Chapter 2

Thinking back now, that lavish dinner, those sweet words of comfort, and that warm family night—they were all a sickening lie.

It was their celebration dinner.

But the guest of honor wasn't me. It was Chloe.

Instinctively, I wanted to take a step closer to hear more clearly, but my hand lost all strength. The glass slipped from my fingers and shattered onto the hardwood floor with a loud crash. Shards flew everywhere.

The bedroom instantly went dead silent.

The door swung open violently, and my mother’s face appeared in the doorway.

When she saw it was me, a flash of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly masked it.

Forcing a smile, her tone carried an edge of interrogation. "Why aren't you sleeping at this hour? What are you doing standing out here?"

I stared at her blankly, my mind a complete void. My throat felt like it was clogged with concrete. It took me forever to squeeze out a few words. "I... I was thirsty. I wanted to get some water."

My father stepped out behind her. His eyes swept over my face before he patted my mother's shoulder. "Alright, alright. The kid was just thirsty. Why are you being so harsh?"

My mother’s expression softened immediately. She bent down, picking up the broken glass. "Honestly, Nora, you can’t even hold a glass of water without breaking it. Go back to bed. I'll clean this up."

I twitched the corners of my mouth, trying to force a smile, though I had no idea if it actually looked like one.

I turned around to walk back to my room. As I passed by my parents' open door, I glanced inside.

Chloe was leaning against the headboard, scrolling through her phone. Sensing my shadow, she raised her eyes.

Her face was adorned with a bright, mocking smirk.

I knew that smirk all too well.

Growing up, every time I got yelled at by my parents, every time I brought home a perfect report card only to be told I wasn't good enough, and every time I stood in the corner watching the three of them act like a perfect family, Chloe would wear that exact smirk.

It was the smile of a victor.

It was smug, boastful, and the cheap pity of a favored child looking down on the unloved one.

I lowered my gaze and quickened my steps back into my bedroom.

The moment the door clicked shut, my knees gave out. I slid down against the doorframe, my back pressed against the cold wood, and the tears finally poured down my face uncontrolled.

Chloe and I were identical twins.

We looked exactly the same. Same eyes, same height, even our voices sounded identical.

Outsiders could never tell us apart. Sometimes even our teachers would call us by the wrong name.

But our parents never made that mistake.

Not because they understood me so well, but because in their eyes, I simply did not exist.

For as long as I could remember, I had lived with Grandma Evelyn in a small, rural town upstate.

My parents kept Chloe with them in their wealthy suburban home. They only visited us briefly during the holidays, rushing through a quick dinner before driving back.

Whenever they visited, Chloe was always wrapped in my mother's arms. My father would buy her designer clothes and the newest gadgets, their laughter echoing through the small house.

Meanwhile, I would sit quietly next to Grandma Evelyn, watching them like I was watching a movie that had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Grandma once told me that when my mother was in labor, there were severe complications. The doctor said it was a critical situation and asked who they should save.

Without a single second of hesitation, my father chose Chloe.

Ultimately, both of us survived, but from that day on, my mother always believed I was born under a curse, a bad omen that had almost killed her precious Chloe.

I didn't believe in curses. But I did believe one thing: from the day I was born, I was never their choice.

Grandma Evelyn was the only light in my life.

She wasn't highly educated, but she taught me how to read, do math, and most importantly, how to be honest and kind.

She always said, "Nora, you have to study hard. Get into a great college, and you will never have to rely on anyone else."

I started school at six, walking two miles along a dirt road every single day to get to the local school.

Chloe had our parents driving her back and forth in a luxury SUV, while I walked alone in the wind.

On rainy days, Chloe had parents waiting with umbrellas. I only had my backpack to shield my head as I ran home.

But I never felt miserable, because Grandma Evelyn was always waiting for me.

She would have a warm bowl of soup waiting on the stove, dry my wet clothes, and sit beside me under the dim lamp while I did my homework.

Her back grew more hunched over the years, and her eyes grew cloudy, but every time I brought home a first-place ribbon, her face would light up with joy.

"Our Nora is the smartest girl in the world," she would say, stroking my hair. "You’re going to college in the big city."