Chapter 4

I was so thrilled, tears welled up.

I didn't care about anything else and shouted, "Where have you been? Why didn't you tell me anything?!"

But they stood there, looking at each other.

Just like Brett, they stared at me with completely unfamiliar eyes.

"Who is this? How did she get into our house?"

Brett frantically explained, "Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, I really don't know her!"

"She just appeared after I used the bathroom. Could she be a thief?!"

At those words, everyone's faces filled with disgust.

"This is infuriating!"

"Get out of my house right now, or don't blame me for getting nasty!" My mom yelled, pointing at me.

Dad also raised his voice, calling building security: "What kind of service is this? A stranger broke into my house!"

"Get over here and kick her out!"

Watching my familiar family hurl insults at me, I completely broke down.

I pointed to my room, trying to argue.

"If this isn't my home, how can I have a room here?"

But Dad started shouting at me:

"You're crazy!"

"What 'your room'? That's clearly our storage room!"

He pushed open the door. Inside, it was empty.

Just a few messy items.

I didn't believe it. I pointed to the family photos on the wall.

But I realized they only showed Mom, Dad, and Skylar!

I was instantly bewildered.

I began to unconsciously doubt my own memories.

How could this not be my home?

Suddenly, I remembered the photos on Brett's phone.

"He has our engagement photos on his phone! If you don't believe me, go look!"

Brett, half-skeptical, opened it.

But after seeing the photos, his veins bulged, and he slapped me across the face.

"Tell me! How did you hack into my phone?!"

"This picture must be Photoshopped! My girlfriend doesn't look anything like you!"

Skylar also turned cold:

"What's your goal impersonating my sister?!"

I collapsed onto the floor.

Just then, building security arrived.

I immediately clung to him like a drowning person to a life raft.

Last week, I'd just paid the property fees, and he'd even given me a candy bar.

"Do you remember me?"

But he frowned, thinking for a moment.

"I'm on duty in this building every day, I've never seen you before!"

I was utterly desperate.

Brett's face hardened: "What else do you have to say?"

With that, he and the security guard started shoving me, trying to force me out.

In a panic, I suddenly remembered the necklace my grandmother had given me.

I pointed to my neck, urging Mom to recognize it:

"Mom! I'm your daughter, Aurora!"

"Even if you don't recognize me, you must recognize this necklace!"

Mom's face instantly changed.

She blocked the security guard.

"Let her go!"

I immediately lunged at her.

Venturing my grievances incoherently.

"Mom! I really don't know what's going on!"

"You all went to the bathroom and vanished, then came back, but you act like you don't know me…"

But the next second, Mom savagely yanked the necklace from my neck.

The fierce look on her face made it seem like she wanted to devour me whole: "So you *are* a thief! How dare you steal things, that's my mother's heirloom!"

"I'm calling the police right now to have you arrested!"

With that, she used all her strength to snatch the necklace away.

Leaving a bloody mark on my neck.

The sharp pain and sense of suffocation instantly rendered me speechless.