She Praises, Therefore She Is

I have a habit: no matter who Im talking to, I always say, Thats great!

When my real, wealthy parents finally came for me, they carefully asked if Id mind letting the fake heiress stay.

I said, Thats great! Raising someone elses child for themhow selfless!

At the mansion, Felicity, the fake daughter, sidled up and sweetly offered me her room.

I toured the bright, spacious space. Fantastic! I said, patting her shoulder. And youre so thoughtful, knowing your big sister suffered sixteen years and offering her the best room!

Felicity went pale.

Seeing her upset, my new brother Ryan shoved me. Dont bully her.

I rubbed my shoulder. Awesome. Youre so strongyou must eat well. I lowered my voice. Unlike me. I never knew where my next meal was coming from.

Ryan glared, calling me a manipulative witch.

I kept on. Wow, thats great! So you know all about that, huh? Tell me, does your dear Felicity fit the description?

Felicity burst into tears and ran to our mother, sobbing that I was targeting her.

I just frowned.

What were they talking about? I was only praising them!

...

Mom gave me a troubled look. "Audrey, how could you say that to your sister?"

I feigned confusion, scratching my head. "But Mom, you said you wanted us all to get along. I've been doing my bestI haven't stopped complimenting everyone since I walked in the door."

"But Ryan," I added, glancing at him, "he came right at me, showing off his muscles. He bruised my shoulder."

I slipped off my jacket. Underneath, the fresh mark from Ryan's shove was visible, but so was a constellation of older, faded scars from years of abuse.

My foster parents had always known I wasn't their real daughter, and they'd never let me forget it. They pulled me out of school the moment they legally could and forced me to work. If I hadn't run away and literally bumped into my biological parents, they probably would have sold me off.

At the sight of the old scars, my mother gasped. Ryan just stared, completely at a loss.

"I... I had no idea your life was so hard."

His eyes were wide and guileless, reminding me of a kitten I had once.

I couldn't help myself. I stood on my toes, patted his head, and said, "That's great. So now you know, right?"

He just stared, then nodded dumbly.

A moment later, he was eagerly hauling my luggage into Felicity's room.

Felicity stomped her foot, grabbing his arm. "Ryan! Are you taking her side against me?"

He scratched his head, looking flustered. "Felicity, she's not an outsider. She's Mom and Dad's real daughter. Besides," he added, "didn't you just offer her the room?"

Felicity clearly hadn't expected this. She ran to Mom, her eyes welling with tears.

"Mom, I want to be nice to my sister, I really do, but... this room... I have so many memories here..."

Before Mom could say a word, I cut in. "Mom, if my sister doesn't genuinely want me to have her room, that's fine. I can stay somewhere else. As long as we're all together as a family, it doesn't matter where I sleep."

A wave of emotion washed over my mother's face.

She stroked my hair, calling me a good, sweet girl, then ordered Ryan to move my things back to the small guest room.

As he dutifully wrestled with my suitcase, I clapped him on the shoulder. "You're doing great, Ryan!"

The praise seemed to energize him. He practically carried my luggage back to my new room.

I glanced over my shoulder. Felicity stood frozen in place, guarding her prize.

She looked like she'd won, but also, somehow, like she hadn't.

But guilt is a fleeting emotion, while sixteen years of affection is a bond not easily broken.

All Felicity had to do was squeeze out a single tear, and Mom and Ryan would flock to her side.

I heard Mom's gentle voice from inside the room. "Felicity, darling, how could you think I'd ever neglect you just because Audrey is here?"

Felicity whined, "I don't care! You're already taking her side!"

"Sweetheart," Mom said, her voice strained, "Audrey is my biological child, after all."

Felicity shot back, "Fine! If that's how it is, maybe I should just go back to them!"

Mom's voice rose in alarm. "Absolutely not! Those people are dirt poor. Your sister was tormented for sixteen years. How could I ever let you suffer like that?"

I smiled. A cold, bitter smile.

So, Mom knew. She knew I had been tormented for sixteen years.

I thought of all the beatings, of hiding under the table like a dog, waiting for them to toss me scraps.

Meanwhile, Felicity had been showered with fine food, expensive clothes, and all the love in the world. That's why she could throw tantrums and act out with such confidence. She had the security I never did.

It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt.

But I couldn't cry.

I wasn't Felicity.

I leaned against the doorframe, listening until the very end. When Ryan opened the door and saw me, he looked mortified. "Audrey, what are you doing here?"

I put on a bright smile. "Ryan, Felicity is amazing! She cries so loudly. You can tell she's full of life!"

Unlike me. The louder I cried, the harder my foster parents hit me.

Before I could say the last part, a sharp sting exploded across my cheek. Felicity had slapped me.

Her hand was trembling as she pointed at me. "Audrey Prescott, what is your problem? Stop being so passive-aggressive!"

Mom gasped when she saw Felicity hit me.

For a foolish second, I thought she might actually discipline her.

She didn't.

She just took Felicity's hand, cooing like she was calming a toddler. "There, there, Felicity. You're not pretty when you're angry. Come on, let's go have dinner."

She shot me an apologetic glance before leading Felicity downstairs.

I stood there, my hand pressed to my swelling cheek.

Ryan sighed. "Audrey, Mom just managed to calm her down. If we say anything else to her, she might do something drastic."

He brought the first-aid kit and began dabbing ointment on my face.

"We've spoiled her rotten," he muttered. "She's been throwing fits ever since she heard you were coming. Just... try to avoid her for a while, okay? For everyone's sake."

I looked down, and a tear I couldn't stop splashed onto his hand.

"Why should I?"

"This is my home."

"I already gave it up to her for sixteen years. Isn't that enough?"

Ryan swallowed hard. "Audrey, it's not Felicity's fault... and she's been diagnosed with depression before. If we sent her back to that family, she wouldn't survive it."

Not her fault?

I laughed inwardly, a cold, sharp sound.

But I quickly smoothed my expression into a smile. "You're doing great, Ryan. My face doesn't even hurt anymore."

At the Prescott house, Felicity had many privileges.

One of them was choosing the menu.

Coincidentally, ever since my arrival, every single dish she ordered was something I was allergic to.

She knew I was deathly allergic to shellfish, so on my very first night, she requested a massive seafood feast. She even "thoughtfully" tried to shove a large shrimp into my mouth.

I dodged, but it grazed my lips.

My mouth immediately swelled up, and the world tilted sideways before I collapsed.

Felicity looked down at me with feigned concern. "Oh, sister! I know it's your first time eating real seafood, but you don't have to be that dramatic."

Only then did it seem to dawn on my mother. "Oh, dear! I completely forgot Audrey can't eat shellfish!"

I ended up in the hospital.

Even after that, the dining table was laden with seafood for the next two days.

Felicity would call out sweetly, "Sister, come and eat!"

I stood at the top of the stairs. "Is there lobster?"

Felicity held one up with her chopsticks.

"How about baby shrimp?"

She picked one up.

"Crab."

She found a crab leg.

"Clams."

"Mussels."

She patiently displayed every single item I named. "So, sister, which one do you want?"

I gave her a thumbs-up. "That's great! I can't eat any of these. Did you get that for next time?"

Felicity was dumber than my cat.

I told her I couldn't eat it, and she still had the chef make it day after day.

I knew she was doing it on purpose.

But my father just glanced at me and said, "Felicity just wants to eat seafood, Audrey. It's not about you."

I nodded eagerly. "You're right, you're right. Not about me at all."

I turned to him. "Dad, you're in great shape! Eating so much seafood for so many days straight, and you're not even worried about your uric acid levels spiking? You're not afraid of getting gout?"

The piece of fish on his chopsticks fell onto the table with a soft plop.

He cleared his throat. "Felicity, dear, let's have the chef make some other things. Some vegetables, some meat. Lay off the seafood for a bit."

Felicity threw down her chopsticks. "I want to eat seafood! That's all I want to eat!"

Immediately, everyone rushed to console her.

I, meanwhile, stirred a few cents' worth of fermented bean curd into my plain rice and ate with gusto.

My father, rubbing his temples, turned and saw me happily shoveling rice into my mouth.

He couldn't help but ask, "Audrey, there's nothing on the table you can eat. How can you look so happy?"

Oh, so he knew. He knew there was nothing for me.

He just couldn't be bothered to intervene in his children's squabbles.

I put down my clean bowl. "Of course. The food I used to eat was spoiled. Just getting to eat fresh, white rice is a luxury for me."

"Mom, Dad, Ryan, Felicity, I'm full. You guys enjoy."

I ignored the guilty looks they shot my way, washed my bowl, and went upstairs.

I heard later that my father revoked Felicity's menu privileges. He told the chef to start making some of my favorite dishes.

When Ryan told me, he expected me to be touched, maybe even cry with gratitude.

I was mostly just confused. Wasn't making food I could eat the bare minimum?

But I played my part, putting on a naive smile. "That's great! Does this mean I can finally have big chicken drumsticks and that delicious braised pork belly?"

Ryan's eyes grew misty. He patted my head. "Is that all you want? Chicken and pork? Anything else, just tell me and I'll let the chef know."

"No need," I said lightly. "You should make some seafood, too. It's Felicity's favorite."

The next day, a huge platter of seafood sat in front of Felicity.

In front of me sat a plate of braised pork and a crispy chicken leg.

I beamed. "This is perfect! Now my sister and I both get to eat what we like!"

High society life means endless parties and galas.

When I came downstairs in my custom-made gown, Felicity clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, sister! That dress looks ridiculous on you."

I nodded in agreement. "It's amazing, right? Custom-made for my measurements, and it's still this baggy."

Mom, looking irritated, summoned the tailor and demanded an explanation.

The terrified woman confessed immediately. "It was Miss Felicity. She told me Miss Audrey would surely gain weight and that I should make it a few sizes larger."

Mom turned to Felicity.

Felicity just pouted. "I was just trying to be thoughtful! How was I supposed to know she wouldn't gain any weight? It's like we're starving her or something."

I nodded silently. That's great. You hit the nail right on the head.

Felicity only wanted to embarrass me; she hadn't considered that as a Prescott, my appearance reflected on the family. But Mom couldn't bring herself to scold her darling, so she just hassled the poor tailor to alter the dress on the spot.

"Forget it, it's fine," I said, grabbing a wrap from the hall closet and draping it over my shoulders. "This way, you can't even tell."

Mom and Dad were busy networking, and Ryan was quickly absorbed by his friends. Before he left, he entrusted me to Felicity.

"Audrey, Felicity has lots of friends here. You should go meet them."

"That's great, Ryan. You're so considerate."

I smiled, my eyes crinkling at the corners.

He completely missed the sarcasm. "Right? I'm a good brother."

Felicity took my hand and dragged me over to her clique.

Then, they all started speaking rapid-fire English. They'd talk for a bit, then stop abruptly and stare at me, waiting for a reaction.

I just maintained a polite, placid smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Felicity let out a giggle. "Audrey, they're asking for your name. Don't tell me you can't even understand that?"

One of her friends wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, where did this country bumpkin come from? She can't even speak English."

I just smiled and nodded. "That's great. Your English really is excellent."

"My foster parentsFelicity's biological parentsabused me, so I had to drop out of school years ago."

Her friends froze. "Wait, what? Is that true?" one of them finally asked. "Felicity, isn't Mr. Prescott your father?"

To protect Felicity's feelings, my parents had never publicly announced the switch. They were even considering letting me stay on as the "adopted" daughter, while Felicity remained the true heiress.

Before Felicity could answer, I did. "No. Felicity is the fake heiress. I'm the real one they switched me with."

Felicity's face turned ugly.

She ripped the wrap from my shoulders. "You're lying, Audrey!" she shrieked. "I'm the real one! I'm their real daughter!"

Every head in the room turned toward us.

The ill-fitting dress hung off my skinny frame, making me look like a clown.

I reached for my wrap, but Felicity grabbed a glass of red wine and threw it in my face.

She smirked. "You like saying 'that's great,' right? So tell me, how great was that?"

She looked up, saw our parents rushing over, and viciously pinched her own arm, forcing out two fat tears.

"Mom! Dad! Sister said I'm not your child... Why? I've always thought of you as my real parents."

Predictably, they immediately started comforting her. Then my father turned on me.

"Audrey, didn't we discuss this? You and Felicity are both our children. Why would you say such things?"

I smiled. "That's great. So, for Felicity's sake, you're going to tell the world I'm the adopted one?"

Mom looked desperate. "The switch was an accident! It wasn't Felicity's fault. She's innocent!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Mom, Dad, you could find out if it was an accident with one simple investigation. If Felicity is so innocent, how did she know about my seafood allergy and serve me a death platter on my first night?"

Ryan jumped to her defense. "Audrey, it was just a coincidence! She wanted to give you the best..."

I was suddenly so tired.

All they had to do was look at her phone, check her bank transfers. It was all there.

I looked straight at Felicity. "Mom and Dad have been trying to protect you, trying to keep you from finding out you were the fake heiress. They've been secretly searching for me for the past two years. But the truth is, you've known all along, haven't you?"

Her face went pale. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you brave enough to let me see your phone?"

I held out my hand. Naturally, she refused. But under the weight of everyone's stares, she flushed with anger and shoved the phone at me. "Fine! Look all you want, Audrey!"

But when I opened her messaging app, there was nothing incriminating.

Wait. She had to have a second account.

Just as I was about to switch, Felicity's eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed.

I was stunned. The words just fell out of my mouth. "Brilliant. The acting is just top-notch."

Suddenly, my head snapped to the side from the force of a blow.

I looked up to see my father, his face purple with rage. "Yes, you're right! We love Felicity!" he roared. "No matter what she's done, our feelings for her will always be stronger than our feelings for you! Are you satisfied now?!"