I never imagined that Mom would wipe her tears and call me wasteful, while Dad took out his belt and beat me until I was covered in bruises. He even yelled that I was nothing but a parasite leeching off them.

After that, William grabbed me by the collar and shoved me straight out the door. As I tumbled down the villa's steps and landed in the muddy, filthy water on the ground, Selene walked over, surrounded by a protective circle of maids.

She pretended to help me up but leaned close to my ear and whispered a cruel truth, "Do you know why they won't let you study abroad? It was because I told them I was under so much stress from how outstanding you were that I broke out in acne.

"They felt sorry for me, so they insisted on keeping you tied down here."

At that moment, I finally understood the reality I should have stopped wishing for long ago.

Mom and Dad never loved me, and William had long become someone else's brother. Moreover, Selene never had to go through any of the so-called tests Mom and Dad kept talking about.

During the two days of the SATs, I completed all the procedures for studying abroad with Ms. Decker's help. Once everything was settled, there were still 15 days left before departure.

Ms. Decker said she had organized a trip to the amusement park for the whole class to relax. Having never been to an amusement park before, I excitedly accepte the invitation.

Just as I arrived at the park entrance, I received a call from William.

"Aster, come home quickly. Mom's headaches are acting up again."

Thinking this would be my last chance to fulfill my duty as a daughter in this life, I reluctantly turned down Ms. Decker and rushed home in a panic.

What greeted me, though, was a cream cake smashed right into my face. The hard cake topper sliced through my skin. Blood mixed with icing, completely blurring my vision and making me instinctively hop and rub my eyes, desperate to clear my sight.

The whole house erupted in roaring laughter, with Selene laughing the loudest of all.

"Mom, Dad, William, look at Aster! Doesn't she look just like a stray dog?"

If it were before, I would've definitely swallowed my pride and barked a few times like a dog, just to earn the tiniest scrap of parental affection. But this time, I truly no longer wanted to please anyone.

I silently wiped the mess from my face with my sleeve and turned to leave without saying a single word.

A second later, Selene began sobbing softly. "Aster, don't you like the surprise I prepared for you?"

Immediately after, a loud slap sent me tumbling to the ground. My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

Dad pointed at me angrily and shouted, "Aster, get on your knees and apologize to Selene! Do you have any idea how much effort she put into planning this surprise party for after your SATs?"

William, his face full of pain, held Selene protectively in his arms. "Exactly! Do you know how much extra tip Selene paid the delivery person just to get this cake in such terrible weather?

"If you can't appreciate it, fine—but why do you have to come back and make the whole family suffer your bad mood?"

Mom, whom William had described as suffering from a splitting headache, spoke with full energy and volume.

"It's all my fault for letting her come back, all for the sake of so-called blood ties. If I had known that she'd turn out to be such an ingrate, I would've just left her to rot in those mountain hovels."

Mom's words cut me deep.

I wiped the blood from my face and stood, my gaze sweeping past each of them without a trace of emotion.

This was the family I had once tried so hard to make things right with.

Even though I hadn't said a single word, I had become a villainess beyond redemption, all because I didn't play long with their beloved Selene's humiliation act.

Fine. Maybe it was better this way. At least now, I wouldn't have to feel guilty about leaving.

"I'm sorry, Selene. I really did like the cake," I said sincerely and earnestly. "William said Mom's headache was acting up, so I was a little anxious." I paused, then turned to Mom. "Mom, is your head still hurting?"

Hearing this, Mom, Dad, and William all looked a little uncomfortable, each in their own way. Even Selene, who had been pretending to be pitiful, froze for a moment.

They were probably wondering why, after all her provocation on the day of the SATs, I still wasn't causing a scene or making a fuss.

I just said calmly, "Mom, Dad, William, I just got back and am a little tired. May I go to my room now?"

Dad cleared his throat and said, "Go ahead."

I turned and started walking upstairs. But I'd only taken a few steps when Selene, unwilling to let it go, called out, "Aster, wait! Mom, Dad, William—look! Aster's new dress is so pretty!

"It's strange, though. Aster, shouldn't you be broke? So, where did this dress come from?"

After seeing how soaked I was, Ms. Decker bought me this dress to change into on the day of the SATs. It was just a plain, simple white maxi dress.

But with the way Selene asked, it sounded as if my dress had come from some shady source or I had done something disgraceful to get it.

Hearing this, Dad, who was always so stern, narrowed his eyes.

"Aster, be honest with us. Where did you get that dress? Have you done anything to bring shame to our family?"

Mom clutched her chest in agony. "What sin have I committed to raise a daughter who doesn't even know how to respect herself?"

Seeing her tactics work, Selene continued in a deliberately innocent tone, "Dad, Mom, how can you talk about Aster like that? She really does respect herself. In school, many guys are always circling around her, but she only accepts their gifts and money.

"She never actually gets into a relationship with any of them, so don't worry. It's just a dress, and plenty of guys are willing to pay for her things anyway."

If this had happened in the past, I would've desperately explained myself and tried everything to prove my innocence, just to salvage my image in my parents' eyes.

But now, I just stared blankly at Selene's smug, gloating face.

In the years since my return, she had come up with many schemes just to push me completely out of the family—from accusing me of poisoning her food to stealing the birthday gift I worked so hard to make for Mom and claiming it as her own.

She also led the bullying against me at school and spread vile rumors about me everywhere.

And yet, clinging to that faint hope of family affection, I even tried to please her. In fact, I never dared to say a single word against her to Mom and Dad.

Looking back now, the whole thing was really laughable.

Seeing that I still hadn't said a single word in my own defense, William took my silence as an admission of guilt.

After striding toward me, he grabbed my collar and snarled, "You shameless good-for-nothing! How dare you wear something so filthy and unclean!"

Then, without any regard for propriety or the fact that the maids were present, he began tearing at my dress.

The back zipper split open, and I was on the verge of being exposed. In a moment of desperation, I slapped him across the face.

Instantly, the entire room fell silent.

Clutching his cheek, William asked me in disbelief, "Aster, are you out of your mind?"

With reddened eyes, I stared at the man who wanted to strip me bare in front of everyone.

I knew then without a doubt that he was no longer the boy from my childhood who carried me on his shoulders and promised that I'd always be his little princess.

Trembling, I clutched the front of my dress tightly to keep it from slipping down.

An overwhelming sense of humiliation nearly choked me. I bit my lip as hard as I could to keep myself from crying out loud.

"So, you do know it's impossible to live without a single cent to your name. But you're wrong. Even though I grew up in the mountains, I'm not as shameless as you think. I just don't understand why you always assume the worst of me."

Mom and Dad didn't bother giving me an explanation. Instead, they just shoved me into the detention room on the third floor.

Mom and Dad told me to reflect on why I had spoken to them in such a harsh tone.

Previously, I used to be terrified of being locked in here and making a mistake that would disappoint them. But I now understood that I was never the one at fault. It was just that they were used to holding power over me.

Lying on the cold floor, I scrolled through funny videos my classmates had shared in the group chat, then fell asleep without a care.

I didn't know how much time passed before the ringing of my phone woke me up.

It was Mom. Her voice was soft, but her tone was accusing as she said, "Aster, Ms. Decker explained to us that she bought the dress for you, so it was indeed a misunderstanding on our part. But why didn't you speak up in your own defense?

"Did you want us to feel guilty on purpose? Selene was so upset, thinking she had caused us to misunderstand you, that she didn't even eat breakfast. To help her feel better, we're taking her on a trip abroad.

"Spend these next few days at home alone and really think about what you've done." Mom paused, then added, "We'll bring you a gift when we come back."

After hanging up the phone, I couldn't help but laugh. What was that last remark supposed to be? An olive branch? Comfort? Or compensation born from guilt?

Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.

The moment William tore my dress, whatever remained of my hope for this family vanished completely. Perhaps it was for the best.

Actually, it was good that they weren't here, as it saved me a lot of trouble. In the last few days I had left, I could quietly erase every trace of myself from this house.

12 days before leaving the country, I burned the little notebook where I had recorded my family's preferences and tastes to ashes. From now on, I would never have to study them so carefully again.

Seven days before leaving, I permanently deleted the dozens of gigabytes of rare music resources I had collected for William from my computer.

Five days before leaving, I threw all the magnesium lotion I had made for Mom and Dad into the toilet.

Three days before leaving, I gathered all the evidence of Selene's bullying and schemes against me over the years. Then, I handed it to Ms. Decker, asking her to give it to Mom and Dad when the time was right.

The day before I was set to leave, I packed what little belongings I had.

Mom and Dad had never bought me much, so everything I brought with me three years ago was all I had left. In other words, nothing had changed.

The small room they had begrudgingly given me looked exactly the same as it did when I arrived three years ago, and it would remain the same after I left.

On the morning of my departure, Mom, Dad, William, and Selene finally returned from their trip. As soon as Selene walked in, she handed me a small box with her usual cheerful smile.

"Aster, I'm so sorry. We were in a bit of a rush, so we only got you this."

I glanced down. The so-called gift turned out to be her half-eaten, long-cold in-flight meal.

I scoffed and tossed it straight into the trash.

Dad's expression darkened immediately. "Aster, what have you been reflecting on all these days at home? Is this how you respond to Selene's kindness?"

William chimed in, pulling Selene closer, "It was just a misunderstanding over something small back then. Do you really have to hold a grudge this long? We were just worried you'd go down the wrong path!"

"William, it's okay. If Aster doesn't like it, I'll buy her something else next time. Or I can go buy something for her right—"

Before Selene could finish speaking, Mom, who had just gone upstairs to put away her luggage, came running back down. Her eyes red, she grabbed my shoulders and demanded, "Aster, what happened to your room? Why is it empty? Where did everything go?"