At a wedding shoot, I ran into my parents, whom I hadn't spoken to for a decade.

They were mingling with other guests, their smiles freezing the instant their eyes landed on me.

Once the reception ended, they marched straight into the backstage dressing room. "Why haven't you come home for the past ten years?! We thought you were dead!" Mom blurted out her accusation.

Her eyes were rimmed red as she glared at me.

I didn't answer or look up, focusing on cleaning my camera lens.

The next second, she stepped forward and seized my wrist, her voice rising to a raw pitch. "Eileen! We're your parents! We raised you for eighteen years! How can you be so heartless?"

I lifted my head with a frown, confused by her outburst.

Ten years ago, they were the ones who told me to get lost and never come back.

I'd done exactly that.

So what were they upset about now?

***

Dad stood behind Mom, his eyes darting between my face and my camera equipment, clearly torn. After a moment, he spoke, as if grasping for a neutral topic. "That's quite the camera, Eily. It must've cost a lot, right?

"It's a tough business for a young woman... You must be struggling."

There was hesitation in his voice.

I remained silent, screwing the lens cap on firmly.

Infuriated by my lack of response, Mom tightened her grip on my wrist. Her voice rose further. "Eileen! Are you even listening?

"Ten years! Not a single call or message! What is wrong with you?

"Even a pet would show more gratitude!"

I studied her contorted expression as a sharp pain shot through my wrist.

A decade had passed, yet their method of interrogation remained the same.

I lifted my gaze, speaking with deliberate calm. "Mrs. Britt, please release me. I have work to do."

"Mrs. Britt?"

She released my wrist as if burned and staggered back, all color draining from her face.

"I'm your mom! How dare you?!"

"That's enough."

Dad stepped in, steadying her trembling shoulders. He frowned at me, exhaustion and reproach heavy in his tone. "Eily, how can you speak to your mom like that?

"We realize ... there may have been misunderstandings back then. But she hasn't stopped missing you for the past ten years. She's..."

"There were no misunderstandings." I cut him off, my voice soft as I placed the camera in its case.

"I followed your instructions: get lost and never come back.

"I did exactly as you told me."

I fixed my eyes on them with cold indifference.

"I stayed away for ten years, just as you demanded. So what is this about?"

They stood frozen, their faces ghastly pale.

Mom's lips quivered. But before she could speak, Dad tightened his hold on her arm.

He drew a shaky breath, forcing a strained, conciliatory smile. "Eily, sorry. We shouldn't have said that back then. But we are family.

"Mel is getting married next month. You'll be there, right? If you don't want to attend as her sister, maybe you could photograph the wedding?"

The last words were a hesitant, hopeful whisper.

I stared at them, struck by the sheer absurdity of it all.

"My schedule is booked.

"Please give Melanie my best wishes. I won't be intruding."

With that, I turned and pushed open the door.

The sound of Mom's broken accusations and Dad's frantic attempts to calm her faded behind me.

I walked straight to the elevator without looking back.

Only when the doors closed did I breathe a sigh of relief.

I leaned against the cold metal wall, a dull ache beginning to throb at the base of my skull—a lingering aftereffect of a severe fever years ago that always flared up on rainy days.

Back at my temporary apartment, I finally unwound.

My phone vibrated. It was Kimberly Cooley, my business partner.

"Eily, the final payment for today's wedding just came through.

"Oh... About that couple who confronted you, is everything okay? They looked really upset."

"It's fine," I said, keeping my voice level. "They're just my adoptive parents."

Kimberly paused before replying, "Alright. Listen, we just got a very firm, non-negotiable collaboration request. From the Britt Group.

"They're insisting you personally photograph a high-profile wedding."

The Britt Group was owned by my dad.

My heart sank as a crushing sense of helplessness washed over me.

Kimberly sounded worried. "I'm afraid ... we can't turn it down."

I gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white.

Ten years. I had thought I'd gone far enough to escape their shadow.

Yet with a single move, they could still disrupt the life I had fought so hard to build.

"Understood," I said, my throat tight. "Send me the details."

"Okay," Kimberly replied softly after a pause.

The wedding itinerary arrived a few minutes later.

When my eyes landed on the groom's name—Geoffrey Beasley, the tears I'd held back all day finally fell.

Geoffrey was the boy who had been my only comfort during the darkest years of my youth.

Kimberly's message flashed again, "Eily, are you okay? Do you want me to come over?"

I took a deep breath, wiped my face, and typed back, "I'm fine. Please compile the client's specific requests. We'll discuss tomorrow morning."

She replied quickly, "Okay. Eily, whatever you decide, I'm with you."

I put the phone down and walked to the window.

The night air was cool against my skin, helping to clear the chaos in my mind.

Geoffrey and I were so close once.

He lived next door. We grew up together.

Whenever I got scolded by my parents or pushed aside by Melanie Britt, I'd hide in the backyard and cry.

He'd always climb over the low fence, pull a piece of candy from his pocket like a magician, and say, "Don't cry, Eily. Have this.

"When we grow up, I'll take you away from here. We'll see the world."

"We'll both get into New York University. We'll always be together."

He was the only person who showed me kindness and care, the only one who, when the whole world made me feel worthless, would look me in the eye and say, "You're good enough, Eily. You always have been."

But now he was marrying Melanie.

Memories, long held back, came rushing in.

Until I was seven, I was the happiest child.

When I was five, I got into a fight at preschool over a swing and bit the other kid's arm.

Terrified of getting in trouble, I hid under the slide in our complex after school. Dad found me.

He wasn't angry. He actually whispered tips on how to win a fight next time.

That evening, when Mom found out, she made us both stand in the corner.

Dad winked at me when she wasn't looking.

I thought that warmth would last forever.

Then, when I was seven, Melanie came home.

I went from being their only child to being the adopted one.

Melanie was three years older. She'd been kidnapped when she was three.

With her return, my world was never the same.

My parents had kept my adoption a secret. But, afraid Melanie would feel insecure, they told her the truth.

One afternoon, she stood before me, her voice young but cold. "Eileen, did you know? You're not their real daughter.

"They adopted you because I was gone. They were so sad without me, so they got you to take my place.

"They're my mom and dad. Not yours."

For a moment, I was too shocked to move. Then I ran. I had to find my parents and hear them say it wasn't true.

I prayed they would hug me and say, "Don't listen to her nonsense, sweetheart. You're our baby girl."

But Mom looked away.

Dad was silent for a long time before he confirmed it, his voice hoarse. "Eily, it's true. We adopted you because we missed Mel so much, but we love you too."

I hated that word in that moment.

After that, nothing was the same.

The carefree, mischievous girl vanished. I became quiet and cautious.

I stopped laughing loudly. I stopped asking for things. At meals, I only took the food closest to me.

I studied relentlessly, bringing home one award after another, believing "good girls" didn't get abandoned.

I learned to please them, and Melanie, by giving her the new hair clip Mom bought. I handed over the cool toy Dad brought back from a business trip.

But Melanie's eyes held nothing but resentment.

No matter what I did, she saw me as the one who had stolen her life.

And my parents' attention and affection poured almost entirely into their returned biological daughter.

They worried she might feel insecure and neglected.

So I, the adopted daughter, naturally became the one who could be overlooked.

The atmosphere at home grew tense and heavy.

I never stood in the corner with Dad again—I was too afraid to make any mistake.

I lived like a frightened bird, constantly terrified of being cast aside once more.

Then, when I was twelve, my worst fear came true.

I got back from school that day to find Melanie in my room, holding my diary.

"What are you doing?" I rushed to grab it back.

She easily sidestepped me, a faint smirk on her lips. "Just seeing what my dear little sister writes about every day."

She began to read my diary. "I wish things were like before... Why don't Mom and Dad love me anymore... It's so unfair."

"Give it back!" My voice trembled.

That diary held all my secrets and my fragile side.

She stood up, holding it above her head.

"Maybe Mom and Dad should see what their adopted daughter complains about every day."

With that, she darted out of the room, diary in hand.

"Mel!" I chased after her.

In the rush, she stumbled. Her foot caught, and she tumbled down the stairs.

"Ah!"

Her scream echoed through the house.

My parents burst from the study at the same time.

"Mel!"

Mom reached her first. When she saw Melanie's leg bent at an unnatural angle, her own shook.

Melanie wept dramatically, pointing a shaky finger straight at me, who was still standing at the top of the stairs. "She pushed me! She blames me for everything in her diary, and now this!"

"That's not true!" I rushed to explain. "I didn't..."

"Enough!" Dad's roar was louder than I'd ever heard.

Mom's gaze was icy. It frightened me.

"Diary?"

"She read my diary without..." I tried to explain.

"So you pushed her?" Mom cut me off. "Eileen, how could you be so cruel?"

"I didn't push her!" The tears finally spilled over. "She fell!"

"Still lying?"

Mom's hand came up and struck my face hard.

The sting on my cheek was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

Dad stood behind her, his gaze full of disappointment. "Eily, we always thought you were a sensible girl.

"Even though you're not our blood, we never treated you poorly. But you..."

"I said it wasn't me!" My voice rose to a shout. "Why won't you ever believe me?"

"Believe you?" Mom's laugh was cold. "A liar?"

The ambulance arrived.

As the paramedics carried Melanie down on a stretcher, she was still sobbing. "Mom, I'm scared... Does Eily hate me...?"

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. I'm here."

Mom held her hand tightly, not once looking back at me.

My parents returned from the hospital late that night.

I heard their footsteps stop outside my door.

"Pack your things." Mom pushed the door open, her tone frighteningly calm. "You're moving to the old house tomorrow."

I stared, frozen, then dropped to my knees. "No! Please, Mom, Dad, don't send me away! I'm sorry. I'll be good, I promise..."

Mom looked down at me coldly. "Mel needs peace to recover. Seeing you will upset her."

"I won't bother her!" I cried, clutching her legs.

"I can stay in the storage room. I can come home after you're all asleep... Please don't make me leave..."

Dad sighed. "Eily, this is for the best. For you, and for this family."

"I won't go! This is my home!" I was sobbing uncontrollably now.

Mom pried my hands away. "The housekeeper will bring meals each week. We'll transfer an allowance on time."

"I don't want money! I want you!" I turned to Dad, grasping his sleeve.

"Dad, you used to love me most. You said you'd always protect me..."

He turned his face away, his voice choked. "Be reasonable, Eily. Once Mel is feeling better..."

"She'll never be better!" I screamed in despair. "She's lying! Why won't you believe me?"

"Eileen!" Mom's voice cut through sharply. "If you make another scene, you can leave right now."

I knelt on the floor, looking at their distant looks, and finally understood what true hopelessness felt like.

No matter how much I begged, they didn't want me anymore.

The first night I moved into the old residence, I had a high fever.

My forehead was burning, and I shivered all over.

I grabbed my phone and called my mom.

"Mom, I'm having a fever..." I was so weak that my voice was hardly audible.

The other end of the line was silent for a while before my mom replied, "There are fever reducers in the old house. Find them. Melanie has just undergone surgery. She needs a good rest. Knock it off!"

With that, Mom hung up.

Listening to the hang-up beeps, I felt a chill all over.

It started raining outside. The rain splattered the window as if weeping for me.

For the next week, I was invalid on the bed alone. The fever went back and forth.

The housekeeper found something was wrong with me when she came to cook, and took me to the hospital.

I lived all alone since I was 12 till I was 18.

For parent-teacher conferences, the seat with my name on it was always empty.

Melanie went to the same school as I. Yet my parents always showed up for her.

Sometimes, I ran into them in the hallway. Mom would look away with embarrassment, and Dad would pretend he didn't see me.

In those six years, Geoffrey was the only light ray in my life.

He would secretly climb over the short wall of the old house and bring me snacks.

"Don't worry. Everything will be OK," he had comforted me.

"Eily, let's apply to New York University together.

"In New York, no one can separate us."

I had believed him.

I studied as hard as I could.

After the SAT, I walked past a downtown hotel and saw a large, striking banner—"Congratulations on Melanie Britt's good grades."

Nicely dressed, my parents were receiving guests at the entrance, beaming.

Melanie stood between them like a real princess.

Standing in a corner across the street, I watched this celebration that had nothing to do with me.

I had thought I was dead inside, but why did it still hurt so much?

It didn't matter, though. I'd be gone soon, anyway.

The day I received the acceptance letter from the university, I opened it swiftly with excitement, but it was the badge of the USC that I saw.

My blood turned cold instantly.

I recalled my parents' odd behavior from several days ago, and it dawned on me that they had altered my application form.

Without hesitation, I barged into the so-called home, from which I had been away for a long time, and slammed the letter on the coffee table. "Why USC?" I demanded.

"What's wrong with it? It's close," Mom replied nonchalantly.

In a trembling voice, I snapped, "Why did you change my application?"

"Why? Because we're your parents!"

Just then, Dad walked out of the study and explained, "Melanie also applied to New York University. With you around, she'll feel insecure."

"It's because of her again!"

The years of pent-up anger in my chest erupted. "Her insecurity is the reason for everything!

"You said she read my diary because she felt insecure!

"She fell down the stairs because she felt insecure!

"Now, I have to go to a different university because she feels insecure!"

"Eileen, mind your tone!"

Mom sprang to her feet.

"What about my tone? What tone should I speak in?"

Tears streamed down my cheeks, although I tried to hold them back.

"You kicked me out of the house when I was 12, and have neglected me for the past six years!

"Now, you're trying to destroy my future! What kind of parents are you?"

"We've raised for 18 years!" Dad said, his face livid.

"Raise? It was more like charity!" My voice became hoarse from anger.

"In your eyes, only Melanie is your daughter. I'm only an unwanted substitute!

"I wish you'd never adopted me!"

Out of the blue, Dad slapped me hard across the face.

"Get out!" Mom hissed with red eyes, pointing at the door. "Since you hate us so much, don't ever come back again!"

I ran out and sobbed in the rain until I was soaking wet.

Why didn't they love me?

Why was I adopted?

Where were my biological parents?

I cried and cried. At midnight, I snuck back for my ID and happened to overhear my parents' conversation outside their bedroom.

"We shouldn't have told Mel that Eily was adopted," Mom cried.

"But what's the point of being regretful now?

"I was too sad after Mel got lost. I didn't find out I was pregnant with Eily."

Dad sighed, "Mel was so sensitive when she returned. We could only lie that Eily was adopted.

"At least, Eily was loved and happy before she was seven. But Mel couldn't be. She owes Mel."

Stunned, I had to press my hands against the wall for support. My back slid down along the wall.

It turned out I was their biological daughter.

It turned out I had never stolen anybody's happy childhood. It was mine!

Then, why did I have to suffer these years?

That day, I left home and never came back.

After I reached USC, I changed my phone number and put my parents' contact information on the blocklist.

Geoffrey and I went to different universities. Due to the distance, our relationship was nipped in the bud.

Afterward, I heard that he had a girlfriend.

Now, it seemed he was dating Melanie back then.

I opened my eyes and wiped my tearful face.

The sight of the message stung.

I wondered if Melanie knew the truth.

But it didn't matter.

I went to the drawer and took the DNA test report done many years ago.

Since they'd invited me, I'd go to the wedding.

They destroyed my life for Melanie's happiness. I'd see how happy she was.