“Harvey! Are you asking for trouble? Is this how you treat your sister?” A middle-aged man’s stern voice sounded behind us.
“Yunice!” A graceful middle-aged woman rushed toward me and wrapped me in a tight embrace. “My precious daughter, you’re finally home!”
I glanced at them and thought smugly, ‘My parents are actually pretty good-looking. No wonder I inherited their stunning genes.’
The woman holding me stiffened slightly. Her gaze flitted between her silent sons and me before she hesitantly said, “Yunice, I made soup for you. Let’s go home and have dinner.”
My father, Thomas Stone, chimed in, “I told these useless boys to bring you inside, but here you are, still standing outside. I’ll deal with them later.”
‘What a pity. Such kind parents, but in the end, they’ll still turn their backs on me because of the heroine’s manipulation. They’ll refuse to acknowledge me, and their fates won’t be any better. Madness for one, death for the other. Alas, the Stone Family is truly cursed.’
At that moment, everyone froze in place. My mother’s grip on my hand tightened so much that her nails left red marks on my skin.
“Mom?” I asked, startled.
She quickly let go, giving me an awkward smile as she scanned me from head to toe. “Yunice, are you feeling okay? Anywhere uncomfortable?”
I shook my head obediently. “No, I’m perfectly fine.”
‘Though I can’t say the same when I look at your three biased, brainless sons,’ I thought.
“Yunice Stone!” Harvey barked my name with his usual hot-headedness.
“What now? I was standing here quietly, not even saying a word about you, and you’re losing it again?”
“Harvey!” Thomas shot a sharp glance at my eldest brother, signaling him to restrain the fuming Harvey.
“Yunice, ignore him. Let’s eat.”
…
Finally seated at the dining table, I eagerly prepared to dig in, only for someone to ruin my appetite.
My second brother, Jimmy Stone, placed an empty bowl beside him and spoke slowly, “Yunice, you’re probably aware there’s another girl living here now. Her name is Alicia. She’s not in good health, so I hope you can get along with her and be more accommodating.”
The rest of the family stayed silent, clearly agreeing with him.
“Alright,” I said calmly.
‘Here we go again. My so-called dear brother, who’s actually nothing more than the heroine’s loyal lapdog, is back with his usual warnings. Isn’t this all just because she was born premature and a bit frail? That was years ago. She has long recovered. She’s just faking it now, milking it to keep you fools wrapped around her finger. Honestly, I can’t stand how gullible these brothers of mine are.’
Before I could mentally rant any further, a light, sweet voice drifted down the staircase. “Dad, Mom, guys!”
Like clockwork, my parents and brothers stood up, as if the family’s little princess had descended from heaven itself.
My mother, Natalie Stone, glanced anxiously between me and Alicia, as if worried I would fail to get along with the fake heiress.
Outwardly, I stayed as composed and serene as ever, but in my head, I had a soundtrack playing just for her grand entrance. ‘Here she comes, strutting toward us with the cheerful stride of someone about to bring ruin and chaos to this household.’
