THE OTHER DAUGHTER

rain, the weak buzzing light flickering above her head, even the soft drag of fabric between her fingers. Tomorrow she would leave this place behind, yet instead of excitement, a s

ity saw right through her? What if t

stairs. The apartment had always been small, but tonight it felt unbearably fragile,

arship, Texas and her fingers trembled slightly as she picked it up again. Not becau

Reed dropped dramatically onto the bed, nearly crushing th

phi

ttention, I'm going to start getting jealous." Isabell

, seriously. Look at me. You did this," she said softly. "You. Not luck. Not pity. You worked yourself to death for this scholarship." Is

tore, and the tiny kitchen where she had spent countless late nights studying while eating instant noodles. Everything in this apar

g too much agai

s think

over and squeezed her shoulder. "You are going to Prestige University," Sophia said slowly, stari

f confidence, but it had been growing inside her ever since the acceptance letter arrived. Prestige University was filled with people who had grown up with money, c

traighter. "

der than necessary. "Those people are rich. Pow

ophia said firmly, crossing her arms. "That university accepted

ding instantly on Isabella's suitcase. Clara had always carried a strange heaviness around her even in quiet moments she looked like someone bracing for disaster, her shoulders

odded. Sophia stood up awkwardly, already reaching for her jacket, but Clara stopped her. "Yo

o each one, and then silence filled the room again, the way it always did between them. There were moments when Isabella felt like Clara wanted to say something imp

bella and whispered dram

aid flatly, and Sophia

" Clara said, tu

not h

y ate this

d I'm

. Clara sighed and walked toward Isabella, her voice dropping into something softer and more careful than usual. "You've worked hard your entire life. You don't need to prove yoursel

lways pressure sitting heavily inside her chest, tangled up with the fear of failing, the fear of losing everything

loudly. "Okay! Everyone is getting emotiona

money?" Isa

ork." Isabella burst out laughing, an

hia talked nonstop about Texas, about billionaire

y not," Is

mart and pretty. G

g there t

what they all say before falling in love w

enough that most people would have missed it, but Isabe

this apartment hate ro

e romance,"

. You rejected Carlos, you rejected Mason" Isabella grabbed a pillow and t

ilies destroy people like us." The apartment went quiet, and Isabella looked at her carefully, because there it was again that strange bitterness that

tarted carefully, but

r why you're

ild a

eople ruin lives with money and never lose sleep over it." The words settled heavily in the room, and Sophia looked

to do amazing things," Sophia said, squeezing her. "And

five foo

dange

lla without speaking, and for several long moments neither of them moved. Then Clara reached into her pocket and place

?" Isabella

ed about her parents, and whenever Isabella had asked questions grow

urning the pendant over in her fingers. "What was she like?" she asked, and Clara

ind. She l

bella's fingers tighte

a did, and her chest tightened painfully. She wanted to believe those words more than anything, yet years of unanswered questions made it difficult. If her mother

" The question came out smaller than she intended vulnerable, almost childlike and she hated that, hated how those questions still

No." The answer came too quickly,

hat hap

h from earlier vanished completely, and Isabella's stomach tightened b

he truth?" Clara faced the window, her shoulders stiffening.

me, but it doesn't." Clara finally turned, and for the first time all night Isabe

derstand," Cl

slowly, as if measuring every word before she spoke it. "You are going to Prestige University tomorr

lla pressed, and Clara looked at her with such int

's arms, because the fear in Clara's eyes didn't look like an excuse it looked personal, deep, like whatever truth she was hiding had

the necklace still curled in her palm, then toward Clara's closed door, and something felt wrong - not new, because it had always been t

ople again. Sophia: Ah yes. Her favorite hobby. Then: Nervous about tomorrow? Isabella stared at the message for a moment, typed the word very, and then erased i

, the weak light, the heavy silence and thought that maybe Sophia was rig

le and a new life, and the possibilities that should have excited her only twisted anxiously in her stomach. She lay staring at the ceiling while rain cont

her chest, like something was about to happen. She quietly walked toward the kitchen for water, b

ld sliding down her spine as she moved closer without making a sound, her fingers tightening around the edge of the wall. "I spent eighteen years protecting her," Clar

before, not once and yet Clara sounded terrified, as though Isabella's face alone could destroy something irreplaceable. Her breathing became uneven as questions crashed

oks exactly like her now. If they discover Isabella is