My professor had emphasized that my grades were among the best in the province and encouraged me to seize this rare opportunity that could open countless doors.
Then, with tears in her eyes, Madilyn clung to Lauren, playing the wounded sister. “She doesn’t want me to succeed,” she sobbed. “If she won’t help me, I’ll leave and go back to the Smith family.”
Enraged, Lauren slapped me hard across the face. The sting echoed in my ears, reviving painful memories of my time with the Smith family. When I looked up, Lauren’s voice cut through the haze, cold and seething.
“You ungrateful brat,” Lauren spat. “Maddy is your sister. You should be grateful she can take your spot.”
Grateful? My heart sank. Grateful for what—being used again? It was painfully clear—my biological family was no different from the Smiths. They saw me as nothing more than a tool to exploit.
I had sacrificed so much since childhood, always giving in, always compromising. But this time, my future was at stake. For the first time, I stood up to my biological mother.
“Give me back my ID and household registration,” I said, my voice steady but resolute. “I’m leaving.”