Chapter 3

A large, fuzzy spider crawled out from inside and bit Lena on the palm.

Her whole body trembled, her face deathly pale as she recoiled into the corner.

Our parents and Marcus rushed to her side immediately to check her.

Marcus quickly swept the spider away with a napkin and crushed it viciously under his foot.

"Everyone at the party is your friend, plus some noble gentlemen of suitable status I selected for you. Who would send such a cruel prank gift?" Dominic demanded.

She walked over and lifted the gift box.

The box was lined with fine velvet, and there was a card inside.

She opened it. Only a few printed words: [To my sister Lena.]

Isabella's expression changed.

"That gift... it was prepared by Eileen?" Isabella asked Lena.

"Bullshit!" Dominic cut her off furiously.

His voice echoed through the hall.

"When Lena was eight, she was locked in a spider-infested basement for an entire night. She's had severe arachnophobia ever since."

His fist slammed down on the table.

"Everyone in this family knows that. We never keep anything spider-related on the estate."

Lena's voice trembled, "Sis gave me the gift in her room last night... but please don't blame her."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller as tears rolled down her cheeks.

In an instant, disappointment and anger spread across Dominic's and Marcus's faces.

"I knew it!" Dominic said, his tone icy. "No wonder she's been missing. She was plotting to hurt Lena!"

Marcus clenched his fists. "How could she be so vicious!"

"Enough! Stop arguing and get Lena some sedatives!" Isabella stopped the argument.

Dominic kicked the gift box away and slammed his palm on the table in fury.

I floated in mid-air, staring at that gift box.

It was the one Lena had stolen from my room.

I had never put a spider in it—only a necklace I'd prepared to give her.

"I'll go to the storage room and find the sedatives," Marcus said before they left.

Lena's eyes darted. She grabbed Marcus's arm. "Take me to the hospital first. My hand... it hurts so much..."

If Marcus had walked just a few steps further toward the backyard, he would have smelled the heavy scent of blood coming from the storage room.

But he didn't.

Under Lena's pained moans, the family hurried away, leaving only my soul floating in the empty hall.

I wanted to scream that I'd done nothing. But I couldn't speak anymore.

And I knew that even if I could, they would never believe me.

So be it.

Mary started to clean up.

She picked up the gift box and let out a gentle sigh.

"Miss Eileen," she murmured to herself, "you're not this kind of person. I know that."

"But when will they ever see through all this?"

Her words were like a key, unlocking the door to the deepest part of my memory.

It was the day of my coming-of-age ceremony.

"Eileen, you performed excellently today," a family elder told me.

I had just presented my plan at the ceremony, winning approval from most of those present.

I looked toward Dominic, expecting pride in his eyes.

But he only nodded coolly.

"Not bad," he said, then turned and walked away.

At that moment, Lena took the stage and began her piano performance.

The elegant melody echoed through the hall, and everyone was captivated by her.

"Lena is so talented!"

"Dominic, you're so blessed to have a daughter like her."

Dominic's face finally showed a smile—the kind of tenderness and pride I had never seen before.

After the performance, the family gathered around Lena, taking her to meet the business people.

And I stood in the corner, watching it all.

My coming-of-age ceremony had become Lena's performance show.

But I knew this favoritism had started much earlier.

That day was my birthday.

My parents had promised they'd come home to celebrate with me.

I'd prepared a cake and waited at home for a long time.

"When will you be here? The cake is melting..." I called over and over, urging them.

Dominic was taking Isabella for a prenatal checkup.

To save time, he sped through the rainy night, and then the accident happened.

Isabella was injured, and Lena was born prematurely.

From that day on, every time Isabella looked at the frail Lena, she remembered that rainy night.

I became the "culprit" of that accident.

If I hadn't been pushy, Lena would have been born healthy and full-term.

From that day forward, I lost my parents' affection.

And Lena received all the compensation.

All the love, all the attention, all the forgiveness.

I used to think that if I was compliant enough, someday they would see me and forgive me.

But now I understand.

In this family, I never mattered.