Chapter 2

Ariella's POV

Edith stood behind me, her expression shifting from worry to helplessness.

"Ariella," she sighed, "you're making up stories again."

"I'm not making it up!" My voice got sharp, "I really saw it, heard it! That flower, it said..."

"Enough." Edith cut me off, "It's too cold outside, come inside first."

She turned to walk back, took two steps, then looked back at me, her tone softening a bit: "Your dad's still mad. Go apologize to him and this whole thing will be over."

I clenched my fists. It was always like this.

Every time I failed a test, every time I got punished, in the end it was always me who had to apologize.

As if doing poorly was my fault, as if I failed on purpose.

I followed Edith back inside.

In the living room, Randall had already sat back down at the dining table. Lilia was unwrapping her third gift - an expensive makeup set. She held it up to the light, her golden curls falling over her shoulders, looking like a delicate doll.

"Ariella's back?" Lilia didn't even look up, her tone light and airy, "Cold outside? Want some hot cocoa?"

It sounded like concern, but I could hear the superiority in her voice.

Randall glanced at me and said coldly: "Go change your clothes, then come down to eat."

I took a deep breath, turned and went upstairs, changed into dry clothes, and came back down.

At the dining table, the atmosphere was a bit better than before.

Randall carved the turkey, Edith tossed the salad, Lilia sat across from me, eating while scrolling through her phone.

"Ariella," Edith suddenly spoke up, "Mom needs to tell you something."

I looked up, the mashed potato on my fork not yet to my mouth.

"Your dad and I talked it over and found you a new school."

A new school?

I put down my fork, a bad feeling rising in my chest.

Edith pulled a folded flyer from her apron pocket, unfolded it on the table, and pushed it in front of me.

I glanced down and instantly froze.

In the upper left corner of the flyer was a drawing of a large tree, next to it a line of large text: Hollyvale Academy of Magic.

My fork dropped onto my plate with a clear clinking sound.

"How... how could..." My lips were trembling, I could barely get the words out.

"This school specifically takes students like you," Edith said, her tone full of hope, "Students with consistently poor grades, low learning ability, difficulty concentrating, mild learning disabilities or behavioral problems."

Whatever she said after that, I didn't hear a single word.

I stared hard at the address on that flyer, my head buzzing.

117 Massachusetts Avenue.

Exactly what the little flower had said.

"This school is boarding, you can only come home during winter and summer breaks," Randall took over, cutting the turkey as he spoke, "But it's tuition-free. You've already been held back twice at your current school. If this continues, you won't even graduate high school."

I jerked my head up: "I'm not going."

"What?" Randall's face darkened.

"I said I'm not going." I emphasized loudly.

Edith frowned: "Ariella, this isn't up for discussion..."

"Don't you think it's weird?" I suddenly stood up, my tone agitated, "What kind of school specifically takes bad students? And it's free? It's probably some human trafficking operation!"

Edith opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but Randall raised his hand to stop her.

"You're going whether you want to or not!" Randall slammed down his knife and fork, "You can't continue at your current school. If you get held back one more time, you won't even keep your student status. Do you want to be a waitress without even a high school diploma?"

"Ariella, why are you making Mom and Dad mad again?" Lilia suddenly spoke up, her voice sweet, with a hint of laughter, "Are you scared?"

I turned to look at her.

She was propping up her chin, her eyes full of innocent light, but the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

"Scared of what?" I asked coldly.

"Scared that when you go to the new school, you'll find out you're still the worst one there," she said, her tone light and airy, "After all, you've been dead last your whole life. Changing schools probably won't make much difference. Then you'll just have to admit you're worthless."

"Lilia." Edith gently stopped her, but there wasn't much reproach in her tone.

Lilia shrugged, lowered her head to continue scrolling through her phone, but the smile at the corner of her mouth didn't fade.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms.

So in this family, no one really cared what I thought. Everyone just wanted to get rid of me, this piece of trash, as soon as possible.

In that moment, all the grievances, unwillingness, and anger from sixteen years came flooding up, stuck in my chest, like a fire burning.

"Fine, I'll go." My voice was very calm.

Lilia looked up, slightly raising an eyebrow, her expression somewhat triumphant.

Edith breathed a sigh of relief: "Then it's settled. I'll take you tomorrow."

"No need." I cut her off, "I'll go by myself."

Randall glanced at me, said nothing, and picked up his wine glass for a sip.

Edith opened her mouth, but finally nodded: "Then be careful on the road."

I turned and left the dining room, walking up the stairs step by step.

When I reached the landing, my tears finally fell.

Not because of anger, not because of grievance.

But because I knew no one was really worried about me.

Edith's sigh of relief was because she'd finally gotten rid of me, this burden.

Randall's silence was because he didn't care what I did, as long as I stopped embarrassing him.

Lilia had been watching my joke the whole time.

I went back to my room, closed the door, and started packing.

I didn't have much - a few changes of clothes, toiletries, one bag was enough.

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Lilia stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, that smile I hated most on her lips.

"Ariella, you don't need to act so wronged. Let me tell you a secret." Lilia's eyes looked me over dismissively.

"I don't want to hear it." I kept my head down, continuing to pack.

"It's about your background." She walked over, lowering her voice to tell me, "I overheard it last time - you're not Mom and Dad's real child at all."

My hands stopped.

"Mom and Dad said it themselves." Lilia leaned close to my ear, saying word by word, "You were adopted."

I stared at Lilia's face, my voice trembling: "You're lying..."

"I'm not lying." Lilia came over, bent down, and got close to my face, "Don't you think it's strange? Same parents, why are your grades so bad while I get all A's? Why are you short and ugly while I'm so pretty? There's only one answer - you're not part of our family at all!"

With each sentence she spoke, I took a step back.

Until I backed into the corner and couldn't retreat anymore.

Lilia's voice was soft: "You're just an unwanted orphan! And a worthless one who can't learn anything! Why do you think Mom and Dad want to send you to that school? It's not for your own good - they want to get rid of you!"

"Shut up!" I shouted, feeling my head become a chaotic mess, buzzing.

Just as I was in unbearable pain, that familiar voice sounded again: "Want to teach her a lesson?"