As a child, I couldn't hide my hatred and tried to intimidate her, warning her not to know her place.
She showed no fear, instead provoking me further. Just as I couldn’t control myself and reached out to hit her, she suddenly stumbled and fell into the decorative pond.
My mother didn't hesitate, jumping in frantically to pull her out.
Kendall's face was frozen pale and she timidly pulled on my mother's sleeve, "Madam, I just missed my mother so much that I accidentally called you 'Mom.' The young miss wants to kill me..."
My mother was heartbroken when hearing this, so she immediately said, "Silly girl, from now on, you can call me Mom!"
She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with disappointment as she scolded me, "You're so heartless. Sometimes I really doubt if you're my biological daughter!"
Watching them embrace tightly, my heart felt like it was being torn apart inch by inch with a dull knife, the pain so intense I couldn't breathe.
She didn't even listen to my explanation, forcing me to kneel in front of her for three days and three nights, then personally crossed my name out of the family registry.
Overnight, I became the only outsider in this family, while Kendall became the apple of my parents' eyes.
My heart was already breaking, but then my older brother Larry, whose temper was legendary, lost his edge around her.
In my previous life, they also forced me to marry in place of Kendall.
I was deeply hurt by their favoritism, so I left home in a fit of anger that night and boarded an international flight to escape the chaos.
Yet I couldn’t escape the fate of being dragged down by Kendall.
This time, I wouldn’t act impulsively.
"If I recall correctly, the most important project for the Princeton Family is currently in the hands of the Halton family in Harlette. Can you afford the consequences of their anger?"
My warning finally made them hesitate. My parents stood there for a long time, unsure of how to respond.
Larry snorted coldly, "Are you blaming our mother for neglecting you all these years?"
"Lilian, how could I have such a petty sister like you! Compared to Kendall, you don’t even act like a member of the Princeton Family."
In the past, I would have been heartbroken by his words, but that time, I did not care anymore.
I curled the corners of my mouth and bowed respectfully to my parents. "Mom and Dad, I'm willing to marry that fool from the Halton family."
My parents' eyes lit up.
"But... I have a condition. I want you to hold a press conference and tell everyone in person that I am the true heiress of the Princeton Family."
My parents looked hesitant. "This..."
Before my parents could respond, Larry rushed forward and grabbed me by the collar.
"I knew you weren’t being nice. All these years, you’ve been holding a grudge against Kendall for taking your place!"
I pushed his hand away with all my strength and explained, "Brother, you've misunderstood. I didn't do it out of selfishness..."
"Only by making my status as the sole heiress of the Princeton Family public can I marry into the Halton Family with proper credentials!"
My mother looked distressed, hesitated for a long time before reluctantly agreeing, "Alright, I’ll go arrange it right now. I’ll hold a press conference to restore your status as the Princeton Family’s heiress and personally tell them that Kendall is our adopted daughter."
Kendall, who had just managed to stand up with her frail body, heard this and tears welled up in her eyes.
She stammered out, "Mom… Are you abandoning me now?"
After saying that, she glared at me with resentment, turned and ran off. But just a few steps later, she closed her eyes and fainted.
Larry acted quickly, catching her and lifting her into his arms. My parents also rushed after her, filled with concern.
A bitter taste rose in my mouth.
In this family, I had always been the outsider.
It was said that Kendall caused a scene after waking up, but the press conference still went ahead as scheduled.
