04
The Fox household boiled over with excitement.
Carly's hand trembled faintly around her phone.
She fought to push down the corners of her mouth, forcing on a look of anxious, dutiful humility.
"Thank you, sir. I promise I'll behave, and I'll never let the Henson family down."
Lucy's foster mother's eyes went red with emotion as she grabbed Carly's hand and reminded her over and over.
"Carly, once you're with the Hensons, you have to be good and obedient."
"Learn to keep the Hensons happy, and hold on to this fortune with everything you've got."
"From now on you're a young lady of a great house. You'll never have to suffer with us again."
Lucy's foster father added his own urging, his voice earnest.
"Don't forget everything we did to raise you. Once you've made it, you'd better pull the family up with you."
Carly nodded obediently, smugness she couldn't quite hide sitting in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Mom, Dad. I'll bring you wealth and comfort."
She turned to glance up at the attic, a cold sneer flickering deep in her eyes.
"I'm not like my sister. Even now she still has to play the noble one."
Hearing that, I gave my head a small shake.
The pop-ups started scrolling again, saying exactly what I was thinking.
【LOL! The Hensons don't care about her at all. Last time they sent the butler, this time they just made her come on her own!】
【Basically she's a tool, not worth the smallest bit of their attention.】
【And the Fox family's still bowing in gratitude, scrambling to latch onto money like that. Pathetic.】
They waited until dusk, when word came from the Hensons.
Only then did my foster parents confirm that Carly had reached the old Henson estate in Metropolis without a hitch.
They strolled up to the attic and yanked open the dusty wooden door.
"Come out."
I bore the pain and walked out of the attic without groveling or bowing my head.
But to them, that only looked like more fake pride.
My foster father's temper flared. He snatched up the few old bags that were all I had and hurled them onto the concrete outside the door.
Books and clothes scattered across the ground.
"Carly's a Henson daughter now. From here on we get to live in comfort and luxury."
"Don't you drag us down and ruin the good days coming to this family."
My foster mother stepped up right behind him, hands on her hips, not mincing a word.
"Aren't you the proud one? Too good for money and great houses, aren't you?"
"Then keep being proud. Get out of our house and never come back."
"We wore ourselves out raising you, and you don't have an ounce of gratitude, just that stuck-up act."
"Once Carly's flying high, you can regret it all you want. It'll have nothing to do with us."
I bent down and silently gathered everything back up, piece by piece.
"Don't worry. I won't bother you."
And so, between me and the Fox family, every tie was cut clean.
School was about to start anyway, so I went to check in at college on my own.
I applied to move into the dorms early and lined up a work-study job on campus.
A few days later, a trending item crossed my feed.
#Metropolis Henson Family Reunited With Long-Lost True Daughter#
There was a lavish reunion banquet, packed with all kinds of high society.
And there was Carly, in a haute couture gown, standing beside Mr. and Mrs. Henson and their fake heir.
She looked every inch the doted-on young mistress of a great house.
The comments were nothing but envy, everyone marveling at how lucky Carly was.
I calmly closed the news and went back to the work in front of me.
Then the pop-ups appeared again.
【Just wait. The more glamorous it looks now, the worse it'll end!】
【The Hensons' warmth and grace are all fake. Carly will find out soon enough!】
【Look at the fake heir's eyes, terrifying! It won't be long before Carly can't hold up anymore!】
But none of it had anything to do with me now.
A few more days passed, and I was finishing my part-time shift, about to head back to the dorm to rest.
The phone in my backpack started ringing.
An unknown number.
I hesitated for two seconds, then answered.
"Lucy! Help me! I want to come home!"
"I don't want to be with the Hensons anymore!"
