After two days of wandering, I finally drifted back to my home.

There he was—my brother Claud, leaning against the window, a cigarette between his fingers, brows furrowed as if deep in thought.

I scoffed.

Whatever he was thinking about, it definitely wasn't me.

A car slowly pulled up outside, confirming my suspicion.

Out stepped my parents and Olivia, my adopted sister.

Olivia was still wearing a cute headband from the amusement park, her limited-edition plush backpack hanging from her shoulder. She had her arm linked with my father on one side and my mother on the other.

She looked like she'd had the time of her life, and her hand, of course, was completely healed.

Not that it was ever a big deal—just a tiny burn, barely noticeable.

But my parents had fussed over her, making sure she didn't carry a single bag.

I watched as Claud stubbed out his cigarette and even changed his clothes before heading downstairs to greet them.

Oh, right.

Olivia hated the smell of smoke. My brother always made sure to put out his cigarette and freshen up before seeing her.

I remembered how, in the short few months since I'd come home, I had walked in on him smoking countless times.

I had even tried to gently remind him that smoking was bad for his health, covering my nose as I spoke.

And how had he reacted back then?

"Mind your own business," he had snapped.

Maybe I should've realized then that the brother I had fought so hard to reunite with wasn't the same one I had left behind.

But no, I had survived it all—the years of beatings from my adoptive parents, the endless hunger, the freezing winters.

I had made it through the long, grueling journey home, only to die at the hands of the person closest to me.

A surge of bitterness welled up inside me.

What had I done wrong?

Why had my life been filled with so much suffering?

The sound of laughter downstairs pulled me out of my thoughts.

Floating above, I watched as they gathered together.

My brother called for the maid to bring out a two-tiered cake.

It was far more beautiful than the one they had for my birthday.

I stared at it for a long time.

Was it someone's birthday?

I couldn't remember anyone's birthday being today.

The next second, my brother cleared up my confusion.

"Olivia's hand has recovered, so I got her this cake to celebrate!"

The realization hit me.

Of course. The cake was for Olivia.

She didn't even need it to be her birthday to get a lavish cake like that.

No wonder she had looked at me with such disdain on my birthday with that mocking smile, and she always said that I had never seen anything fancy.

She was right—I really hadn't seen anything like it before.

Because the parents who once loved and cherished me and the brother who once promised to protect me weren't mine anymore.

The warm, loving family of four celebrated the healing of a wound smaller than a fingernail.

My parents stood on either side of Olivia, gazing at her with such tenderness.

"Olivia, sweetheart, we'll never let you get hurt again," my father said softly.

"Seeing you in pain breaks our hearts," my mother added, stroking her hair.

Tears welled up in Olivia's eyes as she leaned into my mother's embrace.

"Thank you, Mom and Dad. You're both so nice to me."

My father ruffled her hair gently, smiling.

"Silly, you're our one and only princess. You deserve the best."

I had imagined this scene in my head a thousand times.

But in every version, it was me at the center of that love.

Yet here I was, an outsider, watching from the sidelines.

I could only huddle in the corner, filled with loneliness, envy, and grief.

I never thought anyone would bring me up in a moment like this, especially not Olivia.

She tilted her head, feigning innocence.

"Where's my sister? I haven't seen her today. Do you think she's avoiding me... because I ruined her own birthday party?"

The mention of me—a person so clearly unwelcome—was enough to make my parents' expressions sour.

Even Claud frowned slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for his pocket.

I knew he wanted to smoke because he was annoyed.

But with his little princess nearby, he resisted the urge.

My brother exchanged a glance with my parents before speaking, his voice calm and detached.

"Don't worry about her. She's been sent away to learn her lesson. Since she dared to hurt you, she'll have to pay the price.

Rest assured, Olivia. She'll never bother you in the future."