Chapter 1

My parents sat in the front. Austin and Brooke had their own custom leather seats. For eighteen years, I was the only one forced to ride in the cramped cargo trunk.

On my eighteenth birthday, my parents finally bought a brand-new five-seater SUV. I was so excited that I cried.

After the celebratory dinner, Austin and Brooke ran ahead, eagerly jumping into the car and claiming the window seats.

Austin laughed excitedly. "This is amazing! Now that we have an extra seat, our whole family can finally ride together!"

I carefully took off my dirty sneakers, my heart pounding with anticipation as I prepared to climb in.

But a golden retriever was already sitting in the remaining empty seat.

Robert pulled open the back hatch, frowning at me. "What are you staring at? Get in. This is your spot."

That was the moment I realized it was never about not having enough seats. In their hearts, I simply didn't exist.

I stared at Buster sitting on the leather seat, completely frozen.

The rear hatch was wide open, packed to the brim with Austin and Brooke’s sports gear and bags.

"Next time, don't pack so much junk. Chloe still needs to fit in here," Robert muttered, casually kicking the bags deeper into the trunk to clear a tiny space. He looked at me and forced a smile. "What are you waiting for? Get in and see if you fit."

My throat tightened, but I still held onto a tiny sliver of hope.

I pointed at the empty middle seat. "But Robert, isn't there a seat right there?"

"No way! If you sit there, where is Buster supposed to go?!" Austin poked his head out of the window, yelling defensively before Robert could even speak. "Buster is family! He deserves his own seat!"

Family?

A dog was family. Was I not?

I choked back my tears and tried to compromise. "I can just hold Buster on my lap. That way, we both get a seat."

"What is wrong with you today, Chloe?" Helen snapped from the front seat, her voice dripping with irritation. "You’ve been perfectly fine in the back all these years. Why do you suddenly have to ruin things? Austin and Brooke are used to having their own space. If you squeeze in there, you'll just make everyone miserable!"

"You always have to ruin your siblings' happiness. Why are you so selfish? Just do what you're told!" Helen scolded.

My hands clenched the hem of my shirt.

Selfish?

This SUV was bought using the prize money from my academic scholarship. I just wanted a single seat in a car I paid for. How was that selfish?

They had five seats, and they would rather give one to a dog than to their own daughter.

Tears splashed onto the pavement. I couldn't stop sobbing.

My crying was loud enough that people in the parking lot began to look over, whispering and pointing at us.

"Cry, cry, cry. You always ruin the mood!" Austin slammed his car door shut in disgust.

Brooke, embarrassed by the attention, stepped out of the car and fake-squeezed my hand. "Chloe, please stop crying. If you really want a seat that badly, I'll swap with you, okay?"

Before I could answer, Robert and Helen barked in unison, "No way! The cargo trunk is dirty and suffocating. You're a delicate girl, Brooke. How could you survive back there?"

My heart plummeted. So, they knew. They knew the trunk was dirty and suffocating.

"Chloe, Brooke has been pampered her whole life. She’s not tough like you," Robert said, his bias blindingly obvious. "Brooke is our little princess. She can't handle that kind of discomfort."

"You've been riding back there for over a decade anyway. What's the big deal if you do it a little longer?"

Helen walked over with a fake smile, trying to grab my hand to brush it off like she always did.

But this time, I shoved her away. I pointed at Brooke and screamed through my tears, "We are both your daughters! Why does Brooke get to be the princess while I always have to suffer?!"

"I bought this car with my scholarship money! Why can't I have a seat?!"

"Shut up!" Robert's face turned purple.

Slap!

He slapped me hard across the face.

"You are my daughter! I gave you your life! What's wrong with using your scholarship money? Throwing a tantrum over a car seat—how did I raise such a selfish brat?!"

Helen wiped her tears, looking at me with pure disappointment. "You’ve really grown some claws, Chloe. How dare you try to steal from Austin and Brooke?"

"I must have cursed myself in a past life to give birth to such an ungrateful leech!"

I held my burning cheek, my ears ringing.

The last spark of hope in my heart died right then and there.

"Fine. You can keep the seat," I whispered, staring at them. "And you can keep this family. I'm out."