Chapter 1

The pain of her body giving out still haunted her when a sharp, familiar voice sliced through the air, "Aubree, you’re a total letdown!"

Aubree Miller’s vision cleared, and there was Emery, her fourth brother, shooting her a look that could kill.

Her heart skipped. Wm… back? Five years ago, the day Carmen got named heir? The day my whole world crashed?

That day, Carmen played them all. She set Aubree up, making everyone think she was so jealous of Carmen’s inheritance that she’d pushed her down the stairs to get rid of her.

Right on cue, her second brother, Daxton, swooped in like a hero, saving Carmen from anything worse than a fright.

Emery showed up next, not even listening to her side, demanding she own up.

Aubree swore she was innocent—she even made a desperate vow—but they thought she was just dodging blame.

In the end, they made her apologize in front of everyone and beg Carmen’s forgiveness. To “fix” Carmen’s scare, her parents gave Aubree’s share of the family money to her.

In one day, Aubree became Rithol City’s biggest joke.

And that was only the beginning.

Carmen, with her sugary smile, would say, “I wish I was as pretty as Aubree.” Next thing they knew, Aubree’s lace was scarred from a random “allergy.”

She couldn’t look better than Carmen–it’d make her feel bad–so Aubree had to be ruined.

Aubree’s art was her everything, but Carmen wanted to “be that good too.” So, every painting Aubree poured her soul into got Carmen’s name on it.

Aubree? Branded a faker and kicked out of school, her teachers‘ disappointed glares cutting deep.

It didn’t stop there. Carmen’s weak heart meant she couldn’t move much, so to keep things “fair” Aubree was starved, forced to waste away beside her.

Weak, hungry, and crushed, she still got disowned and thrown out like garbage.

Broke and starving, she ended up huddled under a bridge, her body shutting down, waiting to die.

Aubree blinked, back in the moment. She saw Daxton cradling Carmen like she was fragile, his face all worry. Then Emery, his eyes burning with disgust.

These were the brothers who’d found her, promising to make up for lost years, swearing she was family.

Emery was done waiting. He grabbed her wrist, yanking her toward Carmen.

“Say sorry!” he barked.

The sting in her wrist snapped her awake.

She looked at Emery, the brother just two years older, the one who used to get her, who’d look at her with care.

Now, his eyes were just cold and annoyed.

“Relax, Emery,” Carmen said, flashing a sweet smile like she was brushing it off. “I mean, I’m a Wilson on paper, but I’ve got outsider blood. No surprise Aubree’s mad.” Her words sounded kind, but they left plenty of room for ugly assumptions.

Daxton snapped. He jabbed a finger in Aubree’s face. “If I’d known you’d turn out this rotten, I’d have told Mom and Dad to leave you in the streets!”

Her blood ran cold. “That is it, isn’t it?”

If she ever crossed Carmen, they’d rather she was dead.

God, she wished the Wilsons had never found her at all.

Aubree gritted her teeth, yanking her hand free as pain shot through her wrist. Her voice came out rough. “Y’all seriously think I pushed Carmen?”

Carmen’s eyes softened, all pity. “Oh, Aubree.”

She didn’t need to say more–her silence hit harder than any comeback Aubree had.

Emery shook his head, disappointed. He’d hoped she’d own her mistake, not dodge it.

“Aubree, what’s happened to you?” he said.

He still remembered her coming back to the Wilsons—tough, sweet, like a ray of sunshine trying to warm them all up.

Daxton’s glare could’ve burned a hole through her. “You want it straight? You’re pissed Carmen’s getting a cut of the family money. You think she’s stealing your share, so you shoved her down the stairs. You wanted her out.”

He kept going. “For ten years while you were gone, Carmen held us together. Kept Mom and Dad from losing it. And when you showed up? She tiptoed around you so you wouldn’t feel left out. What’s your problem? That inheritance is hers, fair and square!"

Aubree’s lips twisted into a bitter smirk. Huh, news to me that Carmen is such a hero!

“My bad,” she muttered.

Not for what they thought–she was done expecting her family to care. No more falling for that trap.

Carmen played it sweet, looking pained. “Aubree, I’m not mad.”

Aubree gave a dry chuckle. “A mistake’s a mistake. I’ll fix it.” Her real screw-up was coming back to the Wilsons. She’d end that herself.

Carmen’s eyes flickered with a smug glint—she wanted all the family’s love for herself.

But she waved it off, all innocent. “Aubree, relax, you said sorry. We’re good.”

Daxton hugged Carmen close, his heart melting. That’s so you, Carmen–always keeping it classy, even when you’re hurting.

“Don’t feel bad,” he whispered to her. “You deserve this,” He shot Aubree a cold look. “At least you’ve got some decency left.”

With that, he stormed off, Carmen in his arms, throwing Aubree a final disgusted glare.

Emery glanced at her, his eyes catching her swollen, red wrist. “Did I do that?” Guilt flickered, but blame won out.

“You shouldn’t have gone at Carmen like that. Good luck explaining this to Mom, Dad, and the boys when they’re back,” Emery said.

He softened a bit. “Ice that wrist.”

Aubree stayed silent. Alone in the quiet, she doubled over, clutching her stomach as wild, unhinged laughter spilled out.

Tears streamed down her face. This was their game–crush her, then toss her a crumb of hope, making her think if she played nice, things would change.

Her laughter turned to choking coughs. Wiping her eyes, she stumbled to her room.

Her gaze landed on the family photo album on her dresser.

A happy couple with six kids–two girls, four boys. The girl in the corner looked out of place.

That was her.

Lost at five, found at fifteen. That first year she was gone, her mom neatly broke, almost landing in a psych ward. Her dad adopted a girl who looked a bit like her to keep her mom sane.

From then on, the Wilsons poured all their guilt and love into Carmen, Hithal City’s golden girl.

At first, when Aubree came back, her parents and brothers tried, giving her the love they’d promised.

But it faded.

“Aubree, Carmen’s got a heart condition. Go easy!"

“Aubree, you’re already taking all her attention. Don’t be selfish.”

“Aubree, we’re your family, but Carmen’s got no one else. Can you get that?”

Her nails dug into the desk, one snapping before she snapped out of it. None of it mattered now.

She grabbed a clean white box from under her bed, opened it, and walked out the door.