The instant the name Renee reached Scarlett's ears, she froze, as if turned to stone. Only her blood relatives would know that name.
She'd grown up in an orphanage, never once considering that she might have been lost. But now, it seemed, she had family after all.
Scarlett took a long while to process the weight of this revelation, and all she could do was ask the person on the other end of the line for proof.
After three hours of conversation, she finally came to accept the truth—the man on the phone was, without a doubt, her biological brother, Eamon Callahan.
At that moment, it was as if all the years of sorrow and resentment she had been holding in had finally found a way to break free.
Eamon explained that the Callahans were the wealthiest family around. After Scarlett had gone missing, they searched relentlessly for her.
When their efforts within the country failed, they broadened their search overseas, holding on to the hope that they might uncover any trace of her.
Now that they had finally found her, they were eager for her to return home so the family could be together again and make up for all the lost time.
Eamon didn't know the details of what she had gone through. His focus was solely on her current situation.
"Renee, have you been okay all this time? Don't worry. Mom, Dad, and I will make sure you get the best of everything. By the way, are you seeing anyone?
"I've been keeping an eye out for a good match for you all these years, just waiting for the day you'd come home and pick. My sister deserves nothing but the best." Eamon's voice cracked a little.
Scarlett felt her own eyes start to burn with emotion. She had had a boyfriend once.
She remembered the first time she saw Calvin, how he had completely taken her breath away. And she'd never forget the moment he confessed his feelings to her, the burst of joy within her like fireworks igniting the night sky.
During those years, he had been by her side, chasing sunsets, watching the stars, and even setting up romantic firework shows to make her smile. He had fought for her, once fracturing two ribs in the process.
One night, he'd driven through a snowstorm for miles to bring her the sour cherry sorbet she'd been craving. And when she had her cramps, he'd gently massaged her and brewed chamomile tea to help soothe her.
He'd promised her he'd always be her knight in shining armor. But that vow ended the day Sharon returned. Once Sharon was back, Scarlett was no longer the only one who held a place in Calvin's heart.
Scarlett couldn't bring herself to go over everything that had happened over the years.
Holding back tears, she replied, "I'm not seeing anyone, Eamon. I'll start the paperwork right away. I'm coming home to be with all of you."
After a few more exchanges, they ended the call reluctantly.
Scarlett lay in bed, restless, unable to find sleep.
Staring into the darkness of her room, her mind drifted back to when Eugene had gone out of his way to create a cozy, enchanting princess-themed bedroom for her when he first brought her home.
When nightmares plagued her, he brought in one therapist after another to help her confront her fears. Every night, without exception, he'd read her bedtime stories, his voice calm and soothing until she fell asleep.
Eugene had always spoken to her in the gentlest tones, introducing her to everyone as his beloved sister and granting her every wish without a second thought.
But the second Scarlett closed her eyes, her dreams were consumed by the horrors of her time in prison—the food laced with grit, the inmates who beat her without mercy, and the guards who threw cruel taunts her way.
She woke with a cry, her fingers brushing the wet streaks on her cheeks. She sat there alone, her heart slowly calming only when the first light of dawn appeared.
Scarlett collected her identification papers and headed to the immigration office to submit her application for an immigrant visa.
The process was already underway, and it wouldn't be long before she'd be reunited with her true family, leaving this place behind once and for all.
As dusk fell, Scarlett arrived home and was deliberately bumped into by Sharon. The folder she held slipped from her hands, its contents nearly scattering across the floor.
Trying to keep her departure under wraps, she scrambled to gather the papers and quickly headed to her room. But Sharon blocked her path, holding up a trophy with a smug gleam in her eyes.
"Scarlett, you've turned into a nervous wreck after four years in prison, haven't you? Guess you've realized you're not made for the spotlight anymore, huh? Take a look at this—Best New Artist. Pretty impressive, right?
"I've got you to thank for all those songs you left behind. They've been my ticket to winning awards and breaking into the music industry."
Scarlett bit her lip, fighting the intense anger bubbling up inside her. She knew Sharon was trying to provoke her, so she ignored the bait, turning to walk away.
But just as she turned, a hard shove knocked her off balance. Her feet got tangled, and with a sickening thud, her head collided with a nearby vase display.
The glass shattered, shards flying in every direction, slicing into her skin and leaving a trail of cuts. Her palm tore open, blood spilling out in a gruesome mess.
A sharp gasp of pain escaped Scarlett, and almost immediately, the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps pounded from upstairs. Sharon's demeanor changed in an instant.
She collapsed to the floor, tears welling up as she cried, "Scarlett, why would you push me like that?"
Calvin and Eugene's expressions darkened as they took in the scene, their eyes narrowing in anger.
Under their unwavering, piercing stare, Scarlett fought through the pain to defend herself. "I'm the one bleeding from the fall. Isn't it clear who pushed who?"
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have shown Scarlett the award I just won and upset her. She only acted on impulse and even tried to blame me for it. But please, don't hold it against her."
Even with all the evidence before them, as soon as Sharon spoke, Calvin and Eugene took her side without hesitation. Their anger immediately turned toward Scarlett.
"Sharon worked hard for everything she has now and earned it. How can you be so bitter and resentful?"
"We thought that time in prison might've changed you for the better, but it's only made things worse! Scarlett, I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am!"
They lifted Sharon, grabbed the first aid kit, and began tending to her wounds. As Scarlett watched them hover over Sharon, worry etched on their faces, she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Would you only believe I never hurt her if I were dead?" she asked.
At those words, Eugene finally turned to face Scarlett, his eyes meeting hers, a flicker of unease passing through them.
"Why would you say something like that about yourself? You've always been like a sister to me. I'd never wish anything bad on you."
Calvin's shoulders tensed, and he turned around in frustration, his voice stern. "Scarlett, I get that you're upset, but you can't just scare us like this. I'm already getting everything ready for the wedding. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you and I'm left all alone?"
It was the same thing Scarlett had heard countless times before.
They'd always said they cared about her, couldn't picture their lives without her, treated her like a sister, and loved her like a partner. Yet, they hurt her without a second thought.
What kind of brother or lover would do something like that?
She let out a bitter laugh, tears streaming down her face. She turned and made her way to her room alone. Her blood dripped, leaving a long, crimson trail on the floor as she walked.
In the stillness of her room, Scarlett carefully removed the glass shards from her wounds with a pair of tweezers.
Her hands shook, and beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead, trickling down and landing on the injury. Each drop sent a fresh jolt of sharp, stinging pain through her body.
Calvin and Eugene's voices drifted in from outside the door, gentle and comforting.
"Sharon, is it still hurting? Do you want me to put some ice on it?"
"Your hand's pretty bruised. Maybe we should have a doctor look at it, so it doesn't leave a scar."
Scarlett listened, her eyes closing as she fought to keep the flood of emotions at bay. When she had finished cleaning her wounds, she grabbed her phone and saw Sharon's taunting message.
"You honestly think they're keeping you around because they care? They're just too comfortable with holding on. Before long, they'll belong to me, heart and soul.
"Scarlett, you've been stealing my identity for years. Eugene and Calvin will spend the rest of their lives making it right with me. So, don't even think about going up against me! I'll see to it that you return everything you took. You'd better watch out!"
Scarlett knew every word Sharon said was the truth. As an adopted daughter, she could never measure up to the Swain family's biological child. So, she decided to leave Calvin's and Eugene's lives for good.
And when she vanished without a trace, Sharon wouldn't come out ahead, either. After all, the living could never outdo the dead.
Scarlett opened a shopping app and ordered a lifelike corpse. Once she got her immigrant visa, she'd fake her own death and disappear. From then on, she'd return to her birth name and start fresh.
She carefully placed the pinhole camera she'd picked up on her way home into her necklace. From this moment on, every step Sharon took would leave a trail.
…
As the first light of dawn began to filter through the windows, the housekeeper roused Scarlett from her sleep. When she sat up, she noticed Calvin and Eugene walking toward her with cameras, their faces etched with deep sorrow.
"Scarlett, Sharon's work has been exposed as plagiarized. It's causing a huge scandal. We need you to make a video admitting that you copied her work out of jealousy."
They handed her a phone, and Scarlett's gaze immediately landed on the trending topics at the top.
#MelodiaAwards'BestNewArtistAccusedOfPlagiarism
#SharonSuspectedOfStealingOthers'Work
It was then that Scarlett understood everything.
While Scarlett had been imprisoned, Sharon had taken Scarlett's original works, passing them off as her own to enter the competition. Sharon didn't realize Scarlett had posted some of those pieces online through a secondary account.
Now that Sharon's fame had grown, so had the attention, and the truth eventually surfaced. The internet erupted in anger, accusing her of plagiarism.
Scarlett shook her head, rejecting the idea. "She's the one who plagiarized me. She even went as far as using my identity to get into Berynthia University's School of Music. What's the problem with people online calling her out for plagiarizing?"
Calvin's anxiety spiked, and he reached out for her hand. "Scarlett, I know it's true. But Sharon's been devastated by all the backlash. She's even talked about ending her life. Can't you just help her out this one time?"
Eugene stepped in front of her, scrambling to make his case. "Sharon's career is at its peak right now. If this plagiarism scandal gets out, it'll destroy her! Can't you just cover for her this once?"
No matter how hard they pushed, Scarlett stood her ground. The whole situation felt utterly absurd to her.
Why should she be the one to take the fall for Sharon's mistakes? Just because she'd already been branded a killer and her reputation was in tatters?
The three were locked in a tense stalemate in the living room all morning. It wasn't until Sharon came downstairs, her eyes red and puffy as she called for Scarlett.
"Scarlett, I was wrong about everything that happened back then. I need to talk to you alone."
Scarlett wasn't interested in listening, but Calvin and Eugene practically forced her into the room. With no way out, she steeled herself and listened as Sharon started spilling her sob story.
"Five years ago, I was the one who pushed you down the stairs and caused your injury, but I pinned it on you. The time I fell into the water, that was me too, making it look like you were to blame…
"I know you must hate me for what I did, but I only acted that way because I felt like you were stealing my spot. You get that, don't you? Now, everyone's accusing me of plagiarism because I used your work. Can't you just help me out this one time?"
By the time Sharon was done, Scarlett had lost all patience. Without saying a word, she turned to leave. But just as her hand reached the door, a sharp scream sliced through the air behind her.
The door immediately swung open with a loud crash. Rage surged through Eugene and Calvin when they saw the deep gash on Sharon's wrist and the paring knife lying at Scarlett's feet.
Without giving Scarlett a chance to explain, they called for their bodyguards to haul her back to her room and lock the door behind her.
Later, they reached out to someone to create an AI-generated apology video featuring Scarlett and posted it online, enlisting a wave of influencers to share it everywhere.
It wasn't long before the online mob flooded Scarlett's social media, bombarding her with a torrent of hate.
"I always knew Sharon would never plagiarize. The adopted daughter in her family was the one who stole her work and released it first."
"Who does this nobody think she is, trying to steal Sharon's songs and pass them off as her own? How shameless!"
"If you can't come up with your own music, just do the world a favor and disappear. Plagiarists like you deserve nothing but a life of loneliness with no one around to pity you in your miserable existence!"
