Upon regaining consciousness, I found Tina lying weakly in my mother’s embrace, saying things that made no sense to me. “You shouldn’t blame Kiara. I only tried to pull her to safety, but she kept pushing me away…”
I wanted to tell them what really happened, but I was too weak even to utter a single word at that moment. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as my parents held Tina close and departed for home.
I could only watch as they condemned me, saying, “You’re truly bad to the bone! You’re actually plotting Tina’s demise just because I complimented her for being cute.”
“I should have smothered her the moment she was born!”
In the end, Tina was taken to the city to live a life of comfort and privilege, while I was left behind in the countryside.
The White family then abandoned their facade when my parents left. They routinely withheld my allowance, denied me sufficient food, and compelled me to toil every day.
However, no one else would intervene on my behalf. It was all because everyone viewed me as a wicked child, all thanks to Tina’s drowning incident. Their perception was then cemented by the fact that even my biological parents had disowned me.
Just before she stepped into the luxurious car bound for the city, Tina turned to me. She stuck out her tongue in a mocking gesture. “I’m off to enjoy the fortunate life that was meant for you, Kiara.”
Tina’s utterance was barely audible, intended for my ears alone. Yet, its implications were immense enough to irrevocably change my entire life’s trajectory.
I looked at my parents and Liam, who regarded me as if I were a plague, and at Tina, who was still feigning tears. I felt every ounce of my strength deserting me as I clutched my bag. I then swallowed the metallic taste in my throat and faced them, stating, “I’ll leave. But before I do, I want us to formally sever all our ties as family.”
