Mom disappeared ten years ago, and Dad has hated me for ten years. He hates me for causing Mom's disappearance. He hates my face that looks nothing like hers. So he adopted a girl who resembles Mom eighty percent, and spoiled her rotten. Dad took her traveling everywhere, brought her on parent-child variety shows, took her on talk shows, announcing to the whole world that she was the only daughter of the Foster family. Meanwhile, I wore ill-fitting clothes and lived in the servants' quarters of the Foster house. He let her bully me, slander me, and push me--someone who couldn't swim--into the artificial lake. He said this was what I deserved. I thought this was what I deserved too. Until my sixteenth birthday, when Mom came back. Three days from now would be my sixteenth birthday. Every year on this day, Dad would throw a birthday party for Sophia Foster. Every classmate except me had received Sophia Foster's birthday invitation. "Chloe, don't take it personally. Maybe the butler miscounted and missed one," Sophia said, standing by my desk with an apologetic expression. I kept my head down, working through practice problems with a blank face, not even glancing at her. I'd experienced Sophia Foster's endless little tricks for nearly ten years. I was used to it by now. "Sophia, why are you explaining anything to her?" A classmate who couldn't stand watching stood up to defend Sophia. "You're just too nice. That's why she keeps bullying you." "Exactly! She's just a maid's daughter who shamelessly lives at your house, freeloading off you. Mr. Foster even sponsors her education, but instead of being grateful, she steals from you! Only someone as kind as you would put up with it. If it were me, I'd have kicked her out long ago!" "She's an ungrateful wretch!" "Sophia, she's definitely jealous of you--jealous of your family background, your grades, your popularity." "Better not invite her. Who knows what trouble she'll cause? Don't let her ruin your birthday." "She lives at the Foster house anyway. Does she even need an invitation? When the master's family has a birthday, she should be helping out with the other servants." "Good point!" After they finished, Sophia finally spoke slowly. "Oh, I couldn't possibly make Chloe do that. Any other day would be fine, but that day is Chloe's birthday too." She said ambiguously, "Chloe, I'm sorry. I originally wanted to invite you to cut the cake together, but Dad wouldn't allow it. Who told you to do what you did back then? Can't blame Dad for disliking you." I threw my pen at her face. "Fuck off!" Ten years ago, Mom disappeared while picking up a birthday present she'd reserved for me. Whether she was alive or dead, no one knew. Dad frantically searched for Mom everywhere but couldn't find her. I cried every day, wanting Mom. Mom had spoiled me into a little tyrant. In the past, I only had to cry a little and I'd get whatever I wanted. One day, the nanny couldn't calm me down and carried me to Dad. Dad stared at me with hatred for a while, then kicked me away. "Fuck off!" "You have the nerve to cry!?" "If you hadn't insisted on celebrating your birthday, why would Vivian have disappeared?" "Don't let me see you again. Get out!" From that day on, I went from being the little princess Mom cherished to a burden everyone despised. Whether I could eat depended entirely on the nanny's mood. Later, Dad adopted a girl from an orphanage who looked very much like Mom. He gave her my room, gave her my princess dresses, gave her my birthday, and gave her my identity too. When he took six-year-old her on parent-child variety shows, I was being abused at home by the nanny, eating spoiled food. The day he publicly announced that Sophia Foster was his only daughter, I realized I had lost my father.
After school, I went home with injuries. Sophia was extremely popular in class. The moment I snapped at her, a boy immediately stood up and pushed me down. When my forehead hit the corner of the desk, everyone watched me with eyes full of coldness and schadenfreude. From elementary school through high school, I'd never had a single friend. Sophia tirelessly led everyone in isolating me. I wasn't afraid of being isolated. What I feared was that the teacher insisted my parent come to school on Monday. The boy's parent came that very afternoon, fiercely defending their child. "My son was just being a good Samaritan. Everyone saw that she threw something at Sophia first." "Oh my, son, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" "Someone this emotionally unstable shouldn't be allowed in school. Who knows what she'll do next time?" Standing there with blood all over my face, I thought--if Mom were still here, she would defend me like this too. Instead of like Dad, who ignored my injuries completely. He checked whether Sophia's face was hurt while telling me to get lost. "You knew Sophia has to film a show tomorrow, yet you still tried to hit her face." "Chloe Foster, your mother was so kind. How could she give birth to such a malicious child? Sometimes I really doubt you're even her daughter!" "Wasn't it enough that you caused your mother's disappearance? Now you want to hurt Sophia too?" I studied Dad's face carefully. The disgust on his face--I'd been seeing it for ten years. Ten years ago, he wasn't like this. When Mom was here, he loved me too. Though he always regretted that I didn't resemble Mom, he still put tremendous effort into raising me. He named me Chloe, saying I was the Foster family's most precious treasure. He bought me beautiful dresses and jewelry. On my fifth birthday, his gift to me was an estate. When a classmate pushed me in kindergarten, he was heartbroken. Not only did he make that family come apologize, he also found several coaches to teach me taekwondo. He told me that if someone bullied me, I must fight back, no matter who they were. He also told me that no matter what happened, Mom and Dad would always have my back. The person who once promised to always have my back was now demanding to know why I hurt his Sophia. "Go back to your room and reflect properly. Don't come out without my permission!" From start to finish, Dad never once looked at the wound on my forehead. From start to finish, I never found the courage to relay the teacher's message to Dad. He wouldn't go to school for me. All these years, he'd only attended parent-teacher conferences for Sophia Foster.
After being locked up all night, my wound became infected. I wanted to go out and get the medicine kit. When I opened the door, I found the house set up with cameras, with several cameramen and a host surrounding Dad and Sophia Foster. The gentle, loving expression on Dad's face was something I hadn't seen in ten years. Host: "As the CEO of a publicly traded company, you must not have much time to spend with your daughter, right? How did you raise her so well?" Dad: "Sophia is naturally well-behaved. She's my only daughter. No matter how busy I am, I make time to be with her." Sophia hugged Dad's arm and acted cute. "My dad is the best dad in the whole world! I just wish he had even more time to play with me! Dad, I haven't traveled abroad yet this year!" Dad smiled helplessly but indulgently. "Alright, alright. After your birthday, I'll take you anywhere you want to go." I blinked, feeling completely numb inside. I'd seen scenes like this too many times. It didn't hurt as much anymore. But inevitably, I still thought back to ten years ago. Ten years ago, when Mom was still here, I would hug Mom and act cute like that too, making all sorts of little requests. Mom would agree to any request I made. She had a jade necklace she'd worn for many years. When I said I liked it, she immediately took it off and put it on me. "Chloe, you must treasure this necklace. Grandma left it to Mom, and Mom has worn it for many years." At the time, Mom stroked my head with sadness and nostalgia in her eyes that I didn't understand. On the other side, the host suddenly mentioned Mom. "Does Sophia often think about her mother? Mrs. Foster was a very talented actress. I heard Sophia wants to take the arts exam and become an actress in the future. Is this because of her mother's influence?" The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. Mom's name was taboo around Dad. In the past, when people asked questions like this, Dad would have lost his temper long ago. But today was Sophia Foster's first variety show appearance since growing up. Dad was paving the way for her entry into the entertainment industry. Sophia's expression turned somber. "I've always missed Mom and wanted to see her. The reason I want to be an actress is because I want to become an excellent person like her." She took out a necklace. "This necklace is a keepsake Mom left me. Whenever I'm sad, I take out the necklace and look at it, and I feel like Mom is still by my side." Seeing that necklace, I froze, uncontrollable anger surging in my chest. That was the necklace Mom gave me! Over these ten years, Sophia Foster had taken everything from me. All I had left was that one necklace. I rushed forward and snatched the necklace back without caring about anything else. "Chloe Foster! Who said you could come out?" Dad's face darkened. "Chloe? What's wrong?" Sophia stood up, her face showing perfectly calibrated confusion. "Sophia Foster, when did you steal the necklace?" I checked the box where I kept the necklace every night before bed. Last night, the necklace was still safely in the box. During these years when no one cared about me, only by stroking this necklace could I keep myself alive. It represented that someone had once loved me. It represented that Mom had truly existed. "What? Steal?" Sophia's expression was shocked and innocent. "Chloe Foster! Have you caused enough trouble? This is a live broadcast!" Dad's face was ugly. "I don't care about any live broadcast! This is the necklace my mom left me. Why should she take it? Hasn't she taken enough of my things already?" "And! My mom isn't dead! Sophia Foster, watch your mouth. This isn't a keepsake!" "Mr. Foster, what's going on?" The host looked at me hesitantly. Sophia panicked a little and looked to Dad for help. Dad's eyes were cold. "A servant's relative." I clutched the necklace tightly, my whole body turning cold. Although Dad had long ago publicly announced that Sophia Foster was his only daughter, and Sophia always told people at school that I was the maid's daughter. But this was the first time he personally said he didn't want me. The panic on Sophia's face disappeared completely, and she couldn't help feeling triumphant. Taking advantage of my dazed state, she snatched the necklace away. "Chloe, you must be mistaken. This necklace isn't yours." "If it were anything else, I'd give it to you if you liked it, no matter how expensive. But this necklace is what my mom left me. I can't give it to you." The watching staff members looked at me with very subtle expressions, probably wondering why a maid's daughter would suddenly go crazy and rush out to steal things from the master's family. Someone said quietly, "What a schemer. She knows it's being broadcast live and wants to gain notoriety." I had no time to care what others said. I just wanted the necklace back. "Give it back! That was the last thing Mom left me. Give it back!" Sophia let me pull her, deliberately loosened her hand, and the necklace fell to the ground. The jade pendant shattered into several pieces. I staggered, my mind going blank. The last thing Mom left me was also gone. "Are you satisfied now? Get out!" Dad's face was black, his eyes looking like he wanted to tear me apart. Sophia's eyes brimmed with tears. "Chloe! You've gone too far!" Those staff members were also quietly condemning me. But I couldn't hear anything anymore. I just quickly bent down to pick up the necklace. The fragments cut my fingers. My tears fell on the wounds--wet, hot, and painful.
I got cyberbullied. That day's content was broadcast live, and everyone felt sorry for Sophia Foster and Dad, while I faced countless attacks and insults. Several classmates acted as informants online, claiming the Foster family sponsored my private school education, that Sophia was always tolerant of me at school, but I constantly bullied her. [Ungrateful wretch!] [See, you can't just sponsor people randomly, or you'll raise an ungrateful wretch who bullies your own child.] [That was jade, right? The Foster family's things must be expensive. How does a maid's daughter have the nerve to say her mom left it to her? If she could afford jade, why would her mom work as a maid at the Foster house?] [Feel so bad for Sophia. The keepsake her mom left was smashed like that. Make her pay for it!] [Sophia looks so much like her mom. I used to be a fan of Vivian. Seeing Sophia cry breaks my heart. If Vivian were still here, she'd be heartbroken too.] [Vivian loved her daughter so much. If she knew her daughter was being bullied like this... sigh.] Vivian was my mom. Seeing this comment, my heart ached dully. If Mom were still here, would she feel sorry for me? If Mom were still here... would she recognize me? Would she, like Dad, stand on Sophia Foster's side too? After all, I was the one who caused her disappearance. After all, I don't look even slightly like her. Sophia Foster's birthday party--all the classmates came. They came to knock on my door, loudly mocking me outside, taking Sophia's side. I was locked in my room. Dad's orders. At the time, he wouldn't even enter my room, lecturing me through the door. "Chloe Foster, how can you face your mother? That necklace was her most treasured possession! It was your grandmother's keepsake!" "Do you hate your mother that much? Hate Sophia that much? Do you know how long Sophia prepared for this live broadcast?" "If your mother saw what you've become today, she'd regret giving birth to you!" After Dad left, Sophia came in with a key. "Chloe Foster, when you heard Dad personally call you a maid's daughter, how did you feel?" "You're so shameless, still refusing to leave the Foster house. You got your mom killed, and Dad hates you to death. He wishes you'd die soon--he just hasn't said it out loud." I ignored her, staring out the window on my own. It was very lively outside. The lawn by the artificial lake was decorated beautifully. Flowers, banners, balloons, champagne towers. Gift boxes in various colors covered the ground. The birthday cake was ten tiers high. That was the scene from my memories, the scene from my dreams. Ten years. Every year, I watched someone else take center stage on my birthday. Someone was calling Sophia to cut the cake. Sophia's face darkened, angry at being ignored by me. "Chloe Foster! I'm talking to you!" "Why didn't you die with your mother?" She snatched the jade fragments from my hand and threw them toward the artificial lake outside the window. I suddenly stood up. Without thinking, I climbed onto the window and jumped into the lake. A chorus of exclamations, screams, cold water flooding my ears and nose. Before losing consciousness, I seemed to hear Mom's voice. I heard her calling my name: "Chloe! Mom is here!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "393229", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster