"Stop trying to deny it, Eleanor. I know exactly what you're thinking. You must be jealous of Rhianne. I never thought you'd become so cunning! You say everything's fine, but your actions clearly show you wish nothing but harm upon her. I feel ashamed to have ever called you my sister."

After Jeffrey spat out those nasty words, he raised a hand over his mouth. A hint of unease flashed across his face. He knew his words would hurt me, knew I wouldn't be able to handle them. Yet, he said them anyway.

"Jeff, don't say that about her. It's all my fault. It's been a long time since I've done any chores—I must have just forgotten."

Rhianne tried to smooth things over, but Ivor only glanced at me with dissatisfaction.

"Rhianne, you're too kind. That's why this woman keeps bullying you over and over again. Look at your hand! It's so red. Come on, let's get some ointment on it."

Though Jeffrey didn't criticize me further, his expression made it clear he blamed me too.

"Clean up the kitchen."

Before he walked out the door, Ivor tossed me a glance.

This time, I had no expectations and, therefore, no disappointment. Still, the pain was unbearable. It felt like my knees were about to give out.

"Miss, do you need any help?"

The enormous kitchen was in a state of chaos. The passing household staff only whispered among themselves, unwilling to lend a hand. Only one young girl stood behind me, cautiously offering her support.

"It's okay. I'll manage."

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain in my calf. The girl blinked apologetically and pointed at the blisters forming on my skin.

"I think you should do something about those burns, miss. Scars won't look good on a girl."

Her voice was soft, and her hands were quick. Within minutes, the kitchen was spotless.

"Thank you."

I hadn't realized until just now how much I was hurting. If it weren't for the girl, I might have collapsed unnoticed.

"You don't need to thank me, miss. Don't feel bad; I believe in you. You have such a kind heart, and that's why others bully you. Let me help you get some ointment."

For the first time since returning to this house, I felt a shred of kindness.

It was a strange sensation, like my years of effort had finally yielded a small reward.

Later that evening, I lay in bed researching after tending to my wounds. My thoughts were interrupted by laughter that came from outside the door.

They were about to head out. Following Rhianne's minor burn earlier that day, they had planned a trip abroad to cheer her up.

"Are we not inviting El?"

Before they left, I overheard Rhianne's concerned question.

Ivor, in his typical dismissive tone, paid her a few compliments and casually replied, "There's no need. She's old enough. Besides, she's traveled to so many places since she was a kid. It's not like she needs to fight you for one reward. Let's just go ourselves. She'd probably just cause you trouble if she did come."

His tone carried the same arrogant confidence it always had. Whenever I got bullied when I was younger, he would pull me close and tell others, "She's mine. No one gets to mess with her."

As the light from my laptop faded and reignited, the darkness hid my tears.

As it turned out, love could never disappear—it just found someone else to hold onto.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of my departure, which also happened to be my birthday.

Every year, Jeffrey would throw a grand banquet for me, inviting people from all over in my honor.

Ivor, in particular, would always prepare the most unique, extravagant gifts. And none of them were repeated.

For many years, I always looked forward to this day of the year. This time, however, I had my head hung low.

"Miss, Mr. Shaw said he will be taking Ms. Rhianne out for the day, so he won't be coming back."

The servant cast me a disdainful glance, silently mocking my lack of self-awareness.

I turned a blind eye and went into the kitchen to cook myself a meal.

Over the years, I had never once done housework. Jeffrey rarely let me into the kitchen. I could only make soup. As a result, Ivor had honed his cooking skills to cater to my picky tastes.

Cooking for myself filled me with a strange mix of desolation and accomplishment.

So this was how it felt to cook your own meal. I closed my eyes, trembling as tears escaped and fell into the food.

"Happy birthday, Eleanor Shaw," I whispered to myself. "Keep moving forward—onward forever. Even if no one loves you, there's still light at the end of the tunnel. As Jeffrey said, you have enjoyed over 20 wonderful years of wealth and privilege. You've had it good."

Just like that, I repeated words of comfort to myself as I wiped away my tears. I moved all my belongings that I had sorted out over the past two weeks in the living room.

Aside from a few items of clothing in an unsellable state, I had converted all my jewelry into cash.

I managed to bag 1.6 million dollars in total, a sum not enough to repay everything I'd spent over the years. However, the state had given out subsidies to everyone participating in the new program.

I transferred that money to my family's account, too. If it still wasn't enough, I could only remit part of my monthly salary back home.

"Eleanor, what in the world are you doing?"

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Jeffrey's return. He was headed straight for the study.

I knew that I shouldn't be expecting anything, but on a day like today, I couldn't help it.

I turned to him. "Jeff, hi."

That familiar word felt surprisingly heavy on my tongue. Jeffrey stopped in his steps, and I noticed the bunch of keys in his hand.

They were pink—my favorite color, just as I remembered.

"Why do you have the keys?"

My question was somewhat redundant. He shot me a look of displeasure and said, "Rhianne doesn't have a place of her own yet. This villa has just been completed and is now ready; I'm taking her to view it. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope."

I clasped my hands behind my back, digging my nails into my skin until I bled. Jeffrey looked at me and continued, "Stop playing these childish games, Eleanor. Ives and I were the ones who funded the construction of these villas. We can give it to whoever we want. You've already taken more than enough. Remember, Rhianne is my real sister. She is the rightful Ms. Shaw and deserves to live a life our family can provide. Do you hear me?"

"Crystal clear." I nodded meekly.

It was then that his gaze fell on the feast I had prepared. He sighed in annoyance. "I can't believe I forgot it's Rhianne's birthday today. Eat up by yourself. I'm leaving now."

So he did remember. My carefully composed thoughts unraveled completely.

If Jeffrey remembered, Ivor surely did, too.

Yet, they couldn't care less. They only had Rhianne in their eyes. Even the house they had prepared for me now belonged to her.

I had always known my place. In fact, I felt guilty toward Rhianne.

But the truth was I had never wanted to fight her for anything—not this home, my brother, or Ivor.

As long as she wanted it, I was willing to give it all up.

I only had one small wish—to share a meal together. But now, it seemed even that was merely a dream.

It was about time for me to leave. Only then would they all be happy.

"Ms. Shaw, are none of your family seeing you off?"

The staff member who came to pick me up glanced curiously at the villa behind me.

The scoop about the legitimate and imposter daughters had become the talk of the town, and the man seemed to recognize me. He assumed the online rumors were exaggerated, but he now realized I had fallen so low.

"No."

Without saying anything else, I loaded my suitcase into the boot and climbed into the car. The sky erupted with breathtaking fireworks, their brilliant colors blending with drone displays. It was a mesmerizing sight, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"Happy Birthday, Rhianne," the drones spelled out the words in neat rows, and the car fell into silence.

Today was also Rhianne's birthday. We were born on the same day and mistakenly switched at birth. With this knowledge, they still chose to give me nothing.

"Ms. Shaw, isn't it your birthday too?" asked the driver in a stupor as it dawned on him.

I lifted my phone and snapped a photo of the scene before me.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go."

As the car merged into traffic, the sounds of celebration grew more and more distant.

Two days later, Jeffrey and Rhianne returned to the villa, having exhausted themselves.

Jeffrey sensed something amiss. In the past, I would have greeted him at the door. But this time, there was nothing—just an unnervingly quiet house.

"Eleanor?"

Ivor seemed to also notice something odd. He scanned the villa with a stiffened expression. Their initial assumption was that I was upset and throwing a tantrum. Rhianne, in particular, felt genuinely remorseful.

"Ives, Jeff, is El mad at me? I told you it was her birthday too. But neither of you was willing to come back and wish her. How could you? She grew up with the two of you! This is all my fault—I shouldn't have shown up in the first place."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked broken-hearted, as though she were the one who had been abandoned.

"Rhianne, stop talking nonsense. None of this is your fault. She's just too sensitive. You've gone so many years without celebrating your birthday—what does it matter if she skips one? In fact, I'd love to see what kind of tantrum she's throwing this time."

That was the first time Jeffrey had lost his temper in the villa. The household staff were trembling with fear, yet no one could explain my whereabouts.

On the day of my departure, I deliberately chose a time during their break to leave. That was why no one had set eyes on me in the past two days. No one realized I had already left this place for good.

"What's all this about?"

Jeffrey frowned at the items I left in the living room. They were hard to miss.

He knew full well that those were all the gifts he and Ivor had given me over the years.

"What is she trying to do? Is she crazy?"

Ivor stopped before a pair of plaster figurines. They were crafted in our likeness, once my most treasured possession.

But there they were now, sat in the living room gathering dust. Annoyed, Ivor whipped out his phone to call me.

"Get Eleanor from her room right now."

An unsettling feeling gnawed at Jeffrey. For some reason, he felt this time was different, as if I were intending to sever all ties with them.

They all felt a hint of panic, yet stubbornly refused to admit it. They were masking their guilt under the guise of indifference.

Half an hour of searching later, there was still no sign of me. They also discovered that I had blocked all three of their numbers.

Jeffrey was growing anxious. He had always believed I was in the wrong for what happened to Rhianne. In his eyes, his neglect and cold treatment were his way of avenging his real sister.

Nevertheless, he never thought of abandoning me, nor did he expect me to disappear from their lives.

"Mr. Shaw."

A maid in the living room spoke up after finding a note and a bank card I had left behind.