Killed by Dad's Criminals, Dissected by Mom

Chapter 9

From the audience, I watched my parents and brother, and a smug smile crept onto my lips. I knew Emily thought that without me, she'd be the family favorite. During the intermission, Emily clung to Dad's arm. "Mom, Dad, Brother, I'm so glad you're here."

On the award stage, Emily held up her medal with a smile. To the reporters, she sweetly said, "I couldn't be here without my family's support. I hope to always be my parents' pride and my brother's beloved sister!" Watching her pride made me sick. Her happiness was built on my pain. Why did she push me into the devil's abyss while she basked in flowers and applause?

The audience whispered, "Her sister died recently, right? So sad, but she's so talented." "Her sister was a delinquent, heard she was killed over a love triangle." Emily heard too, but her smile only grew brighter, as if declaring victory in my death.

Suddenly, several police officers approached Emily, freezing her smile. "You must have the wrong person! I'm the champion of this competition!" My brother sneered, "You're the one. Being a champion doesn't hide your wicked heart."

At the peak of her spotlight, Emily's mask was ripped off. She gasped, eyes wide, "What proof do you have? Mom, Dad, help me, Brother's gone crazy!" My mom softly asked, "Ethan gave us a voice recorder. We've heard what you said."

Every word Emily uttered—telling me to die, calling our parents old scum—was recorded. Ethan mockingly revealed the recorder's hiding place, "Know why I let that girl go? I wanted you to suffer more, knowing your beloved fake daughter killed your real one!"

Emily's face turned gray as she knelt. My mom, in anger, pounded her. Seeing Emily's lack of remorse, Dad asked, "We treated you as our own after adopting you. Even after Emily returned, we showed no favoritism. Why did you do this to Emily?"

Jealousy and hatred filled Emily's eyes, "You just used me as Emily's replacement. Once she was back, I wouldn't let you play your reunion act. You're the fools, not believing your own daughter."

My brother sighed deeply, "Mom and Dad never wronged you. They treated you better than Emily. It's your heart that's filthy."

Emily was taken away, still wearing her medal. On the day of her sentencing, my parents and brother placed flowers on my grave. Her cellmates, knowing she killed the real daughter of her adoptive family, despised her. They tormented her daily, making her fetch balls, mocking her with, "Tennis champions should love this sport."

Dad fed a spoonful of soup to Mom, "Open wide, honey." But Mom, eyes vacant and cloudy, barely reacted. She couldn't accept that the daughter she loved caused the real daughter's death, living in a mental haze, confined to a hospital.

Dad lost his passion for solving cases. My death, caused by a criminal he captured, cast a shadow over him. He sighed, cleaning Mom's drooling mouth with a tissue, "We were wrong. When Emily came back, we should have been kinder, not harsh with words."

"Now Emily's gone, and you've driven yourself mad. I can't face my uniform anymore." Mom only played with the ring I once gave them, saying, "Mom's going with Emily to the competition. Emily, do your best."

My brother stood outside the hospital room, sighing, "Emily, if you saw this, would you forgive them?" Unable to bear living in the same city with them, my brother submitted his resignation. He didn't want to stay with our parents anymore.

Watching him leave with his luggage, and seeing our aging parents, I felt my heart covered by a vast, desolate snow. Mom, Dad, if there's another life, and I'm your daughter again, don't lose me.

My form began to fade as everything blurred. In a daze, I heard their gentle voices, "Emily, come home for dinner." My brother gently took my hand, playfully tapping my nose, "Our Emily worked hard."