Chapter 3

The next morning, as I went downstairs, I ran right into Liam near the staircase. My third brother had the most hostility towards the original Elara. He and Jessica were close in age, and their bond was the deepest. Perhaps Liam was simply too young. All he knew was that the sister he had pampered and protected his entire life had suddenly been replaced. This new girl, who had just been found, was going to steal everything from Jessica. He vented all his resentment on his biological sister. He resented her for shattering their perfect life. Little did he realize, the original Elara was the true innocent one. Liam looked at the obvious scald on my face, his eyes darting away. He deliberately didn’t speak to me, waiting for me to greet him. But I didn’t even glance at him, walking past him and away. Richard’s face was cold. “You’re a grown person, can’t you even treat a small scald yourself? What kind of impression will you make walking around like that?” Richard was a traditional patriarch, his eyes always on profits rather than family. He was probably just worried about me embarrassing him. Besides, the original Elara had only been home for half a year. She couldn’t play any instruments, paint, or excel in academics. Her grades were abysmal. She had no real value to him. Eleanor also looked disapproving. I scoffed internally. If it had been Jessica, she’d have probably been rushed to the emergency room the second it happened. Yet last night, not a single person had bothered to ask if I’d been scalded. Or if I was still hungry after eating so little. Their favoritism truly knew no bounds. “There’s no first-aid kit in my room.” Silence fell over the Richards family. Of course, the master bedrooms in the Richard family mansion were fully equipped. But when they brought the original Elara back, they made their biological daughter live in a guest room. And a guest room’s amenities were naturally sparse. The original Elara even used the public bathroom. Not one person offered to give the original Elara a different room. Eleanor looked at her daughter’s face, so similar to her own, flushed with the scald, and a flicker of panic crossed her heart. If it were Jessica, even a small injury would have the whole family doting on her. But when it came to me, there was no sound, no care. I was nothing like Jessica, not at all lovable. Liam retorted, “You didn’t say anything, how were we supposed to know it was that serious?” A dull ache started in my upper abdomen, and I couldn’t help but hunch over. The taste of blood welled up in my throat. I tugged at my backpack strap, my voice hoarse. “I’m going to school now.” Liam frowned. It felt like his imagination, but Elara’s posture seemed… off.