Chapter 3

Elena was a name I had chosen for her.

The day I brought her out of the hollows, I had smiled and said to her:

"Daisy, the name your father gave you was meant to keep you small. Out in the real world, people might look down on you. Let me give you a new name—one that lets you hold your head high and start a brand-new life. How about Elena?"

I had written it down carefully on a piece of paper.

"Elena means 'shining light.' I hope that no matter how successful you become, you never forget your light—your promise to go back and help the girls left behind."

Daisy had traced the letters on the paper with trembling fingertips, her eyes welling with tears.

"Elena... It’s beautiful. My name is Elena now."

"Thank you, Claire."

Perhaps because she shared a striking resemblance to me, I treated her like my own little sister.

She held onto that slip of paper and moved into the Vance family estate with me.

The first time she saw an automated flush toilet, neon city skylights, and towering glass skyscrapers, she was too excited to sleep.

To help her blend in, I spent hours smoothing out her thick regional accent and teaching her proper diction.

She struggled at first, but she worked relentlessly, studying long past midnight.

Later, when she started high school, her rough pronunciation made her the target of cruel teasing. She would come home and cry in secret.

So, I asked Julian, who had the most polished Ivy League cadence, to tutor her.

Julian was impatient at first. But he couldn't resist the pleading of his then-girlfriend, so he agreed.

He taught her elocution, corrected her grammar, and took her to classic films.

Gradually, Elena bloomed. Her grades shot to the top of her class, and her confidence turned her into a breathtaking young woman.

I was too naive to notice that with every tutoring session, the way Elena looked at Julian shifted from timid awe to possessive adoration. And Julian slowly became addicted to the fragile, total dependence she offered him.

The truth came crashing down the day I returned early from an abroad exchange program in Paris, eager to surprise Julian.

I unlocked the door to his penthouse, only to freeze on the threshold.

Elena was wearing my silk pajamas, standing in his open kitchen making breakfast. Her movements were smooth, practiced, completely at home—like a doting wife.

Julian was sitting at the island reading the financial news. The scene was sickeningly domestic.

When they saw me, both of them went pale.

The spatula slipped from Elena’s hand and hit the marble floor with a loud clatter. She looked at Julian, terrified.

Julian panicked for a fraction of a second, but quickly smoothed his expression and offered a hurried explanation.

"Claire, don't misunderstand. Elena just... came over to help me organize some research files, and she made breakfast while she was here."

Right then, I knew. The rot had already eaten through the core of our relationship.

The day everything shattered for good, I found Elena's private journal inside Julian’s home office.

I opened it.

The early pages were filled with her vulnerability upon arriving in the city, her desperate thirst for knowledge, and an almost worshipful gratitude toward me. Reading those words felt like seeing that pure-eyed little girl again.

Then, the tone curdled. My heart hammered against my ribs as I flipped through the later entries.

*November 3rd: I bought the exact same designer dress Claire wore last week. Julian stared at me for three whole seconds. Does he think I look pretty in it? Everyone says we look like sisters. If he loves her face, why can't he love mine?*

*November 7th: I failed my mock exam on purpose today. Julian promised to give me private tutoring all evening. Claire, don't blame me. You already have everything...*

*November 12th: Julian kissed me. He told me Claire is too aggressive, too independent. He said a gentle girl who relies on him makes him feel like a real man. He promised that once the timing is right, he will break up with her.*

*November 17th: It happened. Julian and I slept together.*