A Different Life

When I was two, I was abducted. My parents searched for me for eight years.

When they came to pick me up, I was working in the fields, wearing tattered clothes, my body covered in bruises.

I knew they were ashamed of me, that I wasn't presentable, so I desperately worked to earn money.

This year, at twenty, I found a decent boyfriend, and we were talking about marriage.

Then I discovered they had secretly arranged an engagement party for my sister and my boyfriend.

I stood at the doorway, carrying a tray of dishes, and heard my father tell my boyfriend:

"Lily has a low education and won't amount to much. Sarah is different; she's young, pretty, elegant, and graduated from a prestigious university. She's a better fit for you."

My mother beamed at this prospective son-in-law.

"A perfect match, they look like they were made for each other!"

My boyfriend looked uneasy.

"Wouldn't it be bad if Lily found out?"

My mother immediately retorted with disdain:

"Lily was away for eight years. Who knows what she went through? I heard girls who are abducted often end up with"

"You understand. Your auntie doesn't want you to regret it later. You should listen to her."

"What, don't you think our Sarah is good enough?"

My boyfriend knelt on one knee in front of everyone, pulling out the engagement ring meant for me and putting it on Sarah's hand.

In that moment, I no longer wanted this family.

I stood at the doorway, as if plunged into an ice cave, the dense, pricking pain in my chest almost suffocating me.

After the successful proposal, my parents inside clapped and celebrated joyfully.

Immediately after, I received a breakup message from my boyfriend.

Fearing that staying one second longer would make me crumble, I handed the tray to a colleague and fled the hotel as if escaping.

My parents didn't come home until ten o'clock that night. As they unlocked the door, they were still happily chattering outside.

I took out my bank card, placed it on the table, and spoke directly:

"For the past two years since I started working, I've sent you ten thousand a month for your retirement. Now that Sarah is here and you don't need me anymore, please return my money."

My parents' faces instantly darkened.

"What kind of talk is that? Sarah is your sister. Besides, she hasn't even finished her internship yet. How can she support us in our old age?"

"What's gotten into you, making a fuss in the middle of the night? We raised you for ten years; do you think that came free? We finally got a little back, and now you're asking for it? How can you be so shameless? Did you learn that from your monstrous foster parents?"

I took a deep breath.

"Alright, in those ten years, I didn't attend school for a single day. You only took me back to provide food and lodging. Subtract those expenses, and please return the rest to me."

My father was furious, rushing up to me and pointing, cursing.

"Lily Reed, you think you're so tough now, don't you? Daring to ask me for money? I'm your father!"

I suddenly laughed, and as I laughed, tears streamed down my face.

I looked at the empty space behind them.

"Where's Sarah? Didn't she come back with you?"

"Let me guess where she went. Is she perhaps at the hotel, bonding with my boyfriend?"

My words hit home, and my mother's face instantly panicked.

"How did you know? You've been following us!"

"Mom, you forgot. I work three part-time jobs, and one of them is at the hotel you went to tonight."

My voice was utterly calm, but my swollen eyes betrayed all my fragility.

Seeing that I knew, my mother no longer bothered to act, sitting casually on the sofa.

"Since you know, we won't hide it anymore. Jayden's family is very well-off; his parents are retired executives. You're not good enough for him."

"Even if you married him, you wouldn't have the ability to keep a man. Rather than letting outsiders benefit, it's better to give him to your sister."

"Sarah is smarter and prettier than you. In the future, we'll all be family, and you can still benefit from the Harrison family. No need to give me attitude."

Sarah, Sarah, everything was about Sarah.

Since returning home after being found, I had constantly lived under the nightmare of this twin sister.

Even though we came from the same womb, just because she had never left home and received a good education, in my parents' eyes, she was better than me in every way.

At first, I thought it was because I grew up in the countryside and hadn't studied.

I wanted to go to school too, but as soon as I brought it up, they immediately vetoed it.

They said because of what I had been through, they were afraid I would be ostracized by classmates if I went to school.

They also said I was introverted and not suitable for interacting with outsiders.

As long as Sarah studied well, and she tutored me, it would have the same effect.

I believed their words and studied desperately.

But later, I realized that wasn't it at all.

They felt having Sarah as a daughter was enough.

And I was an extra presence in this family.

Spending a single penny on me was a waste of resources.

The neighbor, Mrs. Smith, said my parents gave up looking for me a year after reporting me missing.

If the police hadn't insisted on visiting, perhaps they would never have remembered they had another daughter.

Years of grievances accumulated in my heart, completely erupting at this moment.

I stood up abruptly.

"Mom, you know Sarah and I are sisters. Is there a sister who steals her older sister's fianc? Are there parents who encourage their daughter to get into her sister's fianc's bed?"

"Since you think Sarah is better than me in everything, can't I just leave?!"

My tearful accusation was met with a heavy slap from my mother.

"Who taught you to speak to your mother like that?"

"You've learned from those monstrous foster parents, it's utterly disgraceful! With your attitude right now, you'll never be as good as your sister!"

Sarah was interning at a big company, and her internship salary was as high as ten thousand.

She never gave money to the family; instead, she occasionally needed help from my parents.

My monthly fixed transfer of ten thousand was worthless in their eyes.

Thinking of this, my tears completely broke free.

I snatched the shopping bag from my mother's hand and threw it to the ground.

My mother's eyes widened, clutching her chest and gasping for breath.

"You you you're absolutely rebellious!"

My father picked up an ashtray, ready to smash it on my head.

The next second, Sarah opened the door and walked in. Both their faces instantly changed.

My mother's heart no longer hurt, and my father was no longer eager to burst into anger.

Doting smiles spilled from their lips, and they quickly stepped forward to take the bags from Sarah's hands.

"How was your time with Jayden? Everything alright?"

"Mom always said you were a good match for him. I heard his salary is fifty thousand a month. You'll definitely have a good life if you marry him!"

Sarah blushed and lowered her head.

"Mom, nothing's set in stone yet, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, by the way, these are things Jayden insisted on giving you. He said he was in a hurry to meet today and didn't prepare any gifts, so he's making up for it."

"You were right, Mom, Jayden even wants to give me two hundred eighty thousand dollars for the betrothal gift!"

My parents were overjoyed.

Sarah then noticed me in the room.

Her expression was conflicted.

"Sis you know everything?"

Tears welled in her eyes, still the same familiar fragile look from before.

"I didn't mean to. Actually, Jayden just said he didn't really want to marry you, that's why Mom and Dad thought of me"

"Please don't be mad at me, okay?"

I was momentarily stunned.

"He said that himself?"

"Yes, last time I accidentally went to his company to deliver a contract. He thought I was you, and when he found out I wasn't, he said he wanted to treat me to dinner."

"He knows about your eight years away from home, and he also said"

"He said his parents didn't want a daughter-in-law who hadn't been to school, but he didn't know how to break up with you."

I felt my heart being torn apart bit by bit, then rebuilt in shattered pieces.

I smiled, a look uglier than crying.

My mother rolled her eyes, her disdain undisguised.

"What did I say? The man isn't blind. He was just interested in you for a while for dating, but how could he choose you for marriage?"

"If I hadn't introduced Sarah to him, the duck in our mouth would have flown away!"

"And you still have the nerve to be angry with me? You don't even know who's looking out for your best interests!"

Sarah, her eyes red, came over and pulled at me.

"Sis, if you really like Jayden, how about after we get married, you secretly pretend to be me and meet him? I don't mind. We're sisters."

From childhood to adulthood, I don't know how many times I'd seen her like this.

No matter what she coveted, as long as she said she wanted to buy it for me, as compensation for those eight years.

The next day, my parents would buy it and give it to her.

She got the benefits, and she got the reputation for being sweet.

But I, crying and making a scene, became the malicious one in my parents' eyes.

I smiled, and said softly:

"No need. Anyway, after tonight, this family will only have one daughter."

"You won't have to act pitiful anymore."

I turned back to pack my bags. Sarah's face instantly changed.

"Mom, what's going on? Is she leaving?"

"What about my ten thousand allowance?"

"Quick, think of something!"

My father snorted coldly.

"Not only is that ten thousand gone, but she also wants back what she gave us before!"

"What kind of debtor did I give birth to! If I had known this day would come, I'd rather have left her in the countryside her whole life!"

The three talked outside the door for a long time. When I finished packing, my parents seemed like different people.

My mother carried a plate of sweet and sour ribs to me, coaxing,

"Lily, you must be tired from work today, huh? Did something upset you at work that made you angry with us?"

"Just now, Mom and Dad spoke too harshly. Don't take it to heart."

"But you know, Mom, Dad, and your sister are the closest people to you in this world. We would never harm you!"

I stared coldly at the plate of food.

"Mom, actually, I really hate eating meat."

"Every time I eat it, I have to throw up in the bathroom for three hours."

"Do you know why?"

My mother's smile froze.

"Why? You never told Mom about this."

"Because ten years ago, they didn't give me food. I was starving to death, so I had to catch bugs in the dirt, and mice in the house."

My voice was calm, as if telling someone else's story.

My father's face immediately darkened.

"Eat it or don't eat it, leave her alone!"

Sarah glared at him fiercely, then turned and smiled at me.

"Sis, if you don't like it, we won't make it at home anymore. Mom means well, you can't make her sad, can you?"

"What happened before is in the past. Bringing it up now, aren't you just deliberately twisting the knife in Mom and Dad's hearts?"

I looked back at her.

"Sarah, do you know how disgusting your acting is?"

"Are you done? If so, please move aside. I'll be working overtime tonight to sort out the bills. Then the money will be transferred to my card."

With that, I turned to leave. My mother suddenly squatted on the ground, crying inconsolably.

"You've finally come home, and now that you've grown up, you're leaving? What am I supposed to do!"

"You're my own flesh and blood. How could I not love you? It's impossible to treat everyone perfectly equally, but I've tried my best, and you're still not satisfied. If it comes to it, just take my life!"

I paused, feeling an overwhelming weariness.

"What would I do with your life? You don't owe me, and I don't owe you anymore."

"It's fine this way, just our family."

My mother's eyes darted, and she actually knelt down before me.

"After all that, aren't you just blaming me for introducing Jayden to Sarah?"

"Alright, I was wrong, your mom was wrong! I'll kowtow to you, beg you to forgive me this once. If you want to get married, tomorrow I'll pay ten thousand to a matchmaking agency, put all my retirement savings into it. As long as a rich man is willing to take you, you two can get married immediately, I won't say another word!"

My mother kowtowed very forcefully, and blood immediately seeped from her forehead.

My father stood up abruptly, pointing and accusing me.

"Do you see? Are you trying to force your own mother to die?"

"If that's not enough, your mom and I will kowtow to you together. Giving birth to you was all our fault!"

Saying this, he also knelt down.

Sarah, sobbing pitifully from the side, choked out:

"Sis, I know you don't like me. After I get married, I'll move out and never compete with you for Mom and Dad's affection again, just please don't leave."

"They really miss you. You don't know how they lived during those eight years..."

I numbly pulled out a photo album from the drawer.

Before they came home, I had wanted to take my own photos.

But opening it, I found only warm family photos of the three of them.

Not a single picture of me.

I pointed to their photo at the beach.

"Are you talking about these eight years?"

I then pointed to their photo of catching dolls.

"Or this one?"

"It was indeed very sad. I can see, extreme sorrow giving way to extreme joy."

Their faces were grim, they exchanged glances, but for a long moment couldn't find an excuse to make me stay.

Seeing through their expressions, I suddenly laughed, my face cold.

Truly a family, even their malicious calculations were identical.

My father's phone suddenly rang. After he answered, a voice immediately congratulated him.