough for him. Even if you married him, you couldn’t keep him. Better he goes to your sister than let an outsider take him.”

“Verena is smarter and prettier than you. We’ll be family from now on, and you’ll get to enjoy the Harrington family’s benefits. No need to sulk.”

Verena. Always Verena.

Ever since I was reunited with my parents, I’ve lived in her shadow—my so-called twin sister. We shared the same womb, but because she stayed home, went to school, and polished herself into the perfect daughter, she was everything I wasn’t in their eyes.

At first, I thought it was my fault. I’d grown up in the countryside, uneducated and rough around the edges. I begged to go to school, but they refused.

They said I’d suffered too much, that classmates would judge me.

They said I was too withdrawn, not fit for socializing.

“As long as Verena studies hard, she can tutor you. The results will be the same.”

I believed them. I studied alone, desperately.

Until I realized the truth: they never intended to invest in me at all. To them, having Verena was enough. I was just a burden—an extra mouth to feed.

A neighbor once whispered that my parents gave up searching for me just a year after the kidnapping. If the police hadn’t kept visiting, they might have forgotten me entirely. Years of pent-up resentment boiled over.

I shot to my feet.

“Mom, you know Verena and I are sisters. What kind of younger sister steals her older sister’s fiancé? And what kind of parents encourage it?”

Tears blurred my vision. “Since you think Verena is better in every way, why not let me leave?”

Her answer was a slap across my face.

“Who taught you to talk to me like that? Your bastard adoptive parents? Disgusting! With that filthy mouth, you’ll never be half the woman your sister is!”

Verena was earning 1,500 dollars a month at her internship, yet never gave a cent to the family. I had been transferring the same amount faithfully every month, but in their eyes, my money meant nothing.

Fury surged through me. I grabbed the shopping bags from my mother’s hands and hurled them to the floor. She staggered back, clutching her chest.

“You… traitor!”

My father raised an ashtray, ready to smash it against my skull—when the door opened.

Verena walked in. In an instant, my parents’ rage melted away. Their faces softened, indulgent smiles spreading as they rushed to her side.

“How are things with Nick? Everything going well?”

“Mom always said you’re a perfect match! He earns fifty thousand a month—you’ll live like a queen once you marry him.”

Verena blushed, lowering her gaze.

“Mom… we’re not even dating yet. What are you saying?”

Mom waved her off. “Nonsense! Nick gave me this for you. He didn’t have time to buy a gift, so he sent cash instead. Ten thousand dollars—for a betrothal gift!”

Their joy was blinding.

Only then did Verena notice me standing there. Her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembling.

“Sister… you know everything?”

She wore that familiar fragile look, the one that always won their sympathy.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen. It was Brother Nick who said he never really wanted to marry you. So… Mom and Dad thought of me instead. Please don’t be mad, okay?”

I froze.

“He said that?”

“Yes. Last time I went to his company to deliver a contract, he mistook me for you. When he realized I wasn’t, he invited me to dinner.”

Verena lowered her gaze. “He said… he knew you’d been gone for eight years. His parents don’t want a daughter-in-law with no education. They just didn’t know how to break it off with you.”

Something inside me shattered, then stitched itself back together with jagged edges. My smile felt uglier than a cry.

Mom rolled her eyes, contempt written all over her face.

“What did I tell you? He’s not blind. You were just a fling to him—how could he possibly choose you for marriage? If I hadn’t introduced Verena, he’d have dumped you long ago.”

She jabbed a finger at me. “And you still dare get angry? Can’t you see I’m doing this for your own good?”

Verena’s eyes filled with tears as she tugged at my sleeve.

“Sister… if you really like Brother Nick, you can secretly pretend to be me after we get married and meet him. I don’t mind—we’re sisters, after all.”

I’d seen this act too many times. Every time she wanted something, she’d offer it to me first “out of kindness.” The next day, my parents would buy it for her, praising her as sweet and selfless. Meanwhile, my tears only made me the problem child.

I smiled faintly. “No need. After tonight, you’ll be the only daughter in this family. You don’t have to keep pretending.”

I turned away to pack my bags. Verena’s expression shifted instantly.

“Mom, she’s really leaving? What about my one-thousand-five-hundred-allowance?”

“You’d better think of something,” she hissed.

Dad snorted. “Allowance? She wants back all the money she gave me before! What kind of debt collector did I raise? If I’d known she’d turn out like this, I’d have let her rot in the countryside!”

They argued outside my door for a long time. By the time I zipped my suitcase, their tones had changed completely.

Mom walked in with a plate of sweet-and-sour ribs, her voice suddenly soft.

“Mira, you’ve had such a hard day at work, haven’t you? Did something happen at the office to upset you? Your parents were just harsh earlier—don’t take it to heart. We’re your family. We’d never hurt you.”

I looked at the dish, cold and unmoved.

“Mom, I actually hate eating meat. Every time I do, I throw up for hours. Do you know why?”

Her smile stiffened. “Why? You never told me that.”

“Because ten years ago, you never fed me. I was starving. I had no choice but to dig bugs from the ground and catch mice in the house.”

My voice was calm, as if I were reciting someone else’s story.

Dad’s face darkened. “Eat it or not, don’t trouble your mother!”

Verena shot him a warning glance, then turned back to me with her sugary smile.

“Sis, if you don’t like it, just stop eating it at home. Mom means well—you can’t make her sad. What’s past is past. By dragging it up, aren’t you stabbing Mom and Dad in the heart?”

I met her gaze.

“Verena, do you know how revolting your acting is?”

I lifted my bag. “If you’re done, move. I have overtime tonight. I’ll sort out the accounts and transfer the money back.”

I headed for the door. Behind me, Mom dropped to the ground, clutching her head and sobbing.