Chapter 1

My sister-in-law had her second baby, but I was the one who ended up with postpartum depression.

The moment she finished her month of confinement, the whole family took my scholarship money and drove off to the coast, leaving me with the newborn who was barely a month old.

Megan Cole had a flicker of worry and asked once whether I could really manage him. My mother answered for me before I could open my mouth.

"Relax! Dottie can absolutely handle it! She's looked after her little brother and her niece since she was small. She's got plenty of experience."

Right. Because I was the second child, the least-favored one in this house.

I'd finally gotten Kevin Mann and Lily raised, and now there was a newborn nephew to raise too, and every single one of them thought it was simply my job.

I'd argued about it. I'd fought about it. They didn't care in the slightest.

Not until Grandpa Mann called, and I couldn't hold it in anymore and broke down crying.

"Isn't Dottie going on the road trip with the rest of you? Every year I see her raising her brother, raising her niece, and now she has to raise her nephew too?"

My mother laughed, not caring at all how I felt.

"Who else would do it? She's the only one in this house with nothing to do. Let her build up some experience now. Once she graduates and gets married, she'll know how to raise her own kids."

Hearing that...

I knew it was time for me to go.

...

I couldn't hold back. I hid in my room and cried until I was empty.

My little nephew was already screaming with hunger, and the whole family was busy mapping out the road trip. Not one of them went to him.

It was as if, from this moment on, the baby was my responsibility.

My mother finally couldn't stand the crying. She didn't even knock, just barged in and jabbed a finger at my head, cursing at me.

"Are you deaf? Got feathers stuffed in your ears? Can't you hear your nephew crying?"

My brother came running in behind her, brows knit, glaring at me with pure disgust.

"Dorothy Mann, this is out of line. How can you be this lazy? Can't you see we're all busy? Go check on your nephew!"

Neither of them noticed my tears, or how red my eyes were. Only Kevin came in and saw.

"Ha, Dottie's crying, Dottie's crying!"

He clapped his hands, delighted, and what came out of his mouth wasn't comfort but something that cut deeper.

"I hate my sister most of all. It's great that she's crying. I love watching her cry."

My mother let out a cold snort.

My brother followed with a contemptuous clicking of his tongue, as though I'd committed some terrible crime, and they all started needling me with their snide remarks.

"Life's too comfortable for you, is it? Crying over nothing? What bad luck you bring. What's with the miserable face, like some jinx?"

"Have you been chatting with some sketchy man online? Got your heart broken by a con artist?"

"Tsk, tsk, what a useless daughter to raise. I always said I never wanted a girl. Too much trouble."

"Just don't go getting knocked up before marriage. That'd be a disgrace to die over. Soon as she graduates, we'll send her off to some matchmaking dates and marry her off."

...

They discussed me without mercy, as if I were an object they could buy and sell at will.

The baby was crying harder now, tearing his little lungs out, and my brother gave me a light kick, already out of patience.

"What are you standing around for? Go make his bottle, change his diaper, and wash his bottom with warm water while you're at it."

Looking at the wailing baby, I couldn't say what I felt. There was only one word filling my head: leave.

I soothed the baby the way I always did, then pulled up my job placement application and changed my choice from the company near home to the farthest, most remote firm on the list.

That region was so far out, with a harsh climate and rough conditions, that almost no one chose it.

Barely an hour after I made the change, I got a reply from that company, and my graduation file would be transferred along with me.

"Hello, Dorothy. Thank you for choosing our company. Within the next three business days, we will send your offer letter by email. Please report to the company within fifteen days of receiving it."

Hello!

I answered them silently in my heart, already looking forward to the days ahead more than I could say.