Chapter 3

That evening, Julian came home.

The moment he walked through the door, his eyes fell on the stain on my dress, and his brow furrowed.

"Chloe, what happened to your dress?"

I nervously clutched my hem, hanging my head, terrified to speak.

Victoria walked out of the kitchen with a fruit platter, chiming in at the perfect moment.

"Julian, don't be mad at Chloe. She accidentally spilled coffee on herself while we were at the mall today. Kids will be clumsy, it's totally normal."

Her words sounded like she was defending me, but every syllable told Julian: Chloe did this to herself.

Julian’s face darkened further.

"Chloe, how many times have I told you to be careful? Such an expensive dress, ruined in one day?"

I bit my lip, tears pooling in my eyes.

"I'm sorry... Julian..."

"Alright, alright," Victoria said, stepping in to play the peacemaker. "It's just a dress. Julian, don't be so harsh, you're scaring her. I tried to wash it out for her, but coffee stains are really stubborn."

The more "understanding" she appeared, the more spoiled and difficult I looked.

Julian sighed, the disappointment on his face heavy.

He ran a hand through Victoria’s hair and said softly, "You're too good to her. Thank you for patience. You work all day and still have to come home and deal with her."

At that moment, I felt like a complete outsider.

The two of them were a family.

And I was just a burden.

From that day on, Victoria’s abuse escalated.

When Julian wasn't home, she would pinch my arms and twist the skin on my thighs, leaving dark purple bruises.

Then she would casually tell Julian, "Chloe has been so clumsy lately, always bumping into things. She’s covered in bruises."

She would "accidentally" knock over the Lego sets I spent days building, and when I cried, she would hug me and say, "Don't cry, sweetie, I'll buy you a new one."

She would even spray her expensive perfume on my clothes, and when Julian came home, she would cover her nose and say, "Julian, do you smell that? How strange."

Julian would sniff the air and frown at me. "Did you touch Victoria’s perfume?"

I shook my head.

Victoria would quickly add, "Oh, maybe it just rubbed off on her when I hugged her earlier. It's fine, kids are curious about everything."

She was always perfect, always the saint.

And in Julian’s eyes, I became a lying, clumsy, destructive brat.

Julian started coming home later and later, spending less and less time with me.

His gaze, which used to be filled with love and protectiveness, turned into annoyance and fatigue.

I knew I was slowly losing my brother.

I was devastated, but I didn't know what to do.

I tried even harder to obey Victoria, hoping she would be happy and say nice things about me to Julian.

One evening, Julian’s company had a major charity gala, and he was taking Victoria as his date.

Victoria chose a stunning silver gown, pairing it with dazzling diamond earrings.

She stood in front of the mirror like a proud princess.

I peeked from behind the door, my eyes full of envy.

She noticed me and waved me in.

"Chloe, come here."

I walked over.

She picked up a velvet jewelry box from the vanity, pulling out a necklace. "Is it pretty?"

I nodded eagerly. "So pretty."

It was a diamond necklace, matching her earrings, glittering brilliantly under the lights.

"Do you want to try it on?" she asked.

I was stunned.

"Let me put it on you, okay?" She smiled warmly.

Feeling incredibly flattered, I nodded hesitantly.

She actually clasped the necklace around my neck. It felt cold and luxurious against my skin.

I couldn't help but touch it, a bright smile spreading across my face.

Suddenly, Victoria’s expression twisted in pain. She clutched her stomach.

"Oh... my stomach hurts so bad... Chloe, can you run down to the pharmacy at the corner and get me some antacids? I can barely walk."

"Okay!"

I agreed without a second thought.

I was so happy to be useful to her.

I spun around and ran out of the house, completely forgetting about the necklace still around my neck.

I ran all the way down the street, bought the medicine panting, and ran back.

But when I pushed the front door open, the scene inside turned my blood to ice.

Julian was already home.

Victoria was weeping in his arms.

And my bedroom door was wide open, the inside completely ransacked.

"Julian... my necklace is gone... the one you bought me..."

Julian saw me enter, and his face turned absolutely stormy.

His gaze locked onto my neck.

Where Victoria’s "missing" diamond necklace was shining brightly.