Chapter 9
Seven years ago, my adopted sister Kyla Parrish hit and ran after getting
drunk.
My parents and my biological sister all persuaded me, “Grace, Kyla’s health isn’t good. She can’t go to jail. Will you take the fall for her?”
I disagreed.
But they turned me in and put me in jail.
The man behind all this was my boyfriend, Antonio Kaufman.
It turned out he had been in love with Kyla all along.
After seven years, I finally got out of prison.
“Grace, now that you’re released, live your life to the fullest. Don’t look back.” I told myself.
I took the faded cloth bag from the prison guard, bowed, and limped out
of Pine Prison.
A Karlmann King SUV was already waiting outside.
As the window rolled down, I saw the sharp, handsome features of my fiance, Antonio.
“Grace.”
Seven years had passed, but he hadn’t changed at all.
I, however, subconsciously lowered my head, sitting in the car. The
rearview mirror reflected my gaunt, scarred face.
“These seven years must have been hard on you, Grace. I’m sorry. I’ll keep my promise and marry you.”
Antonio held my bony hand.
But as I looked at my emaciated reflection in his eyes, I slowly withdrew my hand and responded indifferently, “Yeah.”
Being behind bars for 2,589 days and nights allowed me to see through Antonio and my family.
They didn’t love me.
And I no longer wanted to marry him.
Antonio, sensing my indifference, explained, “Kyla knows you’re back today. It triggered memories of the accident, and her depression flared up
again.
“Your parents and sister are with her at the hospital.”
I listened in silence, closing my eyes.
Twenty–five years ago, when I was just two, I got lost in a mall. My mother, longing for me, adopted Kyla from an orphanage, who looked just
like me.
But when I turned fifteen and my parents found me, they didn’t love me. They always asked me to put Kyla first.
Seven years ago, they made me take the blame and go to prison for her.
Compared to Kyla, I felt like the adopted one.
Countless cars on the road made way for Antonio’s SUV
An hour later, we arrived at the Parrish villa.
Only the housekeeper and the servants were there. The second they saw me. their eves were filled with disdain.
My parents only loved Kyla even though I was their biological daughter. To the servants. I wasn’t the daughter of the Parrish family.
“Mr. Kaufman, welcome.”
The housekeeper greeted Antonio with respect and then looked at me. “Ms. Parrish. Mrs. Parrish asked that you stay inside and not go out. She doesn’t want you to embarrass the family.”
Embarrass them?
I took the blame for Kyla. And they thought I was embarrassing them?
Well, forget it. Ever since that late night seven years ago when they sent me to the police car, I had stopped expecting anything from them
“I see.”
Just as I was about to enter the house, Antonio received a call.
After hanging up, he said, “Grace, Kyla’s condition has worsened. She needs me. I’ll go see her. Take some rest, Okay? I’ll come see you
tomorrow.”
With that, he left hurriedly.
Watching him walk away, I limped back to the small storage room I was assigned to.
I pushed open the door, and dust filled the air.
I was exhausted, so I lay down on the bed.
Night arrived.
Half–asleep. I heard my biological sister, Naomi Parrish, talking in the living room.
“Dad, Mom, Kyla’s condition is really serious. Should we ask Grace to move out? Kyla gets sick whenever she sees her.”
My dad sighed and said nothing.
My mom said, “No matter what, Grace is our daughter. If we ask her to leave, what will others think?”
“What should we do then? We can’t have Kyla in the hospital forever.” Naomi said.
My dad spoke up. “Let’s just tell Grace to stay in her room when Kyla
returns.”
My eyes turned burning as I heard their conversation.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a secret email.
“Congratulations, Ms. Parrish, on your acceptance to the National Confidential Science Research Institute.
“Once you accept this position, you will take on a new identity in ten days and travel with our scientific team to Clastein for research.”
“Your identity will be kept confidential for the next five years. You are not allowed to contact anyone outside the program.”
read through the terms pl
Withen hesitation istmed de m
