ehaving like a spoiled child who couldn't stand t

with her

as so stunned tha

ven think of

ts, Penelope suddenly did something

the hospital bed and

die

ack, my brows drawing tog

you doing?

s, her expression suddenly changing

our family," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm trying to make

of my neck. Something about the sudd

too s

elibe

me, I knew she wasn't doing this because

around to know that someone

ld fe

nged, and Penelope's sudden p

meone to see

s the loving older sister trying her

owing even softer. "We're just friends, and maybe that's why he's close

ddenly burs

clung to me, her shoulders shaking as

How da

h the room. Everything happened so qu

to my leg, crying as though I ha

mother stoo

my mouth, her hand came

AC

ded hard aga

me stumbling to the floor. I staggered for a moment, struggling t

widened

mother, unable to believ

even looking

ing an arm around her shoulders as though she we

ust. "Wasn't pushing your sister in the pool enough? And

there,

was nothing compared to the hurt

teful bitch!" she continued,

her, unabl

giving bir

caught in

ver have brou

ything around me s

pounding in my ears, but I c

eart were being squeezed until it could no longer take t

inally spi

s back, comforting her with the kind of aff

h was so

on was so fu

ng why I had never received

en lost

turned to their side, but I

aveling to their mansion for the first time. I had be

y parents again, to meet my older brothers, and to em

way they looked at me, th

ad brushed

ps they simply weren't u

n't know how t

hey were worried about what I had gone throu

excuse because I wanted so bad

return, including what was happening right in front of m

as noth

tiny piec

our mother's arm. "What she said was true. She's the one who's engag

at her in

still

pret

make herself loo

believe how good

ecome an actress if s

ia so badly? Fine,

about?" My father's voice sud

doorway and saw Da

ith anger, and his eyes immediate

w breath bef

lied, my voice surprisingly steady desp

ned toward

ely want them, t

es fli

lf to meet their gazes even though e

ents or a family

ungrateful!" m

ough the room, makin

back, we gave

oment before letting ou

couldn't stop myself from laughi

repeated, shaking my head. "

pposedly sympathetic eyes. "You're hurting Mommy and Daddy with the things you're saying. They re

her, my expressi

o make me look like th

parents believe that I w

s," my mother said, tighteni

wly n

s

d directly a

wn clothes and jewelry is the

face immedia

s?" he demanded. "Penelope hersel

another

cou

about defending Penelope than und

espond when Pene

d, looking at me with an expression of exaggerated hurt. "Since you came from suc

topped before fini

't need to s

ication

ic, dissatisfied with what she had given me,

my mother shouted, pointing a finger at me whil

as twisted

y not worthy of being part of

ere, stari

lap, and my tears had already

noticed any o

as the crushing we

voice trembling with rage. "I should have told the Murphy family that

was

hurt more than what they

mother completely shattered

ed me in her womb for nine mont

ad given birth to me look

d been stabbed right

ldn't

ldn't

e, staring at her as my

mply because I wanted to fe

wrong to re

l. They had given me everything they could,

een too

iological family that I had abandone

t made my

ed to

he Garci

up, where I had been loved without

s she tried to comfort our parents. "She was deprived of everything when she was sepa

d my gaze towa

ooked at

ession, but this time, I caught the fain

smilin

er my mother nor m

inside me fi

t take it

tend that she was the victim while everyone else tre

en think twice, I

d her away from our mot

AC

nected with

parents shou

backward, her ey

mediately sh

d but kept

recover, my father

my face, delivering

AC

napped to

uldn't even proces

my ears rang from t

ned back towa

m, my eyes wide

at me as though

ible person who had commit

n a trace of gui

gle sign

pe, while my father glared at

my lips

to say

ow they could do this

tter a single word,

are no longer pa

complete

s, leaving me unable to mo

nothing more than to be

their unfair treatment because I believed that so

e ones telling me tha

d at my

my fa

on Penelope, who was st

ed to the Garcia family, I no longer felt

ly understo

iting to bring home. I was simply the