They Abandoned Me for My Pretty Sister. Then They Saw My Face.

I was born into a family where beauty was everything. My father was an Oscar-winning actor, and my mother was a Grammy-winning singer. They had built their lives around beauty, fame, and the image of a perfect family. Then I was born premature, frail, and with a large birthmark covering part of my face. I wasn't the daughter they wanted the public to see, so they left me with my grandmother in the countryside and raised my younger sister, Vivian, instead. Grandma sent them letters and photographs every year. They never answered. Now Grandma was moving into assisted living, and my college dorm wouldn't open for another few days. With nowhere else to stay, I went to my parents' house for the first time. Dad looked at my hat, sunglasses, and mask with open disapproval. "Why are you covering yourself from head to toe? Are you ashamed to be seen?" Mom gave a mocking laugh. "She's probably seen all the photographs of us taking Vivian to premieres and award shows. She doesn't want her first meeting with us to become a comparison with her prettier sister." Vivian took my hand and smiled. "Don't worry, Skye. Looks aren't everything. You don't have to feel insecure around me." My hand froze on the edge of my mask. Grandma had been writing to them every month for the past two years, practically begging them to come get me. "Come pick up Skye already. She's grown into such a beauty that people keep climbing the fence just to take pictures of her!" So not one of them had ever seen what I looked like now? Chapter 1 Seeing me standing there in silence, my sister immediately turned to our parents with a reproachful look. "Mom, Dad, my sister has always been sensitive and insecure about her appearance." "You need to say something nice to her. Compliment her a little. Don't make her feel worse." "You don't have to hide from us. Not everyone in this family has to be camera-ready." It sounded like she was trying to smooth things over, but every word was a reminder that I wasn't attractive. Dad frowned at me. "Take off the mask. Let me see if there's anything worth salvaging." Before I could move, Mom let out a cold laugh. "They say beauty reflects what's in the heart. Vivian is beautiful inside and out." "Some people, on the other hand, walk through the door without an ounce of manners and can't even bring themselves to say hello." "Maybe we shouldn't look. Otherwise, I might lose my appetite." It wasn't that I didn't know how to greet them. It was that these two people were strangers I'd met for the first time in eighteen years. I simply couldn't bring myself to call them Mom and Dad. I tightened my grip on my luggage bag. "Excuse me. Which room is mine?" The mask covered half my face, but it couldn't hide my clear, ethereal voice. A second ago, Mom had been bristling with hostility. Now, she froze as if she'd been struck by lightning. She actually stammered before answering, her tone surprisingly polite. "Second room on the left, upstairs." Under the strange looks from Dad and my sister, Mom realized how stunned she'd sounded. Her face flushed with embarrassment and irritation. Her tone quickly turned sharp again. "Every room in this house has a purpose. The one you're staying in was originally Vivian's dressing room." "Vivian inherited the best of both of us. She's not even an adult yet, and several entertainment companies are already fighting to sign her." "That room is important to her. And since you won't be staying here permanently, you understand what I'm saying, right?" I nodded. "I understand. Sorry for imposing." "I'll only be here for a few days. Once the dorm opens, I'll leave." Mom paused. She probably hadn't expected me to be so straightforward. As a Grammy-winning singer, she had always been especially sensitive to voices. After hearing mine, she clearly seemed reluctant to let me go so soon. "Well, you don't have to rush." "You could stay until you graduate college and find a job. Then you could rent a place nearby." She said it as though she were planning out my future for me. But my future had never needed their arrangements. I simply nodded without answering and walked toward the stairs. Behind me, Mom continued muttering under her breath. "What a shame. Such a beautiful voice." "Too bad the face doesn't match. She could never make it in the public eye." Once I returned to my room and closed the door, I stuffed my sunglasses and mask into my pocket. My luggage remained beside the bed, ready to go at a moment's notice. Other than the essentials, I hadn't unpacked a single thing. My parents knew better than anyone how brutally the public scrutinized celebrity families. And when I was born premature, weak and frail, with a prominent birthmark on my face, they decided I was better off being raised by my grandmother. After that, Grandma sent them photograph after photograph, letter after letter. They never replied. Now I knew why. They had probably handed the whole stack to their assistant without ever looking at it. I'd once expected something resembling a real family bond from them. Now, I wanted nothing to do with being their daughter. I was only staying for a few days. Nothing more. I took out my phone. My academic advisor was organizing early dorm move-ins in our class group chat. "Students coming from out of town who need to move into the dorms early can sign up with me." Without hesitation, I typed: "Hi, Sarah. Skye Brooks would like to register for early move-in next Friday." I put my phone down. Outside the window stretched the beautiful, almost flawless grounds of this house. For eighteen years, my parents had worked tirelessly to maintain the image of a perfect family. If their perfect family had no place for me, then I had no place for them in my life. Chapter 2 Sarah replied almost immediately. "Got it. You have a beautiful name." I politely replied, "Thank you. My grandmother gave it to me." My parents had given me a childhood nickname instead. Bounce. They said it was cute and easy to remember. Then, almost as soon as I was born, they bounced me off to my grandmother in the countryside. When I was six, it was time for me to start elementary school. That meant I needed a proper legal name, the kind that would go on my records and follow me for the rest of my life. Grandma called my parents several times. Every time, they gave her the same answer. "We know. We're thinking about it." "We're both busy auditioning for roles and traveling for concerts." "It's just a name. Why are you in such a hurry?" One month passed. Then another. By the time the school year was about to begin, Grandma was worried I'd miss enrollment and end up starting school a year late. So she made the decision herself. She named me Skye Brooks. "My sweet girl, Grandma doesn't need you to become rich or famous." "I just want you to grow up free, with the whole sky ahead of you." Even at that young age, I understood something. If I was nothing more than Bounce to my parents, something they could simply send bouncing from one place to another, then I didn't want that to be the only thing my name meant. So I chose to become Skye Brooks, a name carrying all the love and blessing my grandmother had given me. Not the daughter someone had forgotten in a corner. A knock came at the door. "Miss, dinner's ready." The housekeeper knew perfectly well that I was my parents' daughter too. Yet Vivian was called Miss Vivian. I was simply Miss. I didn't know whether that came directly from my parents or whether the staff had simply learned who mattered more in this house. Thankfully, I already understood that this had never been my home. I'd never expected it to be. Still, when I walked downstairs, even behind my sunglasses, I couldn't help but stare at what I saw. The living room was filled with clothing racks. Row after row of elegant dresses hung neatly in place, with exquisite fabrics, intricate cuts, and flowing skirts that looked as though they had been chosen for a red carpet. Matching heels were arranged nearby. Several stylists and members of a brand team were busy preparing everything. One person adjusted Vivian's dress. Another checked tomorrow's styling plan. Someone else laid out jewelry piece by piece for her to choose from. It was obvious that all of this was for tomorrow night's birthday celebration. It wasn't an ordinary family gathering. It was a private charity gala with members of the press in attendance. For Vivian, it was another opportunity to appear publicly as the family's perfect daughter. And I was nothing more than a stranger they had suddenly brought home. When Dad noticed me standing on the stairs, a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. His eyes traveled from my hair to my shoes, then finally settled on my face. He looked almost as if he were assessing a potential threat to tomorrow's photographs. "Tomorrow's gala will be covered by the press," Dad said. "The official guest materials have already gone out, and they introduce Vivian as our daughter." I waited for him to continue. "We're not changing everything at the last minute. If anyone asks who you are, say you're a relative staying with us before college. Don't call us Mom and Dad in front of the cameras." Mom glanced toward the stylists before lowering her voice. "People will start digging into the past if they find out about you. They'll want to know why you were raised somewhere else, and this family doesn't need that kind of story spreading before Vivian's debut." "So you want me to lie about being your daughter." Dad's expression hardened. "We're asking you not to create unnecessary trouble. You've lived without using our name for eighteen years. One more night shouldn't be difficult." Dad looked at my jeans and T-shirt again. "You still need something appropriate in case a guest sees you inside the house. Vivian can give you one of her older dresses." "She can't wear mine," Vivian said quickly. "The waist would never fit her." Dad glanced at me as though I were the inconvenience. "Then find something loose. She only needs to look presentable enough that no one asks questions." I nodded. "Okay." Then I went back upstairs without taking any of Vivian's clothes. My suitcase remained beside the bed. The zipper hadn't been opened once. My phone lit up with a reminder from my academic advisor. "Your early move-in request has been registered. Remember to bring the required documents." The press release called Vivian their only daughter. Tomorrow, if anyone asked, I was supposed to call my own parents Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. I looked at the date on the message. Three more days. After that, they would never have to explain who I was again. Chapter 3 The next morning, the house was already crowded with stylists, florists, caterers, and members of the gala committee. Staff carried gift boxes through the living room while photographers tested the lighting near the staircase. A framed portrait of my parents and Vivian had been placed beside the entrance. The card beneath it read: THE BROOKS FAMILY There was no indication that another daughter existed. I was crossing the foyer on my way to the kitchen when Dad stepped in front of me. "The Morgans are here for lunch, along with two reporters from the gala committee." "I'm only getting something to eat." "Have the housekeeper bring it to your room." He glanced toward the living room to make sure no one was watching us. "If anyone speaks to you, remember what we discussed. You're a relative staying here before college." Vivian came down the stairs in the dress chosen for the afternoon photographs. "It's only for one day, Skye," she said. "You wouldn't want reporters asking why Mom and Dad never raised you. That would be humiliating for everyone." She said everyone, but she was looking at our parents. Neither of them corrected her. Dad waited beside the stairs until I turned around. "Fine. I'll eat upstairs." His expression relaxed. The housekeeper brought me a sandwich twenty minutes later. I ate at the desk while voices and laughter drifted up from downstairs. Around three, I heard Vivian telling a reporter how grateful she was to have grown up surrounded by parents who had always supported her dreams. Mom laughed and said raising her had been the greatest privilege of their lives. I closed the door. By early evening, the driveway was lined with black cars. Guests filled the garden and the first floor of the house. Music played beside the pool, and photographers gathered around Vivian as she posed between our parents. No one came upstairs for me. That was exactly what I had expected. I changed into my pajamas, checked the early move-in documents Sarah had sent me, and began organizing the few things I would need when I left. Near the end of the gala, someone knocked on my door. The housekeeper stood outside. "Miss Vivian asked you to come downstairs. She said she saved you a piece of birthday cake." I hesitated. After spending the entire day pretending I didn't exist, it seemed strange that Vivian suddenly wanted me at her celebration. Still, most of the guests should have been leaving by then, and I saw no reason to refuse a piece of cake. I put on my mask and sunglasses before following the housekeeper downstairs. The gala was not over. Photographers were still gathered near the pool, and several of my parents' closest friends remained in the living room. A tall man in a dark suit stood beside Vivian, listening as she spoke. The cake had already been divided. Guests carried slices on small gold-rimmed plates. The caterers had given the remaining pieces to the staff. Even the security guards near the back entrance had cake. There was nothing waiting for me. Mom saw me at the bottom of the stairs and frowned. "Why are you down here?" "The housekeeper said Vivian asked me to come." Vivian hurried over before Mom could say anything else. "I invited her. I just realized there was someone here she needed to meet." She slipped her hand around my arm and led me toward the man beside the pool. I tried to pull away, but she tightened her grip. "Vivian, let go." She pretended not to hear me. "Ethan, there's something our parents never told you." She spoke loudly enough that the people around us stopped talking. The man turned toward me. "This is my sister, Skye," Vivian continued. "She's the daughter your family promised you to." A quiet murmur passed through the room. Ethan looked at Vivian, then at me. "Her?" Vivian lowered her eyes as though the situation embarrassed her. "Skye was raised in the countryside, and she isn't used to events like this. That's why Mom and Dad didn't know how to explain the arrangement to you." Dad came over immediately. "Vivian, this isn't the time." "But Ethan deserves to know," she said. "His family made the agreement before either of us was born. It wouldn't be fair to keep hiding the truth from him." She finally released my arm. Ethan studied my hat, mask, and sunglasses. His expression became colder the longer he looked. "You're Skye Brooks?" "Yes." "And you've known about this engagement?" "I heard about it from my grandmother." His gaze moved over my clothes. I had come downstairs expecting cake, not a public introduction. Beneath my coat, I was still wearing the Harvard T-shirt Grandma had bought me and a pair of pajama pants. "My wife will attend premieres, fundraisers, and shareholder dinners with me," he said. "She'll be photographed everywhere she goes." "That sounds exhausting." A few guests laughed before quickly falling silent. Ethan's jaw tightened. "I'm serious. I need a wife who can stand beside me in public, not someone who covers her face and hides upstairs whenever guests arrive." Vivian touched his sleeve. "Don't be too hard on her. Skye has always been sensitive about her appearance." She had known me for less than two days. Ethan looked at my parents. "Why didn't either of you tell me?" Mom's face flushed. "The arrangement was discussed before the girls were born. Nothing was ever formally announced." Dad nodded. "We planned to speak to your family privately. Vivian shouldn't have brought it up tonight." Vivian looked hurt. "I was only trying to stop everyone from being blindsided later." Ethan turned back to me. "I won't honor the engagement." He said it in front of the photographers, my parents' friends, and the guests who had gathered around us. He expected me to be ashamed. Perhaps he expected me to argue or ask him to reconsider. Instead, I felt relieved. I had known him for less than five minutes, and that was already more than enough. "Then there is no engagement," I said. "You're free." The room fell silent. Chapter 4 Dad's face darkened. "This is not a decision you get to make in the middle of Vivian's birthday gala." "Ethan already said he doesn't want to marry me." "Then let the adults decide what happens next," Mom said. "The Bennett family has known us for years. We're not losing that relationship because you decided to make a scene." She turned to Ethan. "Vivian understands your world. She grew up attending premieres, charity galas, and industry events. "The original agreement was meant to unite our families. If Skye refuses to honor it, Vivian would be a far more suitable match." Vivian looked down, but not before I caught the smile on her face. Ethan did not answer immediately. He glanced at her before looking at me again. "I still don't understand why she was named in the agreement instead of Vivian." "Because I'm their first daughter," I said. The room went quiet again. Several guests turned toward my parents. Dad cleared his throat. "Skye was raised by her grandmother because of our work. Vivian is the daughter we raised here." He made it sound like a boarding arrangement instead of eighteen years of abandonment. One of the guests looked at me with open curiosity. "What are you planning to do after you leave here?" "I start college next week." "Which college?" Before I could answer, Vivian spoke for me. "Skye has always been good at studying. She received a scholarship somewhere, didn't she?" Her tone made it sound like a small award from a local school. "I received a full scholarship to Harvard." A murmur spread through the guests. "Harvard?" "A full scholarship?" "What are you studying?" More people began asking questions. For the first time that evening, they were looking at me instead of Vivian. Dad's embarrassment disappeared. "A full scholarship," he repeated, loud enough for the people around us to hear. "She was always academically gifted. We made sure she had the freedom to focus on her education." Mom caught on immediately. "Skye has never enjoyed public attention," she said with a practiced smile. "That's why we've protected her privacy all these years." An hour earlier, the gala materials had called Vivian their only daughter. Now my parents were taking credit for achievements they hadn't known existed. Neither of them knew what I planned to study or had ever seen one of my report cards, but that didn't stop Dad from placing a hand on my shoulder for the cameras. "We're extremely proud of both our daughters." I stepped away from him. "I was raised by my grandmother. She helped me apply." His smile stiffened. Mom quickly changed the subject, but the guests kept asking about my scholarship. Vivian tried to draw their attention back to the entertainment companies interested in signing her. No one heard her the first time. The second time, a guest gave her a distracted nod before asking me about my plans after graduation. Vivian's fingers tightened around her champagne glass. She watched our parents answer questions about me as though they had been involved in my life all along. Then she stepped between me and the guests. "Skye has always been good at studying," she said. "But academic success doesn't make public attention any easier for her." She turned toward me. "You've covered your face since the moment you arrived. If you're going to college and meeting new people, maybe tonight is the perfect time to stop hiding." "I'm not hiding." "Then take off your mask." "No." Vivian gave the guests an embarrassed smile. "She's clearly been insecure about it for years. Otherwise, why would she come into her own family's home dressed like this?" She knew nothing about my life, but that had never stopped her from speaking for me.A woman from the styling team tried to ease the tension. "There's no reason to pressure her. She can take it off when she feels comfortable." Vivian ignored her. "There are stylists and cosmetic surgeons here who help people with much more difficult faces every day. No one is going to laugh at you." A few guests shifted uncomfortably. Mom should have stopped her. Instead, she looked at my mask. "Perhaps Vivian is right. You can't dress like this forever." Dad nodded. "If you're going to Harvard, people will eventually find out who your parents are. We can arrange professional help before the press gets hold of an unflattering photograph." Minutes ago, they had claimed they had protected my privacy. Now that my scholarship made me useful, they wanted to decide how I should appear in public. "I don't need professional help." Vivian moved closer. "Then let everyone see." Before I could step away, she pulled off my cap. "Stop." She reached for my sunglasses, but I caught her wrist. Her expression changed the moment I touched her. "I'm only trying to help you," she said loudly. "I said don't touch me." I released her and moved back. The swimming pool was directly behind me. Vivian saw it too. Her eyes dropped briefly toward the water before returning to my face. Ethan stepped closer. "That's enough, Vivian." She ignored him. "Why are you making this so difficult, Skye? Everyone here already knows what you're worried about." She reached for my sunglasses again. I turned my face away. Both of her hands struck my shoulders. As I lost my balance, she cried out, "Skye, be careful!" The warning came after the shove. I fell backward into the pool. The cold water closed over my head. My sunglasses disappeared first, followed by my mask. For several seconds, I could not tell which way was up. When my feet touched the bottom, I pushed myself toward the surface and caught the edge of the pool. My soaked hair covered most of my face as I pulled myself up. Everyone's eyes widened. For a moment, no one seemed to breathe.