Chapter Two
Mandy’s biological mother had been an unwed teen when she got pregnant. After we were switched at birth, she abandoned me at a recycling station because she couldn’t afford to raise me. I was picked up and raised by Grandma Lin, who had passed away when I was in my first year of middle school.
“It is worth it,” I said calmly, looking at the Tang family. “I truly have no other relatives, and I do long for family, but I’m not foolish.”
I had been collecting recyclables with my grandmother since I was young, and I started supporting myself at thirteen. I understood early on that in this world, I was the only one who had to love myself, protect my own interests, and take responsibility for my life.
“Do you remember what I said when I first arrived? If children are at odds, it’s a failure on the parents’ part.””You may naturally prefer the children you raised yourself, but as parents, you should maintain a basic sense of fairness.
“Clearly, you haven’t, and that means incidents like today will repeat themselves time and again in
the future.
“And I will find myself in situations where I am right yet still suffer injustice.
“When you came to find me, you should have already understood that I excel academically. The school waived my tuition and boarding fees, I know how to fix computers, and I have an account with over two hundred thousand followers.
“Even if I’m not wealthy, I am entirely capable of supporting myself and getting into a good university in the future. I don’t need to rely on you for my livelihood.
“I came back because I had hopes for family and kinship.
“But since I now know that there is no place for me in this family, and I cannot even receive basic respect and fair treatment here, why should I stay?”
With that, I snatched the suitcase from Mrs. Tang’s hands and walked out without looking back.
The villa area was too remote for a taxi, so I had to ride my bike, following the navigation.
I don’t know how long I rode, but suddenly, a black sedan blocked my path.
Mr. Tang and Zach opened the car doors, stopping me in my tracks.
I met Mr. Tang’s gaze fearlessly, waiting for him to speak.
In the end, he relented and patted Zach on the shoulder. “Zach, apologize to your sister.”
Zach finally lowered his head towards me, though it was clear he was reluctant.
The next morning at breakfast, Mandy had red, swollen eyes, clearly having cried all night.
Mrs. Tang looked at her with concern, glancing over repeatedly.
After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke, “Lin, how about I renovate another room that’s the same layout for you, and you can give your current one back to Mandy? Would that be okay?”
I finished chewing my breakfast and replied coldly, “I refuse.”
Then I packed the remaining food and milk into my backpack. stood up. and said. “Mom, Dad, I’m
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done eating. I have something to take care of, so I’ll be leaving first.”
Seeing me about to leave, Mrs. Tang hurriedly said, “Lin, why are you being so stubborn?”
I looked at her calmly. “If you had prepared another room from the start, we wouldn’t be in this situation…”
If there had been two identical rooms, there wouldn’t have been a need for anyone to ‘fight’ over
one.
From the very beginning, my parents never intended to give equal love, so it’s no wonder the children feel the need to compete and constantly seek their parents’ affection.
I walked out of the house, hopped onto my bicycle parked in the yard, and left the Tang
residence.
About half an hour later, I stopped at the entrance of Wanda Plaza.
While I was on the phone with a client, I noticed Jack, who had been stealthily following me.
“Come out, stop lurking.”
After a moment of silence, Jack stepped out from behind a large pillar. “I wasn’t following you! Just a coincidence!”
I smirked. “Oh, what a coincidence that the young master himself came to Wanda to shop.”
Just then, I saw a girl walk out of McDonald’s, and I waved at her with a smile. “Hey, I’m over here!”
The girl led me to her apartment next door.
Jack stubbornly insisted on tagging along. Initially, I disagreed, but when the girl heard he was my brother, she said to bring him along too.
Once we arrived at her place, she went to get us drinks while I set up a shooting scene on her table.
I then started unboxing her latest makeup purchases in front of the camera, chatting with her while doing her makeup, which would serve as material for my next video.
I work as a makeup artist, and after my grandmother passed away, I took on various part-time jobs to support myself.
Later, while working as a helper at a modeling event, I met a makeup artist who occasionally referred me to gigs because she felt sorry for me being young and struggling.
Eventually, I earned enough money to buy some makeup products and learned the craft from her, becoming a makeup artist myself.
At first, I had no clients, so I took the plunge and bought a second-hand camera, posting videos of me doing makeup online, which gradually attracted clients who wanted me to come to their homes.
After finishing the makeup and filming the transformation video, the girl transferred two hundred dollars to me.
“That’s great, Lin! It’s wonderful to see you thriving, and as your fan, I’m really happy for you.”
I smiled and nodded, then clicked on the red envelope. “Thank you, I will.”
As Jack and I left the girl’s apartment, he looked at me with a complicated expression. “Is this it?
“You rode for over half an hour just to earn a couple hundred bucks?”
“What’s wrong with that? I’m self-sufficient,” I rolled my eyes.
“You’ve been earning this kind of hard-earned money?”
“Young master, is this hard work? This is actually a pretty easy gig.”
Jack was taken aback; these part-time jobs were beyond his comprehension. He hadn’t realized I had been living like this.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, “It’s okay, those tough days are behind you. You’re back home now, and you have everything you need.”
“Hahaha,” I laughed, clutching my stomach as I half-squatted on the ground.
“Come on, I’ll keep earning money. Who knows when I might get kicked out?”
“What are you talking about?! How could Mom and Dad ever kick out their own daughter? They care about you too much!”
“Ha,” I scoffed, “So their care for me was preparing a guest room on the first day I came home and testing my obedience?”
Jack was left speechless, only able to murmur, “I’m sorry.”
“Are you still going to help Mandy get her room back?” I asked him next.
Jack looked at me in shock. “You…”
“Am I wrong? You didn’t come out with me today for that purpose?”
After that, I ignored him and rode my bike back to the Tang residence.
He followed closely behind me.
As soon as I stepped into the Tang house, Mandy rushed past me, grabbing Jack’s arm. “Jack, will you let me have my room back?”
As soon as she spoke, Mr. and Mrs. Tang turned their attention to me, their expressions tense, but they didn’t interrupt Mandy.
See? How biased they are. Even knowing that Mandy’s actions were wrong, they still didn’t stop
her.
Forget it, I hadn’t held out much hope anyway.
I didn’t want to hear Jack’s response, so I walked straight ahead, preparing to go upstairs to my
room.
But Jack said, “Mandy, you said you’d give your room to Lin, so it’s better to stick to your word…”
Jack was being quite diplomatic.
But upon hearing this, Mandy’s eyes turned red instantly. “Jack? Do you know what you’re saying?”
Jack turned his head away, afraid to look at her again and soften.
“There’s still another room with the same layout. Why don’t you just let Mom find someone to renovate it back to the original style?”
Suddenly, I felt something inside me crack open just a little.
The next morning, I woke up just in time to see the designer in the room Mandy was about to
move into.
I glanced over; Mrs. Tang was beside the designer, discussing Mandy’s preferences.
I went downstairs, grabbed a glass of milk, and returned to my room, shutting the door to continue working on my practice problems.
There was no need to concern myself with affection that didn’t belong to me.
The most important thing now was the college entrance exam.
I stayed in my room studying until dinner time, when I finally went downstairs again.
At the staircase, I ran into Mandy, who lifted her head arrogantly upon seeing me.
“Lin, do you think taking my room proves something?”
“The person Mom and Dad love the most is only me.”
“Look at you; when you came back, all Mom and Dad did was give you the guest room. And when I lost my room, they immediately sent someone to renovate a new one.”
Mandy’s pretty mouth moved as she spoke.
“First, that wasn’t stealing; it was meant for me. And all of this should have been mine; you’re just a thief.”
“Second, if every time you see me is just to flaunt these things, that’s pretty pathetic because you’re the only one who cares.”
I leaned closer to her ear. “Mandy, read more books. Stop saying things that make people want to laugh.”
Then I walked straight down the stairs, leaving Mandy fuming at the staircase.
I hadn’t expected her to be so easily provoked.
Three days later, she pulled a big stunt on me.
That day, I was still in my room doing homework, preparing to go downstairs for dinner.
As I reached the staircase, I bumped into Mandy again.
This time, it wasn’t a coincidence; she looked like she had been waiting for me there for a long time.
With a dark expression, she stepped in front of me and ominously said, “Lin, you’re done for.”
Then she took a step back and shouted, “Lin, no!”
Next, she tumbled down the stairs.
As she rolled down, there was no sign of pain on her face, only a triumphant smile.
I was taken aback, feeling the pocket of my chest.
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There was a small action camera inside, and my phone was also recording audio.
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Every day in this house, I feared being set up, so I kept the action camera on me, recording at all times.
I never expected it would actually come in handy one day.
But I also didn’t think she would go this far.
‘Thud,’ she crashed to the ground.
I hurried downstairs to check, only to run into Mr. and Mrs. Tang.
They rushed over from the living room, likely startled by the noise.
Seeing Mandy lying on the floor, Mrs. Tang panicked and rushed to her side, trying to help her up.
I watched her actions and quickly pushed her away.
Suddenly, everything went dark before my eyes. Mr. Tang had walked up to me and slapped me hard across the face.
“Lin, I never expected you to be so cruel,” he shouted. “How could our family have a daughter like you? If anything happens to Mandy, you’ll be the one to blame…”
His harsh words echoed in my mind, drowning me in a sea of noise. I felt overwhelmed.
“Enough!” I shouted back, grabbing a potted plant from the staircase and smashing it to the ground. “Did you even think to ask what happened before you hit me? And don’t you know you shouldn’t move an injured person?”
My shout seemed to snap Mr. and Mrs. Tang back to reality. I quickly pulled out my phone and called for an ambulance, requesting they send one right away. After hanging up, I turned to Mr. and Mrs. Tang. “I didn’t push Mandy. I have surveillance footage that can prove it. If you don’t believe me, I can call the police right now.”
“I can’t believe how you’ve raised her all these years. She’s so desperate for your love that she would harm herself to compete for your attention. It’s just foolish,” I added, my voice steady.
When the ambulance arrived, I accompanied them to the emergency room with Mr. and Mrs. Tang. I sat across from them, watching their hands tightly clasped together. It was absurd; I regretted ever coming back to this so-called family. A bunch of lunatics-Mandy would go so far as to break her own leg just to frame me. She was a dancer, for heaven’s sake. It was incomprehensible.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached. It was Jack. “Come on, I’ll take you to the doctor!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
“What?” My ears were still ringing from the slap Mr. Tang had given me.
“I said I’m taking you to the ear doctor. Don’t you think your hearing is a bit off right now?” he shouted in my other ear.
Jack led me to get checked out, and the doctor confirmed I had a perforated eardrum. Mr. and Mrs. Tang looked shocked at the news. After the examination, I didn’t return to Mandy’s side; instead, I went home to rest.
I slept fitfully until around midnight when someone burst into my room. In the darkness, the intruder lifted my blanket. Startled, I grabbed a stun gun from under my pillow and zapped him. He screamed and collapsed to the floor.
Jack rushed in from the next room, flipping on the light to reveal that the person I had shocked was Zach. After he quickly put on a jacket, he took Zach to the hospital.
Once they left, I couldn’t sleep anymore. I tossed and turned for a while before getting up to extract the video from my action camera and upload it to my phone. I sent it to our family group chat with a message: “I’ll say it again, I didn’t push Mandy.”
Zach had come to confront me in the middle of the night, thinking I was bullying his precious sister. I wanted them to see clearly who was really at fault.
The next morning, when I woke up again, Jack messaged me to say that both Mandy and Zach were fine and to take care of myself. He didn’t mention the video I had sent the night before, and the latest messages in the family chat still lingered on my statement.
After getting up, washing up, and having lunch, I took a cab to the hospital. As I approached the ward, I overheard raised voices inside.
“Mom, Dad, Mandy is like this because she lacks security, and it’s all Lin’s fault. Can’t you see her suffering? Why not just rent a place for Lin and let her move out?” Zach was pacing back and forth.
Jack countered, “She just got her own place! You can’t be serious, Mom and Dad!”
I listened outside for a long time, and Mr. and Mrs. Tang remained silent. Silence often speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
I clenched my fists, ready to walk away when Jack spoke again. “You’re really biased, only seeing Mandy.”
“Just because Lin has always lived independently, you think it’s okay to expect her to be strong forever?”
“Have you ever considered why she came back home but still goes out to earn money?”
“If you don’t want to think about it, I will. It’s because she knows one day you’ll kick her out!”
Then he turned to Zach. “You hate Lin for shocking you, but is it right for you to barge into her room at midnight? Do you have any idea that when she lived alone, some thugs would come to her house at night?”
“She was only fifteen then! That’s a huge trauma!”
Mandy lay silently on the bed, always playing the victim, knowing she had her parents and brother to speak for her. Zach crouched beside her. “Mandy, we’ve laughed and cried together since we were kids; you’ve always been my sister.”
“But Lin is too. She’s been living alone for so long, and I can’t just abandon her.”
“If you insist on making her move out, then I’ll go with her.”
With that, Zach stood up and walked out of the room. As he closed the door, he locked eyes with me, frozen in place.
“You… you heard everything?” Jack stared at me in shock.
I nodded.
Jack told me I didn’t need to go inside; he would take me home. In the car, he shared stories about the Tang family’s past. After listening, I was taken aback; no wonder he had never treated me with malice. He, like me, was someone who felt overlooked in the Tang family, so he could empathize with my situation. His attitude toward Mandy was also one of tolerance because she had saved their family from falling apart back in middle school.
Looking at Jack’s face, which resembled mine, I said, “I understand now. I won’t hold it against her as long as she doesn’t come looking for trouble again.”
That evening, I ran into Mrs. Tang, who had come back to grab some clothes. After thinking it over, I decided to talk to her. The moment she saw me, her face was filled with guilt and panic. “Lin, I’m so sorry, but I can’t ignore Mandy.”
I shook my head. “I don’t care.”
“My purpose today is to convince you to divorce Dad.”
Mrs. Tang’s eyes widened in shock.
“I know everything that’s happened between you two. Mandy loves you both very much, and I
“I know everything that’s happened between you two. Mandy loves you both very much, and I can’t say I could ever love you both like she does.”
“But don’t you see how much that incident affected her?”
“The way you and Dad interact is deeply ingrained in her mind, and it shows in her behavior.”
“Before, you tried to win Dad back by self-harming to get his attention.”
“And Dad? He’s been irresponsible toward this family and himself.”
“If you truly care about Mandy, then divorce Dad. Give her a healthy environment to grow up in.”
“Let her experience what real love is.”
“Maybe moving abroad wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”
Mrs. Tang was silent for a long time. “But what about you?”
I shrugged. “I’m not Mandy. I can live on my own, and I have my own plans. I’ll climb my way up step by step.”
“In the end, we have to rely on ourselves, don’t we?”
After Mandy was discharged from the hospital, Mrs. Tang divorced Mr. Tang. Following the divorce, she transferred most of her assets to me, saying it was for my future business
endeavors.
Mrs. Tang wanted to give Mandy a fresh start, so after they were discharged, they moved to a country called M, and Zach requested a transfer to the branch office there to stay with them.
As for me, I moved out of the Tang household and rented a place near my school. On moving day, Jack looked at me with longing, and when he insisted on helping me with my suitcase, I couldn’t
refuse him.
So, I ended up living with him.
The Tang household was left with only Mr. Tang, but he didn’t seem to care much, as he had already found a new girlfriend after the divorce and was currently lost in his new romance.
The end
