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Sorry, Not a Princess
Novelix
Completed
Amber wore the witch's costume so Lily could be the princess. She wore the weighted belt so her sister could dance. She even watched her fiancé Julian walk Lily down the aisle in Amber's own wedding dress—because "family comes first." But when Lily shattered her grandmother's last keepsake and Julian handed her a plastic ring, Amber realized: she had been the only one playing along all these years. So she stopped. She sold her home, boarded a plane, and never looked back. Years later, while her family tore each other apart, Amber stood on the Miami shore, finally breathing. She had lost everything—and found herself.
Chapters (3)
第1章
A fire left my little sister Lily's mind forever stuck at age seven.
The whole family had to play make-believe with her.
My mother Helen was the gentle Queen. My father Ryan was the dashing Knight.
And I had to strap a thirty-pound weighted belt around my legs and play the wicked cripple.
Until I met Julian. He gently untied the weighted belt from my legs and murmured, pained,
"Amber, from now on, I'll be good only to you."
But when I brought him home, Lily insisted he play the prince from the neighboring kingdom who would marry her.
Helplessly, I told him to just bear with it.
Julian reluctantly took the toy sword and played through Lily's scene again and again.
Right before the wedding, I thought I could finally break free from this family.
But Lily grabbed my wedding dress and wouldn't let go, still crying that she wanted to play the princess.
My brother David handed me a fake nose. "You've played the witch all these years. What's one more day tomorrow?"
Helen passed me the weighted belt. "With all those guests tomorrow, do you want to trigger your sister's episode?"
Ryan held Lily close and looked at me coldly. "There can only be one princess in this family. Just suck it up."
Helpless, I looked toward Julian, but he personally put the witch costume on me, casual and unconcerned.
"Amber, just bear with it a little longer, or Lily will be heartbroken."
Gazing into Julian's tender eyes, in that moment, something inside me went stone-cold.
I looked at Lily and took off my engagement ring. "How can a princess be without a diamond ring?"
"Here. Do you want this one too?"
...
David's face stiffened. Irritated, he snapped, "What are you kicking up a fuss about now?"
Helen sighed. "All grown up and still not as sensible as our Lily."
Julian gently stroked Lily's hair.
"Lily, be good. Give the diamond ring back to me, okay?"
Lily shook her head hard.
Julian gave a small, doting smile.
He picked up the plastic ring they'd used before for make-believe and slipped it onto my finger.
"Amber, just wear this one for now."
"It's just a ceremony anyway. My bride will only ever be you."
Just then, the staff brought over the menu they'd finalized. Lily didn't eat spicy food, but I couldn't live without it.
Every dish my family had chosen was bland.
Ryan said evenly, "You won't die if you skip spicy for one day. Lily's happiness is what matters most."
I said, "This is my wedding."
Helen pressed a hand on me. "Be a little more mature. Don't make a fuss."
The officiant looked at me awkwardly. "So, next up… which young lady will be walking down the aisle?"
Lily gazed at Julian with pleading eyes.
He immediately let go of my hand. "Be good and sensible now. Lily just wants to see what it feels like."
So I sat beneath the stage, holding that ridiculous witch costume in my arms.
I watched Lily wear the wedding gown I had spent half a year having custom-made, holding my favorite white iris bouquet.
She leaned blissfully against Julian's arm.
Helen wept as she recorded a video for social media. "My daughter has grown up. I'm so proud."
David held Lily's hand and pressed it firmly into Julian's palm. "Julian, I'm placing her in your hands."
When the ceremony ended, Lily excitedly kissed Julian on the cheek.
Everyone froze. The staff exchanged knowing glances and looked at me.
Julian didn't pull away. He just helplessly pinched her cheek.
"Little princess, we're rehearsing this too? Your sister's going to get upset soon."
The whole family looked at me.
I smiled. "It's fine. I wish them lasting happiness. Julian likes idiots anyway. Nothing to do with me."
Lily's tears instantly fell.
David stepped in front of Lily, furious.
"How can you say that about your sister! Your grandmother spoiled you rotten."
"You're capable of saying the most vicious things."
Helen rubbed Lily's back, helping her catch her breath.
The next second, Lily's bouquet came smashing into my face. The corner of my eye bloomed bloody red, the pain so sharp I couldn't stand steady.
Lily cried and buried herself in Julian's arms.
"Julian can only marry me."
Everyone scrambled to comfort Lily.
Julian shifted one step toward me, but Lily clutched his clothes tightly.
The man who had once promised he'd never let me be wronged again stopped in his tracks and instead gently soothed Lily.
"Lily, don't be scared. I'm here."
In that instant, my heart went completely cold.
第2章
I was about to get up and leave when Ryan seized my wrist and yanked me onto the stage. "Apologize to Lily."
David stood up, self-righteous.
"If you don't apologize, don't expect any of us to show up at your wedding!"
Helen nodded along. Ryan sneered.
"When the Harrisons see that none of us are there, you'll be the one who's humiliated."
I was the one who'd been wronged, yet my family was using my own wedding to threaten me.
They knew perfectly well that Julian and I had been together for seven years and that I had looked forward to this wedding more than anyone.
I had once gone on and on in the family group chat, and my family would only reply with an ellipsis.
Turns out it didn't mean "noted." It meant they simply didn't care. That was why I hadn't even had a say in the wedding menu.
They didn't care about my wedding. They didn't care about me.
All the fight drained out of me. I looked at Lily. "I'm sorry."
Blood from the cut on my forehead dripped onto the floor.
Helen said coolly, "Lily didn't hear you."
Julian sighed. "Amber, you really shouldn't have said that. Apologize properly. Don't throw a tantrum."
I kept repeating I'm sorry.
Not until the hundredth time, when my throat was raw and I could nearly taste blood, did Lily finally smile.
She tipped the yogurt in her hand over my head and giggled. "Sister, eat."
Yogurt dripped from my collar, sticky and clammy against my skin.
Helen sighed and wiped the blood from my forehead.
"You're both my flesh and blood. We just want to be fair."
But my breath was coming in gasps. I half-collapsed to my knees.
Ryan's voice was cold. "Lily's still crying. Maybe we should make her apologize one more time."
He kicked me. "Stop faking. Get up and apologize right now."
But my vision went black. When I woke up again, I saw a hospital ceiling.
Julian was beside me. Seeing me awake, his face filled with concern.
"Amber, you're awake. Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?"
A flicker of remorse crossed his face.
"Lily was crying so hard at the time, everyone forgot you're allergic to yogurt."
Turns out, after I passed out, my family insisted I was faking it.
It was a server nearby who cried out in alarm, "She—she's breaking out in red rashes everywhere!"
That was when Julian realized I'd stopped breathing properly.
"Why didn't you tell everyone about your yogurt allergy?"
I had told them. Many times.
When Lily was little and sick, my parents dumped me on my grandmother to raise.
She would fiercely chase them out the door with a broom whenever they played favorites with Lily.
But when I was seven, my grandmother passed away.
She held my hand and said, "From now on, no one will protect you anymore, baby. Be good."
So I was good for all these years. And still, no one in my family ever listened to me.
I looked at my fiancé quietly.
"Julian, let's call off the wedding."
Julian froze for a moment.
"Are you mad? I only went along with everything for your sake, to accommodate your sister."
Ryan also frowned. "You want to call off the wedding over this? Who do you think you're scaring?"
Julian gently wiped the tears from the corner of my eye, his voice softening.
"Alright, you're just exhausted."
"After the wedding, I'll take you abroad for the honeymoon, without Lily. Okay?"
I glanced at Julian's phone and saw a flight booking page still open on the screen.
My heart loosened a little. I was about to say something when Lily called. Her voice came through in a tearful, coquettish whine.
"Julian, where are you?"
His eyes always looked indifferent toward everyone.
I had once thought that was just his nature.
But now, facing the phone, his eyes were full of tenderness.
"Lily, be good. I'll be right back."
Julian looked at me, his expression matter-of-fact.
"I'm heading out now. Rest well."
"The wedding's postponed for two weeks. You're not in any condition to attend right now anyway."
Ryan nodded along.
"Exactly. Lily can walk through the rest of the process for you. You just focus on resting."
An endless bitterness rose in my heart.
I called my former boss. "You mentioned sending me to the Miami branch. I accept."
Since the only role I could ever play in this family was the wicked side character, I had no choice but to walk out and become the lead of my own life.
第3章
I spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. Every day I could see updates on the wedding.
The simple, elegant venue I'd loved had been swapped for the princess-pink theme Lily adored, with dreamy balloons everywhere.
David and Helen wore formal attire, beaming as they watched Lily offer them a toast.
Ryan posted ten videos a day, his voice breaking with emotion in the captions,
"My little crybaby in her wedding dress. Brother is so, so proud of you."
Classmates who knew us well messaged me one after another, utterly confused.
"Amber, is your sister getting married at the same time as you?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I took a taxi home.
Julian was inside, peeling an apple for Lily. When he saw me, he instinctively blocked the doorway.
"What are you doing back here?"
I looked at him evenly. "Picking up some clothes."
Julian exhaled in relief and said quietly to me,
"Lily still hasn't forgiven you yet. Keep resting at the hospital for a few more days. I've already covered all the fees."
I didn't reply. I went to my room, packed my things, and took my passport and social security card.
I pulled out the brocade box hidden in the deepest corner of my cabinet. When I opened it, the silver bracelet inside was gone.
A roar filled my head.
That was the only keepsake my grandmother had left me.
I walked out into the living room, and sure enough, I saw it on Lily's wrist.
A soft, gentle gleam. Just looking at it gave you a sense of warmth.
David didn't even look up. "She found it the other day and insisted it looked pretty, so she's been wearing it. Don't fight her on this."
Ryan was busy coaxing Lily with a smile.
"So pretty. Who's my one and only little princess, huh?"
Lily proudly raised her hand.
I walked over and stretched my hand toward Lily, my voice hoarse. "Give me the bracelet."
Lily acted terrified and burrowed straight into Helen's arms.
"Waaah, I'm not giving it, mean sister."
She grabbed whatever was nearby and hurled it at me.
David shielded Lily and roared, "It's just a bracelet! Are you that hard up?"
But I could no longer feel the physical pain. All I felt was my heart being pierced through by a blade.
I stared at him fixedly. "That's the only thing Grandma left me. It's mine."
David paused, then said impatiently,
"Your grandma's already gone. Do you have to tear this family apart?"
"Besides, she was Lily's grandma too. Don't take competing for attention this far!"
I didn't listen. I stepped forward to pull the bracelet off Lily's wrist.
Lily screamed and dodged, falling to the ground and scraping her leg until it bled.
The bracelet shattered into pieces.
I tasted blood in the back of my throat. I tried to pick up the fragments, my fingertips covered in blood.
The next moment, Ryan yanked me up. A searing pain exploded across my cheek.
The sharp, crisp sound of a slap made everyone freeze.
Ryan grabbed my collar.
"Are you insane?"
He kicked the shattered pieces toward me and forced me to kneel on them.
"You're going to learn your lesson today, or you'll turn this whole household upside down."
I was dragged across the floor, utterly humiliated.
Julian glanced at me. A flicker of pity passed through his eyes, and his foot moved.
Then Lily shed a few tears in his direction.
He averted his gaze, turned around, and draped a coat over Lily.
