Chapter 3

Inside the police station interrogation room.

The officer, forced to work overtime past midnight, looked highly annoyed.

"Kid, you're still in high school. Why are you stealing?"

I bit my lip, my voice trembling but stubborn.

"I didn't steal it. My grandmother gave it to me."

The officer sighed.

"Look, everyone knows the Vance family only has one precious daughter, and they spoil her rotten. Your lie is a bit too..."

Right.

The Vance family had two daughters, but the world only knew Serena.

My chest felt suffocatingly tight, but I refused to back down.

The officer frowned. "Just sit here and think about it."

He walked out, but he didn't close the door all the way.

Richard and Eleanor's voices drifted in from the hallway.

"Eleanor, are we going too far with Sienna? What if she hates us? She is our flesh and blood, after all."

Eleanor scoffed. "It's just a game. Serena plays along fine. Why can't she?

"We'll bring her back in a few months. She's just stubborn. She needs to learn her lesson."

A cold sweat broke out over my body.

They thought they could just whistle and I'd run back, pretending nothing happened, playing the role of their obedient, quiet daughter.

But Richard, Eleanor... I was so, so tired.

The police said the Vances didn't want to press charges. They just wanted to keep me overnight to "teach me a lesson."

I hadn't eaten since yesterday's lunch.

In the middle of the night, my chronic stomach ulcer flared up. The pain was so intense I rolled onto the cold floor.

Growing up, I was never allowed to touch any food Serena liked.

They called it "being a good older sister."

With my three-hundred-dollar allowance, I had to budget every single cent just to buy basic groceries.

I worked myself to the bone after school—tutoring, washing dishes, managing local cybercafes.

I did anything that paid.

Over time, I developed severe stomach issues, but I couldn't afford the medication.

Once, when the pain was unbearable, I told Eleanor. She just snapped at me.

"Stop being so dramatic. Serena never fakes illnesses to beg for money."

My tears wet the concrete floor of the cell.

I curled into a ball in the corner, pressing my hands hard against my stomach.

The next day, I went to a nearby convenience store to grab a cheap sandwich.

At the register, the machine beeped.

"Declined. Insufficient funds."

Meeting the cashier's judgmental glare, my face burned with humiliation.

I was sure I had five hundred dollars left in that account—money I had painstakingly saved from tutoring.

How could it be empty?

I had to put the sandwich back. As I walked out, I ran straight into Serena, who was holding hands with Eleanor and Richard.

She had a bright, malicious smile on her face.

"Richard, Eleanor, wasn't that restaurant amazing? I don't have much money, so I could only treat you guys to a five-hundred-dollar lunch."

Five hundred dollars. Exactly five hundred dollars.

My stomach churned, and I shook with rage.

Serena fake-smiled and handed me a plastic bag, whispering in my ear, "Here. Our leftovers. Thanks for paying for our lunch, Sienna~"

The blood rushed to my head.

I shoved her away. "Serena! You went too far!"

The next second, Richard kicked me hard in the ribs.

I crashed against the brick wall. A rogue rusty nail tore into my palm, and blood began to gush instantly.

"Sienna! Serena was nice enough to bring you food, and you tried to hurt her! How can you be so evil?!"

Richard held Serena close, looking down at me with absolute disgust.

"Richard, my ankle hurts so bad... what if I can never walk again? Sob..."

Seeing Serena cry, Richard and Eleanor panicked.

"My precious baby, we're taking you to the ER right now."

They didn't look at me even once.

They left me sitting in the dirt, my hand covered in blood.