Move Out, The Substitute Sister

The Shaws' foster daughter was throwing a tantrum again. She had run back to the group home, screaming at the top of her lungs.

I don't want your money! I want love! You don't love me at all!

Silas Shaw spent three days and nights trying to coax her back. But Seraphina wouldn't budge.

Seeing the stalemate, the director pushed me forward.

"Let her try," the director said. "She's the sweetest girl we have."

Silas made me a secret promise that day.

"If you can calm her down, I'll take you home with me!"

I succeeded. That was how I was brought into the Shaw household.

After high school graduation, Seraphina chased her freedom and moved across the country for university.

I was forced to stay in Manhattan. I had to endure Silas's shifting moods and buried anger alone.

Later, Seraphina came back.

Silas looked at me with cold eyes.

"Take care of the child. Move out of the penthouse."

"From now on, you'll only ever be my sister."

"I don't want Seraphina to be upset."

I quietly wiped the moisture from the corners of my eyes.

I agreed.

When I returned from the hospital, Silas was on the phone with one of his friends.

"What? Seraphina is back in New York? She didn't even tell me!"

Silas lit a cigarette and put the call on speaker. His friend's voice filled the room.

"She's probably still holding a grudge. But the fact that she's back means she's halfway over it."

"Make sure you go pick her up. Bring a gift and apologize properly."

The friend paused before asking a heavy question.

"What about Annie? You can't keep two women on the hook at once."

"She's been with you for years. You need to handle that situation."

Smoke swirled in the room. I felt a sudden chill in my bones.

I heard Silas's familiar voice. It sounded indifferent, almost bored.

"Two women? I've only ever seen Annie as a sister."

"I'll give her a payout. She'll be fine."

"Don't worry. Annie knows how this works."

The medical files in my hand slipped, hitting the floor. I ignored the dull ache in my stomach and crouched down to grab them.

The noise startled Silas.

"When did you get back?" he asked, looking down at me.

My hands trembled. He didn't wait for an answer before making his announcement.

"Seraphina is coming home."

"You need to move back to the old family estate."

He had moved me into this penthouse because it was close to the office. Now, with one sentence, he was discarding me.

"Be a good girl. Don't leave any trace that you lived here."

"I don't want her to start another scene."

He smiled as he said this. It was a look of helpless, doting affection.

I felt all the strength leave my body. He was too drowned in his own joy to spare me a single glance.

He immediately dialed Seraphina's number.

"Seraphina, let me pick you up tonight. Don't be mad anymore. I bought you a gift."

"Hmph, I haven't forgiven you yet. But since you're being so sincere..."

Their flirting echoed in my ears. I gathered my papers and forced myself to stand.

"By the way, come to the office once you're settled. I've already set everything up for you."

"It won't be tiring at all. I've done all the prep work. You just need to show up."

Silas was so tender. They laughed for a while before he finally hung up.

"Pack your things. She'll be here by tonight."

He turned to walk toward his room but stopped suddenly.

"Wait. I remember you're leading that new development project. Hand it over to Seraphina."

"She needs a win to establish herself at the company."

The words felt like a plunge into a frozen lake.

I had worked on that project for an entire year.

I had poured my blood and sweat into it. I lost count of the late nights and the drinks I had to stomach.

Seraphina had zero experience. She had no talent for this business.

Now that it was time to harvest the results, Silas wanted to give her all the credit.

"What about me?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for that project?"

Silas looked annoyed. His expression soured.

"Annie, it's just one project. I'll make it up to you later."

"Seraphina just got back. She needs the experience more than you do."

"Just be reasonable. I've never treated you poorly, have I?"

My face went pale. My lips wouldn't stop shaking.

"So, I'm the one who has to be sacrificed?"

Silas huffed impatiently. His eyes suddenly fell on the papers in my hand.

"What is that?"

He snatched the file before I could hide it.

"You're pregnant?"

He looked stunned for a second. He glanced at my stomach, then his expression hardened.

"Handle the child. Move out."

"From now on, you are just my sister."

"I don't want Seraphina to be hurt by this."

I looked down, messily wiping away my tears.

"Okay," I whispered.

In this house, I never really owned much.

I suddenly thought back to the day I was first adopted.

Silas had walked ahead, holding Seraphina's hand, while I followed behind like a ghost.

He took Seraphina to the third floor to change. He left me downstairs, alone and terrified.

It took them hours to remember I existed.

Seraphina's words from back then still echoed in my ears.

"You're just greedy for the Shaw family's money. That's why you try so hard to suck up to me."

"I've seen plenty of people like you!"

Silas never defended me. He only looked at the girl throwing the fit with pure adoration.

Then Seraphina pointed at the corner and told me to stand there until she felt better.

It wasn't until she went upstairs that Silas finally spoke to me.

"Seraphina just has a bit of a temper. You need to be patient with her."

"Just do whatever she says. Don't make her angry."

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you."

So, I was allowed to go to the same elite private school as her. I let her insult me every single day.

I had to tutor her and take the blame for her mistakes.

If she got into trouble, I was the one Silas scolded.

When high school ended, Seraphina secretly changed her college choice and fled to California.

Silas was furious.

"Seraphina said it's because you're here. You make her angry every day."

"Are you trying to seduce me to get ahead?"

That was the night he dragged me into his bed.

Afterward, he apologized and promised me a position at the company.

Over the years, the compensation he gave me was endless.

Designer bags and jewelry filled my room.

But none of it was what I actually wanted.

I had secretly sold those items and deposited the cash into a private bank account.

The things I actually wanted to take with me were pathetic. They fit into one small suitcase.

As I pulled my suitcase out of the room, Silas actually looked at me. He frowned.

"That's all you're taking?"

"Where are all the clothes and jewelry I bought you?"

I looked at him with a blank expression.

"I've kept track of every cent the Shaw family spent on me since I was a child."

"I've converted those gifts into cash. I'll pay you back."

He let out a mocking laugh.

"The Shaws don't take back gifts."

"Keep it. Stop playing hard to get."

"You earned it. It's your compensation."

He pushed open my bedroom door and scanned the empty space.

His eyes landed on a small music box on the desk.

It was a gift he gave me for my eighteenth birthday.

He had bought it on a whim, but I had treated it like a sacred treasure for years.

"You don't even want this?"

"No. Throw it away."

His expression shifted into something complex, but he quickly forced a smirk.

"Annie, Seraphina is back. I'm just asking you to stay away for a bit. It's not like you're banned forever."

"Is all this drama really necessary?"

"Fine, stop acting like a child..."

Before he could finish, I was already on the phone. I was hiring a cleaning crew.

I wanted every trace of my existence scrubbed from that room.

The next day at the office, I ran into Manager Ward.

He had lost the lead on this project to me last year and had been bitter ever since.

He had somehow heard the news and came to rub it in.

"I heard Miss Shaw is back and she's taking over your project."

"What was the point of winning it? You were just doing the legwork for someone else."

I kept my face cold.

"This was a management decision. Since when do you have a say in it?"

He sneered and intentionally bumped my shoulder as he exited the elevator.

His words were like a blade through my heart. I could barely breathe.

I walked to my office like a zombie.

I looked through the project files one last time.

I didn't want to give it up. This project felt like my own child.

But I was powerless to protect it.

Just then, the assistant told me the CEO wanted to see me.

The moment I pushed open the door, I heard that sharp, high-pitched voice.

It was Seraphina. She looked up at me with pure disdain.

"I heard you were the one leading this?"

"I took a look. Honestly, it's nothing special."

She tapped a finger on a random page.

"I don't like this part. Fix it."

I felt a surge of anger.

"The project is in the final stages. If we change that, everything following it has to be redone."

"Silas, look at her!" Seraphina whined.

Silas gave me a warning look.

"Do what she says. Change it."

I looked him straight in the eyes, my voice steady.

"If I have to change it, then I quit."

Silas narrowed his eyes. A dangerous light flickered in them.

"Are you threatening me?"

Seraphina slammed her hand on the desk.

She pointed a finger at me and started screaming.

"Annie, who do you think you are?"

"If it weren't for me, you'd still be in that gutter! You wouldn't be a Shaw!"

"Now you think you're so big and tough that you can ignore my orders?"

"Fine, quit! But give back everything the Shaw family ever gave you first!"

Silas laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Annie, stop playing games."

"You know Seraphina has a temper."

"Just go. We're done here."

After I left, he sent me a text.

"Be ready tonight. You're coming with me to a business dinner."

After Silas dropped Seraphina off at home, he lit a cigarette in the car and looked at me.

"Still sulking?"

"Seraphina is impulsive. Stop picking fights with her."

"She was just talking out of anger. You should have just nodded and moved on."

"Don't threaten me with quitting. I've seen your hard work this year. I'll give you a different project later."

I struggled to swallow my rage.

"I shouldn't pick fights with her?"

"I know I only entered your house because of her."

"So I should just sit there and take her insults and abuse?"

"Years have passed, Silas. No matter how well I do, I'm always beneath her!"

My voice choked up.

"Anything she wants, you just take it from me and hand it to her. Right?"

He handed me a tissue, but I didn't take it.

"Why are you being so dramatic?"

"It's not like she's actually hurt you."

"And I've always compensated you, haven't I?"

He chuckled, as if I were being ungrateful.

"Tell me. What do you want now?"

"There's an auction next week. I'll get you that pink diamond you liked. Happy?"

I was shaking. Every memory of the past flashed before my eyes.

"The year I arrived, she lied and said I stole her necklace."

"You knew she was lying, but you made me kneel on the floor all night before you'd let me go to school."

"When I was fifteen, she pushed me into the pool. I had a 104-degree fever. You just said she was being playful."

"Then you 'compensated' me with a designer dress."

"Every gift you ever gave me was just a reminder of the pain."

"Every gift had a price tag on my dignity!"

"And now you want to buy my career and my future with a diamond?"

I looked at him, desperately searching for a hint of guilt or regret.

I found nothing.

There was only silence.

"I'm sorry, Annie. I didn't realize you felt that way."

"I promise, she won't take anything else from you."

"Just come to this dinner tonight. It's the last time."

I let out a cold laugh.

He wanted me to go with him?

He knew these clients. He knew there would be heavy drinking.

He didn't want Seraphina to deal with the stress.

But he was perfectly fine sending a pregnant woman to do the dirty work.

My heart felt like it was being shredded.

"I don't want anything. Just let me resign."

"After tonight, I don't owe the Shaws anything. And I don't owe her a thing."

After a long pause, he finally said, "Fine."

We arrived at the private club. He was meeting with a big investor named Mr. Gable.

The men at the table raised their glasses. I had to raise mine too.

One drink. Then another.

My vision started to blur. My head felt light.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain erupted in my abdomen.

I reflexively grabbed Silas's arm.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Don't make a scene. Gable is almost ready to sign."

"Just hold on a little longer."

My heart felt cold. The pain was unbearable.

After the heartbreak came the numbness.

I gritted my teeth and kept going.

I knew that if this deal failed, Silas would hate me forever.

And if he hated me, I could never truly be free of the debt I owed them.

I don't know how many more drinks I swallowed.

I eventually stumbled out of the VIP room and lost consciousness.

I woke up in a hospital bed.

My throat was parched and my lips were cracked. There was no one by my side.

I called the nurse and told them I was ready for the procedure.

I realized then that a small part of me had still been hoping.

In that moment, that hope died completely.

When I finally came out of the recovery room, my phone was buzzing with missed calls.

There were dozens from Silas.

I picked up the last one.

"The deal went through perfectly," he said.

"Annie, don't quit. I'll give you a promotion instead. How does that sound?"

He really thought all of this was just a game to get a better title. He thought I was just desperate for his attention.

My voice was weak, but my tone was flat.

"No thanks. Just sign the resignation papers."

Silas went quiet for a moment, then his voice turned playful.

"Alright, that's enough. Don't start acting like Seraphina."

Then he seemed to remember something.

"By the way, where did you go after the meeting? I couldn't find you."

"Wait, why is it so noisy there? Where are you?"

"Oh. I'm at the hospital..."

He sounded completely caught off guard.

"Did you... did you handle the child?"

"Who told you to do it? Why... why so fast?"

I laughed. It was a jagged, mocking sound.

"Did you forget? You were the one who told me to do it."

"What's the matter? Having second thoughts? Who are you trying to impress?"

He stammered.

"No... it's just... that was my first child..."

"Silas, you are such a hypocrite."

I cut him off.

"If you actually cared about that baby, why did you send me to drink for you last night?"

"You knew I was pregnant. Don't act like a grieving father now."

"You told me to do it, and now you're acting like the victim."

"If you actually feel guilty, then sign my resignation."

"From now on, the Shaw family and I are finished."

"I don't owe Seraphina a single thing anymore!"