Madilyn and I had been competing for a spot in a physics competition. For me, winning first place meant securing admission to a prestigious university, a dream I had worked tirelessly towards. My academic record, especially in science, was outstanding, while Madilyn’s performance was just above average. Even without me stepping aside, she had no chance of being selected.
But Lauren had other plans. She insisted that I compete under Madilyn’s name to ensure her daughter would get the spot. I firmly refused. This competition was too significant to me.
My professor had emphasized that my grades were among the best in the province and encouraged me to seize this rare opportunity that could open countless doors.
Then, with tears in her eyes, Madilyn clung to Lauren, playing the wounded sister. “She doesn’t want me to succeed,” she sobbed. “If she won’t help me, I’ll leave and go back to the Smith family.”
Enraged, Lauren slapped me hard across the face. The sting echoed in my ears, reviving painful memories of my time with the Smith family. When I looked up, Lauren’s voice cut through the haze, cold and seething.
“You ungrateful brat,” Lauren spat. “Maddy is your sister. You should be grateful she can take your spot.”
Grateful? My heart sank. Grateful for what—being used again? It was painfully clear—my biological family was no different from the Smiths. They saw me as nothing more than a tool to exploit.
I had sacrificed so much since childhood, always giving in, always compromising. But this time, my future was at stake. For the first time, I stood up to my biological mother.
“Give me back my ID and household registration,” I said, my voice steady but resolute. “I’m leaving.”
Lauren’s face went pale, not from fear of losing me but from the thought of losing the attention and prestige my accomplishments had brought them.
“Aliyah,” Lauren’s voice softened as she approached, her eyes brimming with false tears. “If you hadn’t upset me, I wouldn’t have reacted this way.”
I stared at her, feeling numb. Upset her? I was just trying to protect what was mine. How could that be upsetting?
I realized Lauren had never seen me as a daughter, never cared for me beyond what I could provide. Despite our blood ties, I had always been an outsider in my own home.
When Adrian arrived, he immediately sensed the tension and instinctively blamed me for being unreasonable.