Rejected at Home, Chosen by the World

The day our college acceptance letters arrive, Mom drops two screenshots into the family group chat. One is a first-class plane ticket to Jossvale, with my name on it. The other is a second-class train ticket to Harbury, with Annie Fuller's name on it. Mom lets out a long sigh. "Your dad and I made sure to book you first class this time. Annie's stuck on the crowded train, so you can't throw a fit again and say we're playing favorites." My older brother, Vincent Moore, is helping Annie pack. All her favorite snacks have been crammed into three big suitcases. He snorts. "Exactly. First class costs a fortune. Don't tell me you're so petty you're jealous of Annie when she's taking the train." I keep my head down and say nothing. Last night, in Dad's study, I saw a purchase agreement for a new apartment and the family's full travel plan. They're not just sending Annie off to university as a family—they've also bought a fully furnished place right across from her campus. Her name's on the deed, too. Annie is the only child my parents' best friends left behind. She's been living with us for eight years, and for all that time, I might as well not have existed. I've always fought tooth and nail for every scrap of affection, insisting on having whatever she has. But now, I finally understand that an unloved child can cry all they want and still come away empty-handed. I pull out my phone and sign a government-sponsored scholarship agreement. It's a fully funded eight-year program abroad, from undergraduate studies through a doctorate. I'm forbidden from returning home during that time. I'll give my family what they want and go far, far away. Chapter 1 My brother, Vincent Moore, zipped the last suitcase shut. "Valerie, did you go mute or something? Mom booked you a first-class ticket, and you can't even say thank you?" I looked up at him. His forehead was slick with sweat, and the back of his shirt was soaked through. At breakfast, Annie Fuller had casually said, "When I get to college, I won't be able to eat anything from home anymore." Because of that, Vincent had gone out at the crack of dawn and run over half the city in over 90-degree heat to buy local specialties. Then he'd come back, portioned them out, and packed everything up. He'd been busy the whole day. But when I'd asked him to grab me a box of ibuprofen while he was out because I'd had bad cramps yesterday, he'd snapped, "Don't you have legs? Do you need other people to do every little thing for you?" I dropped my gaze and locked my phone screen. "Thanks, Mom." Mom came out of the kitchen with a plate of sliced fruit. She walked right past me and set it down in front of Annie. "Just learn to be a bit more sensible in the future," she said. "Stop trying to compete with Annie over everything." Annie's head snapped up. "Mrs. Moore, please don't say that about Valerie. She worked hard to get into Jossvale University. She deserves to fly first-class." I hated Annie, especially how she always spoke up for me like she was being so understanding. She quietly soaked up all the favoritism and resources from my family, yet she acted as if nothing had happened. Over the years, I'd cried and thrown tantrums. But the gentler and better-behaved Annie was, the more I came off as loud and unreasonable. All I'd ever wanted was just a little bit of their love. At some point, a torrential downpour had started outside. Dad pushed the door open and came in. He was soaked from head to toe, but he carefully kept the box in his arms shielded. "Annie, look what I brought you!" he said. Annie's eyes lit up as she ran over. "It's that viral cake from online! But I heard the line here is, like, two hours long." Dad laughed and wiped the rain off his face. "It's no big deal. If you wanted to eat it, I'd stand in line all day and all night." From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of me sitting in the corner. He froze for a second, then added awkwardly, "There was only one left when it finally got to my turn. I'll buy you one next time, Valerie." Mom ground her teeth and hissed, "You idiot. Couldn't you have just grabbed a cheap one from downstairs to bring back for her? What if she starts making a scene again?" She kept her voice low, but I still heard every word loud and clear. I said evenly, "It's fine." The living room fell into a strange silence. No one seemed to have expected that reaction from me. In the past, I would've fought desperately for even a shred of their attention. I would've argued and demanded explanations with red, tear-filled eyes, refusing to let it go until I got to the bottom of why Annie had something and I didn't. If they bought her a new dress, I would throw a fit until they got me the same one. Even if it didn't fit me at all and I looked like a clown in it, I would still stubbornly force myself into it. But now, I didn't want to fight anymore. Last night, I'd gotten up for a drink of water and had walked past Dad's study. The door had been ajar, a thin sliver of light spilling through the crack. I'd heard Mom ask, "Is all the paperwork done for that apartment in Harbury? I'm really not comfortable with Annie going to another city all by herself and living in a dorm. What if her roommates bully her?" Dad had answered, "It's done. The apartment is under Annie's name. We'll all take the train together to send her there. We can help set up her new place while we're at it." Mom had sighed. "Be careful. Don't let Valerie find out. If she does, she'll definitely kick up a fuss again." I'd stood outside the door, feeling like there was ice in my veins. So that was how it was. A child nobody loved could cry and scream all they wanted, but it wouldn't magically make anyone care. The noise would only be annoying. Chapter 2 Annie cut the cake in half. "Valerie, let's share." I turned and headed for my room. "No thanks." Vincent's voice came from behind me almost immediately. "Ignore her. She's always been weird like that." I went back to my room and locked the door. All the laughter and chatter outside were instantly shut out. I pulled open the bottom drawer of my desk. This was where I kept every gift my family had ever given me over the years. There was the cheap keychain Dad had grabbed for me on a business trip. The night he tossed it to me, I was so happy I could barely sleep. Only later did I find out he'd gotten Annie a bracelet. There was also the old scarf Mom no longer wanted and threw my way, and Vincent's old phone after he upgraded. Every time they bought something for Annie, they would toss me scraps like these to keep me quiet. At the very bottom was an old photo album. In every single family photo, Annie wore the prettiest dress and stood right in the middle, surrounded by Mom, Dad, and Vincent. I could only stand off to the side. In some shots, I was half-blocked by someone else, my face blurred and cut off. These were things I'd once treasured like they were priceless, but I now swept them all into a trash bag. … Early the next morning, Mom knocked on my door. "The semester's about to start. We'll swing by the mall later and see what you and Annie are missing so we can buy them." This was supposedly a trip to shop for both Annie and me, but from the way my family acted, I might as well not have been there. At the skincare counter, Mom held on to Annie's hand. "Annie, Harbury's pretty humid, and you have sensitive skin. I stayed up last night comparing products and picked this brand out just for you." A little later, Dad handed Annie several sets of silk pajamas. "Once you're away from home, it won't be the same as here. Don't you dare shortchange yourself—anything that touches your skin has to be the most comfortable." By the time we left the mall, Vincent was pushing two enormous new suitcases they'd bought for Annie, with countless shopping bags hanging from both wrists. All I had was a baseball cap. I'd paid for it myself because Mom had said, "Annie has so many hats that she doesn't wear anymore. Can't you just take one of those? Why buy a new one?" At the mall entrance, the sweet aroma from a crepe stand drifted over toward us. Annie suddenly stopped walking, and her eyes lit up. "That smells so good." Vincent immediately shoved the suitcases toward me. "Valerie, keep an eye on the luggage. I'm gonna get crepes for Annie." The suitcases and even Annie's purse ended up in my hands. She reached out to take one of the suitcases. "Vince, I can take this myself. Valerie is holding stuff, too." She didn't hold on tight, though. The heaviest suitcase started sliding down the ramp, and I was standing right at the edge of the steps. "Move!" Vincent shouted. But it was too late. I lost my balance and pitched backward, my spine cracking against the steps as my palm scraped along the edge of the flowerbed. Pain exploded through me, and my vision went dark for a second. The suitcase yanked Annie off balance, and she stumbled, twisting her ankle before landing hard on the ground. Her eyes instantly went red. "Valerie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" Almost as soon as it happened, everyone shot past me and rushed to her. Mom crouched down, her hands shaking as she rolled up Annie's pant leg. "Oh, no. Your ankle's already swollen! Does it hurt? Why did you try to tough it out?" Dad looked grim as he bent down to help Annie up. "Don't move yet. Let me make sure nothing's broken." Vincent ran back over. He didn't even spare me a glance as he hoisted Annie onto his back, shouting, "We're going to the hospital. Now!" I sat on the steps, my pants torn from the fall. The skin on my palm was torn open, and blood welled up nonstop. "Mom…" I called softly. Her head snapped up, and she glared at me. "What now? Can't you see how badly Annie's hurt? Do you have to make everything about you?" Vincent carried Annie to the car and snarled coldly, "All I told you to do was watch the luggage, and you couldn't even get that right. If you hadn't been standing there in the way, would Annie have fallen?" Annie lay on his back, tears clinging to her lashes. "Vince, don't be mad at Valerie. It was my fault. I wasn't careful…" The second she said that, Mom only fussed over her even more. "I can't believe you're still defending her! You're too considerate for your own good. That's why she keeps walking all over you." Dad had already opened the car door and was helping Annie inside like she was made of glass. Only then did he turn back to me and say, "Just grab a cab home. We're taking Annie to the hospital." My face had gone pale from the pain. I whispered, "My hand really hurts, too." The car door slammed shut with a bang, swallowing my voice. They left me alone on the curb. Chapter 3 I took a cab to the hospital by myself. The doctor checked my palm. "The cut's pretty deep. You're gonna need stitches." He looked up over my shoulder. "It's gonna hurt when we stitch it up, and you'll need a tetanus shot after. Is there anyone here with you?" I forced back the tears burning in my eyes. "No. They're busy." … By the time I got home, it was almost 8:00 p.m. A whole crowd was gathered at the front door—the principal, Mr. Green, my homeroom teacher, Mr. Brown, and a few people holding cameras. The moment she saw me, Mom hurried over and grabbed my hand. "Where the hell did you run off to? You didn't answer your phone or reply to any messages! Look at you, keeping all these people waiting for you while you were off doing God-knows-what!" Her fingers closed right over my wound, and I hissed from the pain. Only then did she look down and notice the bandage wrapped around my palm. Mr. Brown spoke up first. "Valerie, what happened to your hand?" Before I could answer, Mom threw an arm around my shoulder. "Oh, you know kids. They throw tantrums now and then. Valerie's been quick to sulk since she was a child, but she's actually super sensible." As her hand landed on my shoulder, I caught a whiff of her familiar perfume. I used to love that scent. Whenever she held Annie, I would stand off to the side and secretly lean in closer, pretending she'd hugged me, too. Now, as that same fragrance wafted toward me, it only made me want to back away. I surreptitiously slipped out of her hold. Mom's smile froze. Mr. Green cleared his throat and handed me a folder. "Ms. Valerie Moore, we're here today on behalf of the school district to congratulate you. You ranked among the top ten in the entire state, and the Board of Education has decided to award you 100,000 dollars in scholarship money." Mr. Brown looked at me proudly. "Your score was really high this time. The results had to go through the state review process, so the notice came a bit late." Mr. Green added with a smile, "We wanted to present the award at school, but the higher-ups said there was no need to make such a big deal out of it. That's why we decided to come over in person instead." Mom smiled so broadly that the corners of her eyes crinkled. "Valerie's always been such an easy child. We never had to worry about her grades." Of course they didn't. I even attended my own parent-teacher conferences because my family always went to Annie's together. Vincent had graduated from Jossvale University, but every time I asked him for help with schoolwork, he would just say, "Don't you have a phone? Can't you just Google the answer yourself?" With Annie, though, he could patiently break every question down step by step, explaining it to her over and over again. One day, I finally asked, "Why can't you walk me through it, too?" His answer came without the slightest hesitation. "Your grades are already good enough. Even if I helped, you'd only improve by a few points. That wouldn't affect anything. But Annie's foundation is weak. If I help her just a little, she can improve a lot." I foolishly believed that as long as I was good enough, as long as I got into a top university like Vincent, Mom and Dad would finally turn their attention back to me. But even after I'd ranked in the top ten in the entire state and countless universities in the country extended offers to me, all they said was, "Nice job. Go to whatever university you want. It's up to you." They couldn't even be bothered to congratulate or praise me. Meanwhile, Annie barely made the cutoff for a top-tier university, but the whole family spent three whole days researching colleges and majors so she could avoid taking unnecessary detours. Mr. Brown handed me a bank card. "Keep this card safe. There's 100,000 dollars on it, and that's no small sum. Once you're in college, treat yourself well." I was about to slip the card into my bag when Mom suddenly reached out and pressed her hand down on mine. "Don't worry. We'll definitely help her plan things out." After everyone left, Mom pulled me aside. She said, "Give me the card. You're a kid. What do you need that much money for? What if you get scammed? I'll hold onto it for you." I gripped my bag tighter. "No thanks. I'll keep it myself." Vincent frowned. "What, you think we're out to steal that little bit of money from you?" Mom chimed in, sounding completely justified. "You and Annie are both starting college. Do you have any idea how much that's gonna cost? I'm just trying to divide resources where it's needed." I jabbed a finger in Annie's direction. "So the apartment you bought for her in Harbury is an example of 'dividing resources where they're needed'?" Chapter 4 Time seemed to freeze. Mom's panic lasted only a second before it hardened into anger. "Valerie, when did you learn to sneak looks at our documents at home?" Annie's face went pale. "Valerie, I'm sorry. I didn't know Mr. and Mrs. Moore bought a place and put my name on the deed. If it bothers you, I can give it up." Dad said, "Annie, you don't need to apologize. We gave you that apartment of our own free will." Mom chimed in, "Valerie, don't harp on about one apartment. You're our biological daughter. You'll get your share of everything in this family in the future. Annie's different. She's lost both her parents, and I swore at her mother's bedside that I would take care of her." I asked quietly, "What about me?" She was taken aback. "What about you?" "Do I have parents?" Vincent scowled. "Don't you feel guilty saying something like that? Mom and Dad put a roof over your head, raised you, and even bought you a first-class plane ticket. How can you ask if you have parents?" I tried, and failed, to hold myself back. "I paid the dorm fees for my senior year with my scholarship. I covered the travel expenses for my competition bootcamp by tutoring my underclassmen. Last year, when I was hospitalized for appendicitis, I called Mom. You know what she said? She said Annie was having nightmares and that she couldn't leave her." I held up my bandaged hand. "And just now, I got hurt and needed five stitches. Not a single one of you even bothered to glance my way." I looked at Mom. "Mom, why am I the one who keeps getting sacrificed for a promise you made?" The color drained from her face. Her lips moved, but she couldn't get a word out. Dad's face turned frosty. "Enough of this! Valerie, you're way out of line today!" Suddenly, I remembered what had happened years ago. When Annie had first come to live with us, Mom told me to give up my room. She said, "Annie just lost her family. You need to be more mature." Later, my piano lessons stopped because Annie said hearing the piano made her think of her dad. My birthday party was canceled because it fell right around her dad's death anniversary, and it would make her sad. They always told me that I had parents, and she didn't. But over these eight years, she'd ended up taking my parents from me. I was left with nothing. I took out the bank card and set it on the table. "If you want this hundred grand, then sign an agreement cutting all family ties with me." Dad shot to his feet. The next second, his palm cracked across my face. "You think you're all grown up, huh? Fine! Since you've got money now, we're done. We won't give you another cent from here on out!" … From that day on, the house split into two separate worlds. One half was a warm, happy family. The other half was just me, completely forgotten. Honestly, it wasn't much of a change. Because even before, I'd always hovered on the outside of their little world. Soon enough, the day came for college to start. I dragged my suitcase downstairs. Annie was eating breakfast. When she saw me, she said, "Valerie, come eat something before you go." I instinctively glanced toward the kitchen. The counter was spotless. There was no extra bowl or an extra set of cutlery. I didn't say a word. I just turned and walked out the door. Nobody bothered to see me off. At the airport, the teacher in charge was already waiting for me. "Valerie, are you sure you've thought this through? Based on the agreement, the state will cover all your expenses for the next eight years. "The conditions are that you're not allowed to return to the country midway, and you must come back and serve the country after you finish your studies." I nodded solemnly. "I have." At the security checkpoint, I checked my phone one last time. The family group chat was buzzing. Mom had sent a bunch of photos. The four of them were standing in front of the train station, flashing peace signs at the camera. Their smiles were so bright it almost hurt to look. I took out my SIM card and tossed it into the trash. The plane cut through the thick clouds and carried me farther and farther away. From now on, mountains and miles would stand between us, and I would never look back. … On the train, Mom checked the time on her phone. Her lock screen was bare—there were no new messages. "Valerie should've arrived in Jossvale by now, right? Honestly, she could've at least texted to say she landed safely. Is she really that angry with us?" Dad sighed. "It's true that we neglected her too much before. The things she said… she wasn't entirely wrong. Once we get Annie settled in, let's go to Jossvale and visit Valerie, too." Vincent was scrolling through his phone when he suddenly cried out, "Mom!" His hands were shaking badly. A breaking-news alert in bold red letters flashed on his screen. "Breaking: Flight MU4922, traveling from Shaltone to Jossvale, lost contact at 10:15 a.m. today while passing over the Cloudrose Mountain Range. Authorities have confirmed that the aircraft has crashed. Search-and-rescue teams are rushing to the scene."