Chapter 1 : The Things That Were Never Mine

Lily Hart’s POV

I used to believe that every child felt loved equally in their home.

That parents looked at all their children with the same warmth, the same care, the same pride.

But as I grew older, I realized something painful — love in some families is never divided equally. Some children are cherished openly, while others quietly learn how to survive with whatever is left behind.

I was the third child in my family.

The forgotten one.

My older brother, Ethan, and my sister, Clara, studied at the most prestigious school in the city — the kind of school people admired from the outside gates. Students there wore perfectly tailored uniforms, carried expensive bags, and arrived in shining buses every morning. Everything about that school looked beautiful, polished, important.

And then there was me.

I studied at the small local school near our neighborhood. The classrooms had cracked walls, broken desks, and old ceiling fans that barely worked during summer.

Every morning, I watched Ethan and Clara leave the house looking perfect while I stood silently behind them in my faded uniform, carrying books that once belonged to them. Even their old things looked better than anything I had ever owned.

I still remember the first time I asked my mother about it.

I was nine years old. Too young to understand money, but old enough to notice the difference.

"Mom," I had asked softly one morning, "can I go to the same school as Ethan and Clara?"

She didn’t even look at me properly. She was too busy packing Ethan’s lunchbox.

“You’re still young, Lily,” she replied casually. “When the right time comes, we’ll admit you there too.”

And because I was a child, I believed her.

Children believe promises so easily.

Years passed.

The “right time” never came.

Now I was in high school, only months away from graduating and leaving for college, yet nothing had changed. Ethan and Clara were already studying in expensive colleges while I was still learning how to make myself feel grateful for things I never truly wanted.

That evening, rain tapped softly against the kitchen window while I stood near the doorway holding my notebook tightly against my chest.

“Mom…” I called quietly.

“Hm?” she responded while folding freshly washed clothes.

“I need new books for this year.”

Without even lifting her eyes, she answered, “Use your brother’s and sister’s old books. I think the syllabus is the same.”

For a moment, I simply stood there.

My fingers slowly tightened around the notebook.

“Mom,” I said carefully, “but last year you told me that once I reached high school, you would buy me new books.”

She sighed impatiently, as though my words had become another burden she was too tired to carry.

“Lily, your brother and sister already have books. Why waste money unnecessarily? Try to understand our situation.”

Our situation.

Those words had followed me my entire life.

Whenever I wanted something — our situation.

Whenever I complained — our situation.

Whenever I cried — our situation.

But strangely, our situation never stopped Ethan from getting a new phone every year.

It never stopped Clara from buying branded clothes or expensive shoes.

Only my needs seemed too difficult to afford.

“But Mom…” My voice trembled despite my effort to stay calm. “You always buy new books for them.”

This time she looked directly at me, irritation flashing across her face.

“Lily, don’t argue with me. And don’t tell me how to run this house.”

Something inside me cracked quietly at those words.

A small crack.

But deep enough to hurt.

“But Mom,” I whispered, trying desperately to hold back my emotions, “it’s always the same.”

She remained silent.

And for the first time in years, I couldn’t stop myself anymore.

“Since childhood, I’ve been using their old things,” I said, my voice shaking. “Their old books. Their old bags. Their old clothes. Everything.”

I swallowed hard before continuing.

“You never buy anything new for me.”

My mother opened her mouth as if she wanted to explain herself, but I didn’t let her speak.

“Do you even remember the last time you bought me new clothes?”

Silence filled the room instantly.

Painful. Heavy silence.

Her lips parted slightly, but no answer came out.

Because she didn’t remember.

And honestly… neither did I.

A bitter smile appeared on my face, though it hurt more than crying.

“It’s okay, Mom,” I muttered softly. “Forget it.”

Before she could say anything else, I turned around and walked toward my room.

The moment I closed the door behind me, the tears I had been holding back finally escaped.

My room was small, quiet, and painfully empty.

I sat down on the cold floor beside my bed and pressed my trembling hands against my face.

I hated crying.

Not because tears were weak…

But because nobody notices them after a while.

People simply get used to your sadness.

Maybe I was selfish for wanting something of my own.

Maybe I asked for too much.

But was it really so wrong to want new books?

Something untouched.

Something that belonged only to me for once.

My eyes slowly wandered around the room.

The study table had once belonged to Clara.

The bookshelf was Ethan’s old one.

Even the sweater hanging near the window was Clara’s from years ago.

Nothing in this room felt like mine.

Sometimes I wondered if my place in this family truly belonged to me either.

Outside my room, I could hear my mother laughing softly at something Clara said.

And somehow, that sound hurt more than the argument itself.

I wiped my tears angrily and reached for one of Clara’s old textbooks lying beside my bed.

Her name was still written neatly on the first page in blue ink.

Clara Hart.

Beautiful. Important. Noticeable.

Right beneath it, in the empty little corner of the page, I wrote my own name quietly.

Lily Hart.

Small.

Faded.

Almost invisible.

Just like me.

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Author’s Note ✍️

And it's the end of first chapter

Press the stars if you’re already emotionally attached to Lily Hart. ⭐

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