Chapter 3 : The Daughter Nobody Chose

Lily Hart's POV

Time has a strange way of moving.

Sometimes pain makes days feel endless...

and sometimes years disappear before you even realize you survived them.

High school was almost over now.

The same classrooms.

The same old uniform.

The same exhausting feeling of trying to prove my worth to people who had already decided I wasn't enough.

But despite everything, I still had dreams.

Small dreams. Fragile dreams.

The kind people laugh at before they break them completely.

I wanted to become an artist.

Painting was the only thing that ever made me feel alive.

When I painted, the noise inside my head became quieter. The loneliness hurt less. Colors understood me in ways people never did. Every emotion I couldn't speak somehow found its way onto the canvas.

Art was the only place where I existed completely.

And for the first time in my life... I wanted something badly enough to fight for it.

That evening, I gathered all my courage and walked into the living room where Mom and Dad were sitting.

"Mom..." I spoke softly.

"Hm?" she replied while checking Clara's exam schedule.

"I've been thinking about college."

Dad looked up from his newspaper.

"I want to apply to an art school."

Silence.

A heavy kind of silence.

Mom slowly looked at me as if I had just said something ridiculous.

"Art school?" she repeated.

I nodded nervously.

"I really love painting and-"

"Lily," she interrupted sharply, "stop dreaming about useless things."

My throat tightened immediately.

"But Mom, I-"

"It will be a complete waste of money," she said coldly. "Learn something from Ethan and Clara. Look at them. They chose practical careers. They're doing well in life."

Every word felt like another stone placed on my chest.

Dad sighed quietly before speaking.

"Your mother is right. There's no proper career in art."

I looked at him hopefully anyway.

"But Dad... I'm good at it."

"Being good at something doesn't mean you should build your future on it," he replied calmly. "Dreams don't pay bills."

That sentence broke something inside me.

Because they never even tried to understand why art mattered to me.

To them, it was just a hobby.

A childish interest.

A ridiculous choice.

But to me?

It was the only thing that made surviving this life easier.

I lowered my eyes quietly.

"Then what should I do?" I whispered.

Mom immediately answered, "Prepare for scholarship exams. We can't afford expensive college fees."

I nodded slowly.

Actually... I had already been trying for scholarships.

Because deep down, I knew nobody in this house would ever invest in my dreams the way they invested in Ethan and Clara's.

Still, a small part of me whispered hopefully.

"Mom... I was thinking maybe I could apply to the same college as Clara and Ethan."

Mom laughed softly.

Not lovingly.

Mockingly.

"They are different from you, Lily."

My chest tightened painfully.

"They are mature. Responsible. Considerate."

Every word sliced through me quietly.

"And you?" she continued. "You're too emotional. Too sensitive. You don't think practically."

I stayed silent.

Because arguing never changed anything.

People only compare you to your siblings when they've already decided you'll never be enough on your own.

Mom suddenly stood up.

"Anyway," she said, "your grandmother and aunt are coming today, so behave properly this time."

I already felt exhausted.

"And help me with the housework. Clara is busy with her semester exams."

Of course she was.

Clara always had important work.

Important studies.

Important dreams.

Mine were treated like distractions.

I nodded quietly and walked back toward my room.

The moment I closed the door, I leaned against it tiredly.

At first, I had wanted to study in the same college as Ethan and Clara.

Maybe because I still hoped being closer to them would finally make me feel included in this family.

But now?

Now I just wanted to leave.

Far away from this house.

Far away from these comparisons.

Far away from people who made me feel unwanted every single day.

I sat near my window, staring at the evening sky slowly turning dark.

Maybe distance was the only thing that could save me.

And somewhere between overthinking and silent tears...

I fell asleep.

-

I woke up because of loud voices downstairs.

Laughter. Suitcases dragging. Excited greetings.

For a second, I forgot where I was.

Then I remembered.

Grandma and Aunt Annie had arrived.

I forced myself out of bed and walked downstairs slowly.

The moment I entered the living room, I saw Grandma sitting proudly on the sofa while Aunt Annie unpacked bags nearby.

I swallowed nervously.

"Hello, Granny," I greeted softly. "Hello, Aunt Annie."

Grandma glanced at me briefly and gave a small nod with an annoyed expression.

That was all.

No smile.

No affection.

Nothing.

But before the awkward silence could continue, the main door suddenly opened.

"Grannyyy!" Clara's excited voice filled the room.

Ethan and Clara rushed inside laughing before hugging Grandma tightly.

And instantly... Grandma's entire face lit up with happiness.

"My beautiful children!" she exclaimed lovingly while kissing Clara's forehead. "Look at you, Clara! You've become even prettier."

Clara giggled happily.

Then Grandma gently touched her face and smiled proudly.

"One day, a prince will come for you. You're so beautiful, my princess."

I stood there quietly.

Watching.

Listening.

Existing like background furniture in the same room.

Then Grandma suddenly turned toward Aunt Annie.

"Annie, bring the gifts I bought for Clara and Ethan."

Something inside me foolishly hoped for a second.

Maybe... maybe she bought something for me too.

I watched eagerly as Aunt Annie opened the shopping bags.

New clothes. Branded watches. Chocolates.

Beautiful things.

My heart quietly waited.

Then I finally gathered courage and asked softly,

"Granny... where's my gift?"

Before Grandma could answer, Aunt Annie interrupted casually.

"Oh, for you?" she laughed lightly. "I brought some clothes from your cousins. They only wore them once or twice. They're practically new."

My smile disappeared instantly.

Used clothes.

Again.

Always leftovers.

Mom immediately smiled at Aunt Annie.

"That's so kind of you, Annie! Lily will love them."

Then she looked directly at me.

"Right, Lily?"

My throat burned painfully.

But I still nodded.

Because disappointing people was somehow worse than disappointing myself.

"Thank you," I whispered quietly.

Grandma suddenly spoke again.

"Lily, bring us something to eat. We're exhausted from traveling."

Before I could respond, Mom added quickly,

"Go cook something."

I froze.

Then Clara suddenly smiled sweetly.

"Granny, should I make your favorite omelet?"

But Grandma immediately stopped her lovingly.

"No, princess. You must be tired from college. Go rest."

The difference hurt more because everyone pretended not to see it.

I looked at Mom helplessly.

"Mom... I really need to study for my entrance exams."

The room instantly became quiet.

Mom's face hardened immediately.

"Lily," she said warningly, "behave yourself."

Something inside me snapped.

Maybe because I was tired.

Tired of adjusting.

Tired of staying silent.

"I don't want to cook for them," I said quietly.

The next second-

SLAP.

My face turned sharply from the force.

The room fell silent.

My cheek burned instantly as tears filled my eyes.

Mom glared at me furiously.

"Don't you know how to behave in front of guests?"

I stared at her in shock.

Not because she slapped me.

But because even after all these years...

it still hurt.

Tears slipped silently down my face before I turned around and rushed toward my room.

But even while climbing the stairs, I could still hear Grandma's voice downstairs.

"Kenny, you've spoiled her too much already," Grandma scoffed. "Why waste more money on her studies? Start looking for marriage proposals before she slips out of your hands."

My chest tightened painfully.

Mom sighed softly.

"Mom... she's only seventeen."

Seventeen.

And already unwanted.

I locked my room door and collapsed onto the floor beside my bed.

The tears came uncontrollably now.

My face still burned from the slap.

But honestly... my heart hurt more.

And suddenly, an old memory returned.

A memory I had spent years trying to forget.

-

I was eight years old the first time Grandma called me a curse.

We had visited Grandma's house during summer vacation. Clara and I were playing outside when she suddenly tripped and scratched her knee badly.

She started crying loudly.

Before I could even help her, Grandma rushed outside angrily.

"What happened?!"

Clara pointed at me immediately.

"Lily pushed me!"

My eyes widened in horror.

"No! I didn't!"

But nobody listened.

Grandma grabbed my arm harshly and shouted,

"You wicked girl! Your mother almost died while giving birth to you, and now you want to hurt Clara too?"

I froze completely.

"You are nothing but bad luck," she hissed angrily. "A complete jinx."

Tears filled my eyes instantly.

"Granny, I didn't do anything..." I cried helplessly. "Clara fell herself..."

But Clara kept lying.

And everyone believed her.

Mom arrived moments later and immediately scolded me without asking anything.

Then she locked me inside a dark room for the entire day as punishment.

I cried for hours.

Alone.

Hungry.

Scared.

Eventually, Dad came after hearing my cries.

"Who locked her in here?" he asked angrily.

"Me," Mom replied firmly. "She pushed Clara."

Dad looked toward me.

"Did you do it?"

I shook my head desperately.

"No, Dad! I swear I didn't!"

But Mom interrupted immediately.

"She's lying."

And just like that...

Dad believed them.

Not me.

That day, something inside little eight-year-old Lily broke forever.

That was the day I realized nobody in this family would ever choose me.

Not over Clara.

Not over anyone.

Maybe never at all.

-

The memory faded slowly as tears continued slipping down my cheeks.

I curled myself tightly under the blanket, trying desperately to stop crying.

But the pain wouldn't stop.

No matter how hard I tried...

it never stopped.

And somewhere between heartbreak and exhaustion...

I fell asleep while crying silently.

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...Author's Note ✍️...

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

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