Don’t mess with me, I'm not your victim anymore!

As I walked out of the exam hall, I saw my biological parents waiting for me, faces unfamiliar and distant after all these years.

I walked past them expressionlessly and said, "Excuse me, Uncle and Aunt, I think you’ve got the wrong person."

I’ve been an orphan all my life.

I was born a minute after my older brother. While everyone was caught up in the joy of his birth, the nurse came back out holding me, "There’s another one! Congratulations! It’s twins, a boy and a girl!"

The room fell silent. My father, Aidan Winter, frowned as he took me into his arms, his face betraying no emotion as he looked at my cries.

I bet that in that moment, he was already thinking about where to send me.

They still clung to the old superstition that twins brought bad luck, and in order to avoid misfortune, it was best to send me away as soon as possible.

My grandmother, Margaret, found out what they were planning and cursed them out in anger, "You're all from the Winter family! How could you be so heartless?"

She stormed off, holding me, and went to find my mother, Evelyn. Tearfully, she tried to convince her.

But my mother, so weak now, barely glanced at me and said, "Send her away. She’s just a girl."

Margaret stared at her daughter, as if she didn’t know her, speechless for a long moment.

Evelyn sighed and continued, "Mom, you have to understand... I’ve never been the one in charge in this family."

"Spineless! Utterly spineless!" Margaret stood up, holding me tight, wiping away her tears. "Fine! If you won’t raise her, I will! But don’t expect her to recognize you when she’s grown up!"

Margaret took me back to her old home and raised me with love, never shying away from expressing her thoughts in front of me.

Every time she spoke of my parents, she would hold me close, saying, "Our Elise! One day, you’ll make something of yourself! You’ll slap their faces with your success!"

I would hug her back, smiling brightly, "Yes! And I’ll make sure Margaret gets to enjoy all the good things!"

But Margaret never got to see that day. When I was seventeen, she passed away suddenly.

I cried on her chest as she reached up to touch my head, struggling to speak, "I’m sorry, Elise. I won’t be able to walk the rest of the road with you. You have to be strong, Elise. You’re going to be okay."

Those were her last words before she breathed her last.

It was then that I realized—she was the only person in the world who truly loved and protected me.

My parents returned soon after, their faces devoid of any grief. When they saw me, there was only a moment of surprise.

After the funeral and all the arrangements were done, Evelyn glanced at me and said, "Come on. Let’s go. You’re bad luck."

I nodded and went to the main hall to bow deeply three times in front of Margaret’s shrine, muttering, "Margaret, I’m leaving. Don’t worry, Elise will make something of herself."

I followed them to the car and opened the door to find someone already sitting in the backseat.

He was playing a game on his phone and looked up at me, instantly furrowing his brow. "Who are you?"

I shook my head, and my mother introduced me, "Your sister."

The guy immediately set his phone aside, giving me a long, scrutinizing look. "Oh, so you’re the bad luck one? What are you doing back here?"

I didn’t respond, nor did anyone else speak up for me.

He seemed irritated by my silence, growing increasingly frustrated. "Hey! I’m talking to you! You really are one of those kids, born with parents but raised without them!"

"Enough!" Aidan couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He turned to look at me, his expression one of clear disdain. "Sit on something to cushion your seat. Don’t dirty my car."