Chapter 2

An email notification popped up on my phone. It was from the company Chloe had interviewed with.

They rejected her.

Chloe's eyes welled with tears instantly.

"Am I really that useless? I can't even get a basic job."

My mom immediately pulled her into a comforting hug.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Maybe Natalie is useless enough to not find a job, but not you."

"You've been perfect in everything since you were a kid, Chloe. How could you not find a job?"

After saying that, she glanced back at me.

"That company just lacks vision. Don't worry, sweetie, we'll take our time finding a better one."

I stood there, having done absolutely nothing, yet once again being used as the foil to prove Chloe's superiority.

Growing up, I had doubted countless times whether I was the one who was adopted, and if Chloe was their biological child.

But unfortunately, the DNA test I secretly took showed no issues.

Later, I thought it was because of my personality.

Maybe I wasn't smart or charming enough.

So, I worked myself to the bone to prove my worth.

Yet, by the time I finally achieved things that should have made them proud, I realized their favoritism toward Chloe had already become a deep-rooted habit.

Just like now, they were used to ignoring me.

They knew I'd always find my own way home anyway.

I stood there, watching Ethan whisper sweet nothings to comfort Chloe.

Meanwhile, my dad was on the phone, calling the HR manager of Aegis Group on the spot.

After hanging up, he made a confident promise.

"I've sorted it out for you. Your first job is crucial. You can't just settle. A major corporation like Aegis is the bare minimum."

There was always a safety net beneath Chloe's feet.

The moment she slipped, everyone rushed to catch her.

During our freshman year, she failed a core course.

My mom pulled strings to find a senior tutor, paying three hundred dollars per session and booking twenty sessions in advance.

That same semester, I scored a ninety-five on my final exam.

Full of anticipation, I showed my grade to my mom, hoping for a single word of praise.

But all I got was criticism.

"I thought you said you worked hard? Why did you lose five points?"

After that, I stopped sending my grades home.

During our junior year, I had a sudden bout of acute gastritis. The pain was so intense I collapsed at the entrance of the lab building, unable to stand.

I called Ethan, begging him for the first time to take me to the hospital.

But the other end of the line was quiet for a moment.

"Chloe has a big presentation tomorrow. She's really nervous right now and needs me to help her practice."

"Natalie, you've always been independent. You can call an Uber yourself, right?"

That day, the Uber driver saw how pale I was and personally helped me walk into the ER.

A complete stranger knew I needed a hand.

Yet Ethan thought I was perfectly fine on my own.

Maybe it was because I had been too sensible for too long.

When you never complain, people assume you don't feel pain.

It was only much later that my mom casually asked about my job hunt.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could answer, my dad waved his hand dismissively.

"With her major, what kind of good job can she get? Just find some random desk job and call it a day."

Marcus glanced at me, frowning. "Yeah, just get a job. Don't think you're going to live rent-free at home after graduation."

Ethan even chime in, "If you really can't find anything, I can ask if our company's front desk is hiring."

He said it so naturally, as if he was genuinely doing me a favor.

I looked down and unlocked my phone, opening the acceptance email.

The Cairo Institute of Deep Space Materials.

Excellent benefits, highly prestigious, but located over five thousand miles away.

For the past seven days, I hadn't confirmed the offer.

I was waiting.

Waiting for my mom to ask me where I wanted to stay.

Waiting for my dad to make a call for me too.

Or waiting for Ethan to remember our promise to stay in the same city after graduation.

But with only six hours left on the confirmation countdown, not a single person asked.

I tapped "Confirm."

A message popped up on the screen.

Welcome to the Cairo Institute of Deep Space Materials, Natalie Sinclair!

At that moment, the first sincere welcome I received came from five thousand miles away.