Chapter 2

When I was seven, Dad brought Queenie home.

She said that she liked my room, so I was kicked out and sent to sleep in the guest room.

Every day, Dad personally drove her to and from school.

During parent-teacher conferences, he chose to go to her class instead of mine.

Eventually, I became known to my classmates as a bastard with no parents.

Aunt Caroline had complained on my behalf before, saying that Dad shouldn't be so biased.

However, Dad just said matter-of-factly, "Queenie lost her parents when she was young. What a poor child—how could I not take extra care of her?"

He seemed to have forgotten that I had lost my mother at a young age too.

Meanwhile, Queenie, whom he'd called obedient and well-behaved, had come into my room on my birthday and stolen the necklace that Mom had left me.

I caught up to her at the top of the stairs on the second floor. She raised the necklace in front of me with a sinister expression. "You want this necklace, don't you, Yvonne?"

I clenched my fists and tried to hold in my anger. "What do you want?"

She smiled and ripped the necklace apart.

"No!" I lunged at her, but I didn't manage to touch her.

Queenie took a step back and fell down the stairs.

When I saw the triumphant smile on her face, I realised that I had fallen into her trap.

As expected, Dad did not even bother to ask what happened. He just slapped me across the face.

Then, without sparing me a second glance, he picked Queenie up and rushed her to the nearest hospital.

I clutched my numb face and smiled bitterly. She didn't need to do all that. Given Dad's fondness for her, I posed no threat to her at all.

When Dad hit me with the baton until my liver ruptured and my ribs fractured, I finally understood that she was just trying to prove to me how cruel he could be toward me.

She had said so at 12 years old when she tore up the letter I wrote to Dad. "Uncle Ben is mine and mine alone! He hates you. You'll never take him from me!"

My family wrapped up Queenie's birthday celebration in joy.

Before she left, Aunt Caroline couldn't help herself. She said to Dad softly, "Has something happened to Yvonne? Maybe you should go look for her."

Dad paused. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then, his face hardened. "What could happen to her? She might as well die far away from here. Saves me the annoyance of seeing her around!"

Aunt Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, she just sighed and left.

I tried to leave as well, to go back to the basement, but try as I might, I couldn't do it. I seemed to be trapped by Dad's side.

That night, Queenie knocked on Dad's door with a cup of tea in her hand. "Uncle Ben, I'm performing in two ballet competitions tomorrow. Do you have time to come watch?" she asked timidly as she placed the tea on the desk.

Before Dad could answer, she shook her head. "Never mind, I know you're busy. I shouldn't have said anything."

She had always been good at acting aggrieved.

Sure enough, Dad immediately stood up, smiling. "Of course I will attend your competitions!"

He never could refuse Queenie's requests.

As for me, he always thought that I was being unreasonable.

One time, I had broken my arm at school, so my teacher had called him to come pick me up.

It had been the first and only time I had called him from school. However, all I got was his angry voice. "It's just a small injury, Yvonne. I've already told you that I'm busy. Don't bother me unless it's something serious!"

His impatient voice echoed in the school clinic.

I sat there stunned, not knowing how to respond to the pity in the teacher's eyes.

My eyes strained as I fought not to let my tears fall.