To cheer up my depressed adopted sister Sienna Evans, my parents, Charles Evans and Lyla Evans, didn’t dare show me too much love, even locking me in a dark room over seven hundred times. It was all to see her smile. They initially felt guilty about it. Still, eventually, even my most loving brother, Rylan Evans, came to see it as perfectly usual. Only when Sienna’s depression started to improve did I finally gather the courage to beg them on my knees to seal up that dark room. But at Sienna’s birthday party, I just wore my only T-shirt, and that was enough to make her tear up and ask Charles and Lyla if I didn’t like her. Charles, Lyla, and Rylan comforted her while throwing me back into that pitch-black room. “Claire, you’re her big sister. You need to be more considerate of your sister’s feelings. “If you hadn’t insisted on wearing such trashy clothes, your sister wouldn’t have gotten so upset. “You’re used to this after all these years anyway, so what’s one more time?” I huddled in the corner, pulling at my hair, unable to speak. Three days later, they finally let me out, warning me not to make Sienna sad again. But I just stared at them blankly. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” ***** The middle-aged couple in front of me froze momentarily, looking surprised at my question. Their surprise quickly turned to impatience. “Claire, stop messing around and come out already! “Your sister wants one of your baked cupcakes, so make her one!” At the mention of “sister”, my head suddenly throbbed like it was being stabbed with needles. Countless images flashed through my mind, but they were all blurry and unclear. One thing was sure, though, those memories were probably all painful ones. The people outside kept pushing, and their noise made me feel worse by the second. I had no choice but to step through the doorway carefully, but as soon as I touched the light, I couldn’t help but scream. The moment I made contact with the outside, my skin burned like it was on fire. I shrank back in terror, then heard a young man’s voice. “Claire Evans, what are you playing at? Didn’t you say you hated being in the darkroom? Now we’re letting you out, and you’re acting up? “Come out quickly. Don’t upset Sienna!” Like the middle-aged couple earlier, this man had a bad attitude toward me. My whole body was shaking, and I couldn’t respond. I didn’t want to go out at all. They were right. I hated this pitch-black place. I was so scared of the dark that my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest. The world outside was bright, but something in my mind warned me that stepping out there would only bring me closer to pain. The overwhelming fear slowly disappeared when I curled up like a baby, hugging myself tight. That was when I heard a girl’s voice again. She sounds upset, her tone tinged with hurt. “Dad, Mom, Rylan, haven’t you gotten Claire to come out yet? “It is all my fault for being so stubborn. Is Claire staying in there because she’s mad at me? “Claire, I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. Won’t you please come out?” I could hear her crying. The three people who were so harsh with me rushed to comfort her, their tone a hundred times gentler than when they spoke to me. “Sienna, don’t overthink it. It isn’t your fault. “Claire’s the one being difficult and throwing a tantrum. You’re our precious girl! Why should you apologize to someone like that?” I thought, “Someone like that? Are they talking about me?” I rubbed my chest, feeling a dull ache. Was I feeling sad because of what they said about me? But I really couldn’t remember anything. It was like a fog had settled over my past, making everything hazy and unclear. The people outside didn’t care what I was thinking—they spent time comforting their precious girl. I heard their footsteps as they led the girl away. But in the next second, a large hand suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Claire, how dare you trigger Sienna’s condition again! “You’re too vicious to deserve being my sister! “Get out here and apologize to Sienna right now!” It was the voice of the young man from earlier. He called me his sister, but his attitude toward me wasn’t brotherly. He treated me more like an enemy. Before I could understand what was happening, he lost his patience and burst into the dark room, grabbing my arm to drag me out. I couldn’t match the strength of a grown man, but my fear of the outside world made me struggle instinctively. “No, please don’t!” I grabbed the only table in the dark room with both hands, gripping it so hard my nails were about to dig into the wood. When he noticed my fear, he just let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, now you’re scared? Where was this attitude before? “People like you need to learn your lesson hard!” He kept pulling me forcefully toward the door. My nails, deeply embedded in the wood, snapped off, and I cried out in pain as it shot through my fingertips. “Shut up! If you disturb Sienna again, you’ll regret it!” This man, who claimed to be my brother, kicked me, trying to make me quiet down. When I kept screaming, he covered my mouth with his hand. I was so terrified as we approached that door that my whole body shook. I bit his hand hard in a burst of courage I didn’t know I had. He yelped in pain and let go of me. I scrambled away, crawling back into the corner. He laughed angrily. “Well, Claire, you’ve grown some teeth!” In the darkness, using the dim light from his phone, he swung his arm and slapped me across the face. “You’ve got zero class for a young lady of the Evans family. How dare you bite people? “Weren’t you the one begging us on your knees not to put you in the darkroom before? What’s with the act now? “All this just because you don’t want to apologize to Sienna?” I stayed silent, just feeling shocked. I thought, “Are these people my family?” I thought family should support each other and live together in harmony. At worst, they might become like strangers to each other. But what were these people doing? They locked me in a dark room, beat me, and yelled at me! They didn’t even stop when I got on my knees and begged! What was I to them? Was I their daughter, sister, or enemy? A chill ran through my body as I found no answers. When I didn’t answer, Rylan got even angrier. “Fine! If you don’t want to come out, you can stay in there forever for all I care!” He kicked the door hard and ordered someone to lock it. Before he left, I heard him tell the others not to bring me food or water. The dark room fell silent again. No, silent wasn’t the right word. It was dead quiet. They must have used some soundproofing material because once the door closed, I couldn’t hear anything except my heavy breathing. I stayed sitting in the corner. I couldn’t hear anything outside or tell how much time had passed. But my cramping stomach reminded me of one thing… I needed food. My memory was fuzzy, but I must have been in this dark room for several days. Nobody had brought me food during that time, explaining why I was so hungry, and my stomach hurt so badly. I clenched my fist against my stomach, trying to ease the pain. But my stomach wasn’t having any of it. After countless bouts of abuse, it felt like it was riddled with holes, making me break out in a cold sweat from the pain. I banged my arm against the door, hoping someone outside would rescue me. It was a motion I’d perfected from what felt like a thousand times before. But the door remained shut even after my strength gave out. This place felt like a prison cell built just for me. Time dragged on until my lips were cracked and dry, and I nearly collapsed from exhaustion when the door finally clicked open. A plainly dressed woman walked in, carrying a weak flashlight beam. Her face filled with sympathy when she saw me. “Ms. Claire Evans, is your stomach acting up again? “I brought you some medicine and oatmeal. You’d better eat quickly before Mr. Rylan Evans and the others find out.”
As she spoke, she placed a tray before me. On the tray were some stomach medicine and a bowl of warm oatmeal. I swallowed hard, and although the woman seemed familiar, I kept my guard up as I looked at her. I asked, “Who are you, and why are you bringing me food?” The woman’s eyes widened as she looked at me in disbelief. “Ms. Claire Evans, don’t you remember me?” she asked. I nodded slightly and told her about my apparent memory loss. The concern in her eyes grew even more profound. If she hadn’t told me she was Nora Haven, the housemaid, I would have thought she was my actual family member. After all, the people who locked me in that dark room hadn’t even treated me like a human being, let alone shown any concern for me. I thanked Nora and took the stomach medicine, then picked up the bowl of oatmeal and began taking big gulps. It was just plain oatmeal, but I had no idea how long I’d been starving. “Take it easy. There’s more in the kitchen if you need it. “I just can’t understand what Mr. and Mrs. Evans were thinking! How could they treat their daughter like this?” Nora looked at me with pity while expressing her anger at the unfair situation. From her, I learned about the Evans family’s story. It was like something out of a soap opera. My name was Claire Evans, and I was the Evans family’s biological daughter. At birth, Sienna and I were switched. They only found me and brought me back when I was ten. Lyla, Charles, and Rylan initially felt guilty about their long-lost blood relative. But they favored Sienna more, and when she developed depression from fear of abandonment, they chose to sacrifice my happiness. They took away the large bedroom that was initially meant for me, and despite me being their real daughter, they told everyone I was adopted. They always accused me of bullying Sienna, and to make her happy, they built this dark room to punish me. Nora had just started working for the Evans family this year. Still, she had witnessed me being locked in this dark room dozens of times. Each time, I would beg them not to lock me up. But the Evans family always remained unmoved by my pleas. She had always felt sorry for me, but what could a housekeeper do about her employer’s decisions? “Ms. Claire Evans, you tried hard to win their approval, caring so much about their affairs. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that!” Nora looked like she was on the verge of tears. Since losing my memory, I honestly didn’t care about what that family thought anymore. When she talked about the past, it felt like listening to someone else’s story. I felt nothing, neither sadness nor joy. I reached out and held her hand. Nora’s hands were rough but warm. “Thank you, Nora. You’ve helped me so much already.” Nora wiped her tears with her free hand, her eyes filled with emotions I couldn’t quite understand. “It’s better this way,” she mumbled. “It’s better that you forgot.” I heard her but didn’t dwell on it, focusing instead on eating my oatmeal. I was so hungry I could have eaten the plate, but my stomach seemed unusually small. I hadn’t even finished half of this tiny bowl of oatmeal, but I was already feeling full. I felt reluctant to waste it, but my stomach wasn’t feeling great. Just as I was about to return the bowl, a cold voice came from the doorway. “Nora, Claire, what are you two doing?” “Ms. Sienna Evans, what are you doing here?” Nora’s face was filled with terror. I turned to look at the girl standing in the doorway. She wore a silk nightgown, with smooth hair falling perfectly down her back. It was meticulously styled. I glanced down at myself, wearing just a cheap cotton T-shirt that cost maybe twenty bucks, with my dry, split-ended hair and arms as skinny as twigs. Compared to this little princess Sienna, I didn’t look like an Evans family heiress. As I was lost in thought, Sienna let out a cold laugh and slapped Nora across the face. “This is my house. Who will tell me where I can and can’t go? “You’re nothing but a servant. How dare you try to boss me around?” She acted incredibly arrogant, utterly different from the delicate flower she pretended to be in front of the Evans family. I caught a glimpse of venom in her eyes and saw she was about to strike again, so I instinctively stepped in front of Nora. Sienna stopped, giving me a challenging smirk. “Claire, you still don’t know your place in this family!” She grabbed a bowl from nearby and smashed it hard against the floor. The sharp sound echoed clearly through the quiet night. The previously arrogant Sienna suddenly slapped herself hard and collapsed at the sound of footsteps coming downstairs. Tears sprang to her eyes on command, and when she spoke again, her voice trembled with sobs. Her acting could rival any Hollywood star. “Claire, why did you hit me?” she cried out. The footsteps from outside quickened their pace. The three people from that afternoon appeared again at the darkroom door, positioning themselves protectively in front of Sienna. “Sienna, are you okay? What happened?” they asked. Sienna covered her face with a pitiful expression. “I thought Claire must be hungry since she hadn’t eaten, so I brought her some food. “But when I opened the door, Nora was there. They accused me of enjoying Claire’s misfortune and said I didn’t belong in the Evans family. “Dad, Mom, Rylan, should I return to the countryside so Claire won’t hate me anymore?” Charles and Lyla’s anger flared instantly at seeing their precious daughter’s frightened expression. “Claire, you’ve completely lost your mind! How dare you do this to Sienna!” Their voices thundered. They were raging, acting like I had committed some unforgivable crime. Nora stepped in front of me, trying to explain, “That’s not what happened! I was the one who brought the oatmeal!” Rylan let out a sneer. “Oh really? So you’re saying Sienna is lying about this? “Nora, we only hired you because you begged to see Sienna. We brought you here solely because you’re her birth mother. “Now it all makes sense why Claire turned out to be such a liar who makes up stories. You must have taught her these bad habits!” I looked at Nora, and suddenly, that strange feeling of familiarity clicked into place. So she was my mother all along. Nora stood in front of me protectively. Though she wasn’t huge, it felt like she was trying to shield me from the world. “Claire is a good person! She has never been a bad kid! “You’re the ones who can’t see the truth! “She has done so much for all of you! “Mrs. Evans, did you know Claire gets up before dawn daily to make your headache medicine? “Mr. Evans, Claire especially learned massage techniques to help with your fatigue whenever you needed it. Have you forgotten that, too? “And Mr. Rylan Evans, who was always there to help when your stomach acted up? It was Claire! “She’s just a child, for heaven’s sake!” Listening to Nora’s outburst, my so-called family members froze as if trying to remember if I had done everything for them. Seeing their faces show signs of wavering, Sienna couldn’t sit still any longer. “If it weren’t for me, everyone wouldn’t overlook Claire. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have shown up here!” she cried. “Claire is such a good girl. Even my mother doesn’t love me, so you all love Claire more.” She picked up a piece of broken porcelain while crying, then stumbled upstairs through her tears. From her behavior, it looked like she might harm herself. The Evans family immediately panicked. Lyla turned on Nora in fury. “You’re so heartless! You only care about Claire, but Sienna is your daughter! “You’re just a nanny! Who are you to meddle in the Evans family’s business? Take your things and get out!” They rushed upstairs after Sienna without glancing at me, worried she might do something foolish in her distress. Only Nora and I remained in the dark room. “Claire…” Nora’s voice broke as she sobbed, her eyes filled with unmistakable pain for me. “I’m so sorry… If I hadn’t been so careless with the baby switch, none of this would have happened.” “You’re not the one who needs to apologize.” I shook my head. She wasn’t the only one involved in the baby switch, but at least she had cared enough to become a nanny for the Evans family to be near her child. The Evans family, on the other hand, kept hurting me over and over, even though I was already the one who had lost everything. I started to feel grateful that I had lost all my memories of these people. If I were still my old self, foolishly waiting for my family’s love, I would only be more hurt. After all, in the eyes of the Evans family, I was just an outsider, worth less than Sienna’s little finger. I opened my arms and hugged Nora. When I embraced her, she momentarily tensed up before hugging me tightly. As I felt her bony frame against me, she choked out a curse. “The Evans family are such heartless monsters! “And Sienna… How did she turn out like this? The Evans family loved her more than anyone, so why can’t she accept you?” “I guess she sees me as some kind of rival trying to take everything from her.” I could understand why she felt insecure. She was their precious princess who suddenly found out she wasn’t their biological daughter. But she shouldn’t have kept trying to hurt me like this. If tonight’s events were all her act, she probably orchestrated all my past suffering, too. “Claire, come stay with me. “I may not be as rich as the Evans family, but before you returned to them, I never let anyone treat you this badly.” Nora wiped her tears as she held my arm, which had become as thin as a twig. “How did you end up getting bullied like this? You were such a good kid. “Look at you. You’ve gotten so thin.” Her face showed nothing but genuine concern and affection. My heart finally settled, like a dandelion seed finding its place to root after drifting in the wind. “Okay, I’ll go with you.” The choice was clear between the Evans family and Nora, my former mom, who chose to help me and speak up for me. Sensing my fear, she held my hand as we left the dark room. Strangely enough, I wasn’t scared as I stepped into the light this time. Sienna’s room was on the same floor as mine. As we went up to pack our things, we spotted Rylan standing in the hallway, smoking. The glowing ember and swirling smoke betrayed his agitated mind. His already furrowed brow tightened even more when he saw me. “Claire, who permitted you to come out?” he demanded. “Are you here to apologize to Sienna?” He looked down at me with cold eyes, showing no hint of warmth. The old me would have panicked under his questioning, desperately wracking my brain for what I might have done wrong. But now, I just walked straight past him, keeping my eyes forward. “Claire, are you deaf? Why aren’t you answering me?” Rylan snapped. Rylan angrily grabbed my arm, but Nora quickly stepped between us. “Keep your hands off her, Rylan! “None of you want Claire in your family, but I do! I’ll take her away from here!” Rylan burst into uncontrollable laughter as if he’d heard the funniest joke. “Stop lying to yourself. Claire’s just a money-grabbing brat who tries to steal Sienna’s cash at school. You think she’d leave with a mere housekeeper?” I gently tugged at Nora’s sleeve as she tried to defend me. “Mom, ignore him. Let’s pack our things.” “What did you call me?” “What did you just call her?” Two voices rang out simultaneously—one filled with excitement, the other with disbelief. Lyla, who had come to check on the commotion between Rylan and me, had caught those words as they left my mouth.
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