Chapter 2

At the case briefing, after listening to my mom's autopsy report, the officers all had somber expressions.

My death was gruesome, making facial identification impossible.

The abandoned building where my body was dumped was not the original crime scene, significantly increasing the difficulty of solving the case.

Dad instructed the officers to search the area around where the body was found for any suspicious activity.

"Have the forensic pathologist perform another autopsy to see if there’s anything new, and send the DNA samples to the forensic lab as soon as possible."

He left my mom with that remark before hurrying off with his team.

They showed more concern for the body than they ever did for me.

My mom once stroked Lily's hair and said that being a forensic pathologist was a noble profession. She believed that giving a voice to the dead was an important duty.

I watched as Lily nodded in agreement. However, the moment my mom turned away, she wiped her hair in disgust.

That time, I slapped Lily across the face, but my dad punished me by shaving my head bald.

Now, my mom gently touched my hair with a hint of sadness and whispered, "To die so horribly... her family must be heartbroken."

I smirked bitterly. My family would probably be relieved by my death. Maybe only Eddie would feel a little sad.

Mom’s gloved hand moved across my back.

There was a large burn scar there, one I got after being kidnapped.

When they brought me home that year and I changed clothes, my mom stared at it in surprise. There was a hint of disgust in her expression. "How did you get that on your back? That’s disgusting. Don’t scare Lily."

Could she recognize me now because of this scar?

I bit my lip nervously. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead.

But a second later, Mom dismissed it casually. "This didn’t happen this time."

Ruby, suddenly gasped softly. "Dr. Stella, there’s a piece of paper in the victim’s stomach!"

My mom’s eyes widened as she took the paper and sighed. "The stomach acid has already corroded it. We’ll see if the crime scene investigation (CSI) can analyze it later."

Suddenly, a phone rang. It was Lily's favorite song.

Mom quickly removed her gloves and rushed to the hallway. Her voice was soft and loving.

"Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Mommy’s at work.

"Tomorrow?" Mom paused for a moment, then gritted her teeth. "Dad and I will definitely be there to cheer you on. Eddie is on a business trip and won’t be back in time."

Lily’s sweet voice filled my ears. "Love you, Mom! I really hope Emily can come watch my match. If she’s there to support me, I’m sure I’ll win.

"It’s fine if she doesn’t want to come. It’s normal that she doesn’t like me. After all, I’ve hogged all your and Dad’s love for so many years."

Even though Lily and I had never gotten along, from the day I returned home, she was always secretly framing me.

But in front of our parents, she loved pretending we were close sisters.

From my experience, I figured Mom would be criticizing me soon.

Sure enough, Mom’s voice suddenly grew sharp. "You are my precious daughter. What does Emily even count for? She steals from the family and bullies you behind our backs. She doesn’t deserve to be my daughter.

"Don’t worry, even if she broke her leg, I’d make sure she wheels herself to watch your match!"

Lily giggled sweetly. "Dad called me today to remind me to stay safe. Mom, if you get the chance, make sure you remind Emily too."

"You take care of yourself. As long as Emily doesn’t die in front of me, I don’t care what she’s up to." Mom always spoke about me with such disdain.

Maybe it was because the daughter they found was not raised properly and did not fit the family’s standards.

Even after I was found, they refused to change my last name.

In their hearts, the only daughter they had was Lily.

While they worried about her safety, no one remembered that I was their real daughter.

I wonder what their reaction would be when they found out how I died.

After all, Lily was the one responsible for my death, and they were part of it too.