"Raina Garrett, don't hit me. I'll give Lucian Ferguson back to you." Ms. Elaine was lying.

My parents believed her. My fiancé Lucian believed her too.

To "reform" me, they locked me in a special training school.

For a whole year, I endured beatings, abuse, and electrical shocks,

while the true manipulator-sweet-faced Ms. Elaine, took my place.

When I wanted to end myself, Lucian told me, "We'll marry once you're reformed."

But he didn't know

he was waiting for a wedding that would never come.

I emerged unsteadily from the gate, sporting the special training school's buzz cut, clutching a worn cloth bag.

The long-missed sunlight hit my face, blindingly bright.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the instructor who opened the door; he shuddered and lowered his head, avoiding my gaze.

Lucian got out of the car and took the cloth bag from me.

Noticing my unevenly shaved hair, he frowned.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

I tilted my head at him, "I guess... so?"

He ignored my tone, "Go back and apologize to Elaine Simpson. She's kind, she'll forgive you."

"Get in the car."

As he grabbed the door handle, he paused, turned back, and warned me, "If you hurt Elaine again, I'll break up with you, leave you."

"She saved my life. I won't let anyone hurt her."

Seeing me still hanging my head, indifferent.

Lucian raised his voice, "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson said, if you reform well, you're still their daughter.

If not..."

His voice like a demon's, "Stay in the special forever."

Hearing this, my eyes flickered, and I nodded mechanically.

After sitting in the passenger seat, Lucian glanced at me and reached over.

My body shuddered instinctively, "Ah... Don't hit me, I was wrong!"

Lucian was startled by my sudden reaction.

I curled into a ball, covering my head, "I'm a worthless wretch, I admit it, please don't hit me!"

Pain flickered in Lucian's eyes.

But the next second, he seemed to recall something and snapped impatiently, "Enough with the act."

I flinched violently, my eyes reddening as my voice trembled, "Hit anywhere else... just not my head... It hurts..."

He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to face him.

His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through my defenses, "Who taught you this act?"

"The special only has military-style management! How could they hit anyone!"

I released my hands from clutching my head, gradually quieted down, and stared blankly at him.

Lucian fastened my seatbelt with annoyance, "Keep faking and I'll throw you out."

Wouldn't he hit me?

My mind flashed back to entering the special—a girl covered in bruises tremblingly approached with clippers to shave my head.

I struggled to fight back, but they beat me till blood filled my mouth.

In the chaos, my hair got butchered unevenly, the razor nicked my scalp, and blood gushed everywhere.

The girl wept fearfully, begging me not to resist.

After the shave, they hauled me to a corner and beat me senseless.

This was the special's "welcome ceremony."

I lay half-dead on the floor.

Instructors unzipped their pants, pissing on me, "Obey us and suffer less, hahahaha..."

As I watched in rage and terror, the girl called Kate got dragged numb into another room.

"Get out."

The car had stopped at the Simpson family's entrance.

Lucian got out and opened the passenger door for me.

When I didn't move, he grabbed my wrist.

The instant he touched me, I jerked away reflexively, tears flooding down.

"Don't touch me!"

"Please don't touch me."

Those terrifying memories flooded back into my mind like a tidal wave.

The drunk instructor staggered into the dorm room, heading straight for my bunk. He grabbed my hair and yanked me off the bed.

Screaming and crying, I was dragged into his room.

I was thrown onto the bed like a rag doll, with my eyes staring blankly into nothingness.

Covering my face with one hand, I scrambled backward against the headboard, "Don't touch me! I'm supposed to get married someday..."

"My fiancé is Lucian. Please, I'll make him pay you, any amount..."

Lucian's patience snapped. He seized my wrist and hauled me out of the car.

"Raina, stop the act. I'm not buying your performance."

"If you want to act, I'll get you into showbiz. Just stop torturing me here, alright?"

Trembling from the memories, I couldn't process his words.

Seeing my uncontrollable sobs, he sighed and pulled me into his arms.

"I'm really stuck with you."

He patted my back gently, "Enough crying. This afternoon, we'll go shopping. Unlimited spending."

After almost half an hour of coaxing, I finally calmed down and went home with Lucian.

Standing at the door before entering, I heard cheerful laughter inside.

"Oh, our Elaine is truly Mom's little sweetheart."

Elaine cooed in a syrupy voice, "Then do you love me, Mom?"

"Do you even need to ask? Mom loves Elaine most."

"Why not ask Dad? Dad loves Elaine too."

"Ahem..."

Lucian cleared his throat to alert them.

The three of them heard the noise and looked over.

Seeing me behind Lucian, Mom and Dad's smiles vanished as they stared at me awkwardly.

"Raina's back."

Mom noticed my hairstyle and frowned disapprovingly, "You're a girl—how could you cut your hair like this?"

I stood frozen, picking at my fingers, "I didn't cut it. The special forced me."

Mom's brows furrowed deeper, "How dare you lie?"

Dad said sternly, "We handpicked that school. Do you think we wouldn't know their rules?"

I lowered my gaze and stopped defending myself.

Just like the foster parents, now the birth parents too.

Lucian stepped between me and their stares. "Let her be."

Elaine smiled and grabbed her parents' arms. "Dad, Mom, since Sister likes this hairstyle, just let her keep it."

"She just came home, so don't scold her and make her upset."

Mom shot me a disappointed glare. "Dinner."

I followed them to the dining table. Just as I was about to sit, Mom stopped me sharply.

"Hey!

Your clothes are filthy—don’t stain the chair!"

Dead silence fell over the table.

I stood up beside it, my face burning.

Realizing her slip, Mom quickly backtracked. "That’s not what I meant, I—"

Elaine looked me over and beamed. "Sister, you can borrow my clothes."

Lucian stood and took my hand. "Come, I’ll take you to change."

He led me to Elaine’s walk-in closet, handing me a dress. "Wear this. I’ll wait outside."

Fingers clutching my yellowed hem, I whispered, "I don’t want to..."

Lucian shoved the dress into my arms. "Elaine’s lending it kindly. She doesn’t mind your state—why should you?"

I silently clenched my fingers, hung the dress back, and picked out a long-sleeved casual set instead.

Changed and came out. Lucian looked at me with heartache in his eyes, "How did you get so thin?

Even thinner than when I first met you."

"Was the food at school that bad?"

I didn't answer, walking straight to the dining table.

When I first left the village, I was severely malnourished.

Lucian had gradually nursed me from skeletal to just underweight.

Now I'd lost it all again.

At the table, Lucian kept serving me food, "Eat more."

Elaine gripped her utensils, face tight.

"It's all my fault for taking sister's place. That's why she went hungry and cold."

She put down her utensils, covering her face as she wept.

Mrs. Simpson hugged her shoulders, comforting, "This isn't your fault, child."

Mr. Simpson agreed, "Yes, only your sister's misfortune is to blame."

My movements froze.

Elaine pushed Mrs. Simpson away, collapsing onto the table with loud sobs, "If only I'd never been born! Sister wouldn't have suffered so much!"

Lucian stood and pulled her into an embrace, murmuring gently, "Elaine, you're too kind. Stop blaming yourself, alright?"

Elaine wrapped her arms around Lucian's waist, sobbing harder as tears streamed down her face. "It's all my fault about Raina. I'll never buy clothes again. She can have all mine."

Seeing her distress, the three of them fussed over her in a flustered heap.

I watched the farce unfold with an impassive face.

What a loving family.

I too had once longed for a father's affection and a mother's love.

Back then, I didn't know my adoptive parents weren't my biological ones. As a confused child, I couldn't understand why they seemed incapable of loving me.

To win their approval, I'd finish chores then beg on streets or collect scrap, handing every coin to them.

Yet each time they took my earnings, they'd beat me.

They'd strike me while cursing me as a worthless burden for bringing home so little.

Once, I saw neighborhood parents weep while rushing their sick child to hospital.

I craved that love. I wanted their guilt.

So I soaked myself in the river all day, deliberately catching a raging fever by midnight.

But I misjudged. No love meant no love.

They threw me out into the storm that night.

Finally broken, I crawled desperately into a cowshed for shelter. Perhaps my will to live burned too fiercely—that fever somehow broke by dawn.

I dashed away the tears at my eye corner.

This time, I'll never repeat those mistakes.

Lucian kept his promise about the unlimited spending card, but it wasn't for me.

After shopping, Elaine bounced through the door.

Lucian trailed behind her, arms laden with bags, "Slow down, don't trip."

My eyes dimmed.

Spotting me on the stairs, Lucian's smile stiffened. The air turned thick with tension.

Elaine linked arms with me, sweet as honey, "Raina, Lucian bought me so many pretty dresses."

"I kept refusing, but he insisted."

I lowered my gaze, silent.

"You barely have any clothes, sis. Come try my new ones!"

Elaine—stronger than me—yanked me into the walk-in.

Lucian followed, unloading bags. He told me, "Elaine's kind. Be nice to her."

"Go wait outside! We're changing!"

Elaine flushed, shoving Lucian out.

The door clicked shut. Her face twisted with malice.

She shot me a glare, turning the lock.

Alarm shot through me. I stumbled backward.

She lunged, grabbing me by the hair, "Why didn't you die in there?

Guess they weren't rough enough."

A sharp pain shot through my scalp, triggering involuntary tremors.

Still, I gritted my teeth and voiced my confusion, "How did you know..."

Elaine snorted coldly, "Fool.

I handpicked that school for you. Mom, Dad, and Lucian trust me completely."

My eyes darkened.

She grabbed my throat with one hand, "Never thought your worthless life could cling on this long."

My lips parted, but no sound emerged.

Suffocation merged with terrifying memories, threatening to drown me.

Just before blacking out, Elaine released her grip.

I gulped air in ragged gasps.

She leaned into my ear, breath hot, "Stay there forever. Don't dream of stealing what's mine."

Before I could react, she shoved me away, mussing up her own hair.

Then she snatched a glass vase, smashed it on the floor, and pressed her arm onto the shards.

My pupils contracted—crimson blood bloomed across my vision as dizziness struck.

Outside, Lucian's frantic footsteps approached.

The doorknob rattled violently, "Elaine! What happened?"

Elaine looked at me smugly and sobbed, "Lucian, save me..."

Seeing the door was locked, Lucian banged on it frantically, "Open the door, Raina!"

"Raina!"

Dizzy and swaying, I steadied myself against the table corner, murmuring, "Kate, don't abandon me..."

A deafening crash echoed as the door burst open.

Lucian took in the scene, his pupils contracting before he slapped me across the face in fury.

I crumpled to the floor, instinctively bracing my palm against shards of broken glass.

Lucian scooped Elaine into his arms, glowering at me as his lips moved.

But only a persistent buzzing filled my ears, drowning all sound.

He carried Elaine away without another glance.

Curled in the corner, I trembled uncontrollably, "Beat me instead... not Kate..."

"She's carrying a child... she could die..."

I woke in a hospital bed, glucose solution dripping into my veins through an IV.

Lucian pushed through the door icily, "Elaine's developed depression. Happy now?"

I clenched my fists, staring at my lap, "I never hurt her."

He scowled in disgust, "Still lying?

This is all your fault!"

A nurse interrupted our standoff, "Mr. Ferguson, Ms. Simpson's awake and hysterically demanding you."

"Fine."

Lucian shot me one last withering look before striding out.

I watched his retreating figure, my voice hoarse, "If you go now, you'll lose me forever. Are you sure about this?"

"This is all your own doing."

Lucian thought I was just throwing a tantrum. He walked away without a backward glance.

I silently watched him leave.

Opening my phone, I saw a pinned memo,

"Forgive him. Give him another chance."

My finger pressed the delete button.

beep

I did give him chances. He just didn't cherish them.

I'm done pretending.