The Daughter They Forgot to Save

"She's a murderer," said the childhood sweetheart who loved me most, pointing at me at the party celebrating my civil service exam results.

It wasn't until the police cuffed me that I understood. His trust, his company, his proposal—all of it had been meant to make me lose everything at the moment I was happiest.

All because on the day my adoptive parents' real daughter fell to her death, I was the one who had locked her in her room.

But she had tried to slash my face and had torn up my acceptance letter.

I didn't want to miss the exam I'd spent a year preparing for, and when I locked the door, I let everyone in the family know. No one would hear me out.

All they remembered was that I, the adopted daughter, had taken my sister's place and lived the life that should have been hers.

I found myself back on the day my birth parents abandoned me. I watched that rich lady walk past, and this time I didn't take her hand.

I turned and walked toward the children's shelter. Chapter 1 I had no way to reach my birth parents, and no home address. The children's shelter took me in.

A staff member led me to the dormitory. A dozen or so kids were playing, and I spotted her right away—the little girl laughing in the middle of them. Poppy. The real heiress.

My sister in my last life. What was she doing here? My head was a mess.

For a dazed moment I saw Poppy again with her burned face, lunging at me, twisted with rage. "Why do I have to suffer while you get to be happy?" "You're a thief!

You stole my identity! You stole my mom and dad!" "Get out of my house!" She'd gone missing at seven.

By the time she was found and brought home ten years later, she was disfigured and had lost her mind. She raised a fork to slash my face.

I grabbed her hand and held on with everything I had. Luckily, Mom and Dad ran in and pulled Poppy off. The fork cut my arm.

I staggered back against the wall, my heart still pounding.

Dad, whose heart used to ache when I so much as got a shot, blamed me instead. "How could you squeeze your sister's wrists until they turned red?" I froze.

The cut on my arm burned like fire, and my throat went dry. "She was trying to cut my face. I was just holding her back…" "Even so, you shouldn't be that rough with your sister.

She's mentally ill, she didn't mean to hurt you. Can't you just put up with it?" Mom scolded. Then she turned and saw my arm streaming with blood. She paused. "Oh, forget it.

Go take care of that cut, quick. Don't let it scar." Then she went back to rubbing Poppy's wrists. "There, there, Poppy, it doesn't hurt.

Mommy'll kiss it better." Her voice was gentle, just like the day she'd brought me home. The same year Poppy went missing, I was seven too.

My birth parents brought me from a little country town into the city. "Nobody'll buy the worthless girl, so we'll dump her here.

Big crowd, nobody'll notice." I heard them whispering. I also heard the lie they told me. "Mom and Dad are going to get something to eat.

You wait here and don't wander off." By the time the third train pulled in, they still hadn't come back. But one old man just wouldn't get on any of them.

He stared at me and asked more than once where my parents were. His rough palm rubbed against my cheek, like bugs crawling on my skin.

I forced myself to stay calm. "They're coming to get me soon." The old man grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "If you don't have a home, you can come with Grandpa.

Grandpa'll take good care of you." I didn't want him to take me. I didn't want to starve, either.

So when I heard the rich lady who'd just stepped off the train sobbing to the man with her, asking what they would do if their lost daughter was in danger somewhere… Chapter 2 I hooked my fingers around the woman's hand and whispered, "Mom." "Help me." I slipped in while she was vulnerable and took her daughter's place.

I knew I was despicable. When my birth father sent me on errands, I'd fudge the change and pocket a dollar to buy a Slim Jim, just to have something decent to eat.

If I saw a thief lifting someone's phone on the street, I'd selfishly pretend I hadn't seen it, to keep myself safe. After the Uptons took me home, I went even further.

I made sure they saw the scars from my birth parents' beatings, to win their sympathy. Sure enough, Mom and Dad's hearts broke for me.

They put me to bed every night and bought me treats and toys. They dressed me up like a princess and granted every wish I had. I truly saw a different side of the world.

I had happiness. But when Poppy came back, everything changed. Everyone was her murderer, yet in the end I was the only one who went to prison. Now.

Poppy had only been missing for six months. She wasn't disfigured, and she hadn't lost her mind. She was normal.

She ran over on her own and handed me a piece of candy. "Don't be scared. The staff here are all really nice.

If there's anything you don't get, you can ask me." "Thanks…" The cellophane wrapper sparkled, making my grimy palm look even darker. I stuffed it into my pocket.

I picked the bed farthest from Poppy. It was hard and carried the chill of winter, just like the bed in prison. In this life, I would have nothing whatsoever to do with the Uptons.

But that night, screams woke me. A short circuit had started a fire. The staff noticed too late, and it had already spread to the dorm.

Smoke billowed, and the kids ran for the door in a panic. I was closest to the window, and I scrambled to climb out. Suddenly there was a huge crash. The ceiling light came down.

Poppy was trapped in the corner, wailing. Save her, or not? I gritted my teeth and went back for Poppy. Call it paying her family back for raising me. But the smoke was too thick.

Dragging Poppy, I passed out. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Poppy wasn't there.

There was only a staff member from the shelter, who gave me water, overjoyed. "You've been unconscious for two days.

You're finally awake." "Thank goodness you saved Poppy, or she wouldn't have made it out alive, and her parents would be burying her right now." She couldn't help sighing. "The Uptons set up an appointment a week ago to come meet the kids and start an adoption.

Who'd have thought their own daughter was right here in a Milwaukee children's shelter, and nobody had matched her to the missingchild reports?" The back of my hand, where the IV went in, turned ice cold.

So in my last life, Mom and Dad hadn't come to Milwaukee to clear their heads. They'd wanted to adopt a child to ease the ache of missing her.

If I hadn't stopped them at the station, Poppy would have been found at seven. She wouldn't have lost her mind. I really did owe her. The white ceiling stung my eyes.

Suddenly a familiar voice came from the hallway. "Yes, we found her.

And Poppy wants us to adopt the little girl who saved her, to be her big sister." Dad was on the phone, on speaker. The voice on the other end sounded young. "That's great.

So I get another little sister." My heart jolted. It was my childhood sweetheart from my last life. Nolan. Our families lived close, and he was a year older than me.

Like a gentle big brother, he took me everywhere to eat and have fun. When people mocked me as a beggar playing fake heiress, he fired right back at them without mercy.

Afterward, worried I'd be upset, he'd even set off fireworks to cheer me up.

Nolan was with me from elementary school through high school, and every one of my girlhood secrets was about him.

The day Poppy almost scarred my face, he happened to come by to bring me dessert. He didn't blame me like Mom and Dad did.

He carefully bandaged my wound, and he couldn't help grumbling about Poppy. "It's not like you're the reason she got lost and suffered.

What right does she have to hurt you?" Chapter 3 My eyes stung. Thank goodness. He was still on my side.

Then I found my acceptance letter from the dance conservatory, the one I'd worked three years for, torn into strips in the trash can.

It suddenly hit me: Poppy had been in my room right before her episode. "Poppy must have torn up my letter!" "I'm going to find her!" Nolan held me back. "Poppy's sick.

What does she know?" "She's not well. She didn't mean it. Just let it go—don't set her off." I felt nailed to the floor, suddenly without the nerve to take a step.

He wanted me to put up with it too. So Nolan was no different from Mom and Dad. Poppy could hurt me, but I couldn't hurt her.

When Mom and Dad found out, they wanted me to go to a college right here in Chicago instead, so I could help take care of Poppy. "A caregiver isn't as trustworthy as family." "We can afford to support you.

Where you go to college doesn't matter—it's just a diploma." But dance was my dream. I didn't want to give it up. "What about a residential care facility?

They have twentyfourhour monitoring, and the staff are better trained…" Nolan frowned and cut me off. "No. Poppy has a home.

How could she go live somewhere else?" Mom and Dad refused too. "How is that any different from prison?" "If Poppy hadn't gone missing, we would never have adopted you.

Think of it as what you owe her. You're paying off a debt—is that so much to ask?" That one sentence shut down whatever pleading I had left.

Back when I first said I wanted to get into a dance conservatory, Mom and Dad had supported me all the way.

They paid top dollar for private coaches and turned down work to fly abroad with me for competitions big and small.

Nolan had even gone to every church and temple and place of prayer he could find, just to pray that my wish would come true.

So why, now, because of Poppy, were they all telling me to give up? And yet I couldn't bring myself to hate Poppy. Sometimes she was lucid.

When she got something good to eat, I was the first one she shared it with, and she'd call me her big sister in a soft voice.

When she saw the wounds I'd gotten taking care of her, she'd cry and slap her own face. "I'm sorry, Evie, I'm sorry…" But once the lucidity faded, Poppy saw me as her enemy again.

She cursed me with the cruelest words and threw things at me. The moment an episode hit, that burned face looked like a terrifying vengeful ghost.

Mom and Dad hung back, too hesitant to go near her. They left me to calm Poppy down. They hid outside and wiped away their tears.

While everyone my age was off enjoying college, I had to keep skipping class and running home to feed Poppy and check that she hadn't hurt herself. I couldn't go out.

Even when I slept, my nerves were strung tight, listening for sounds from the room next door. Was I going to be tied to her for the rest of my life? I refused to accept that.

I did practice questions while I ate, and gave up what little sleep I had to do more.

I wanted to pass the civil service exam, land a government job in Austin, and leave Chicago for good. But Poppy died. Everyone was a murderer.

The day of my civil service exam, Poppy was in a daze. She kept making a fuss, wanting me to take her out to catch butterflies.

Mom and Dad weren't home, and it happened to be the housekeeper's day off. The exam started in one hour. I hurried to call Dad. No answer.

But just a minute earlier, Dad had texted Poppy that he was going to buy her a cake. I had no choice but to call Mom. Luckily, she picked up. "Mom, my civil service exam is today.

Can you come home and stay with Poppy for a bit…" She cut me off. "I'm getting my nails done. I can't leave." "What exam could be more important than your sister?

Okay, she's starting on my other hand. I've got to go." Beep— The beeping of the dead line stabbed into my ear. When I called again, her phone was off.

With no other choice, clinging to my last shred of hope, I called Nolan.

Chapter 4 He said yes. "I'll be done in half an hour, then I'll come over." Thirty minutes still left me plenty of time to get to the testing center.

I let out a small breath and booked an Uber ahead of time. Half an hour later. The Uber came. Nolan didn't. There was only a text. [Wait a little longer.

About ten minutes.] My prep instructor texted to hurry me. [Evelyn, the exam's about to start.

Where are you?] [On my way!] I could not miss the civil service exam I'd spent a year preparing for. I deliberately locked Poppy's door from the outside, shutting her in.

There was nothing dangerous in her room. She couldn't get out, so she couldn't wander off. When Nolan came, he'd let her out.

I rushed to the testing center, and I still remembered to leave Mom and Dad messages telling them to get home early. The exam went smoothly. I went home.

And found Mom and Dad in the yard, sobbing, with Poppy's body in their arms. She had fallen to her death.

When Mom and Dad saw me, they charged at me like they'd lost their minds, slapping my face and kicking me in the stomach. "Why did you hurt your sister?

We checked the hallway camera! You locked her door!" "You opened the window on purpose so she'd jump! You vicious, ungrateful little wretch!

I never should have adopted you!" My ears were ringing. I had never opened the window. But Poppy knew how to open it herself.

Fighting through the pain, I took out my phone. "I texted you, I told you I had an exam. You're the ones who didn't come home…" Smack— My phone was knocked out of my hand.

Mom and Dad were mad with rage. They wouldn't hear me out at all. "You knew she was sick!

What were you doing going out?" "Give me back my daughter!" In the end, it was Nolan, rushing over, who got me out of there.

He took me to his house to take care of my injuries. "Don't be scared. It's okay now.

I believe you didn't hurt Poppy." I held on to his hand so hard my nails dug into his skin. "Why didn't you come…" Nolan lowered his eyes. "I was getting ready to propose.

I was picking out a ring for you, and I got held up." He took out a diamond ring. Its rainbow sparkle made my eyes ache. Suddenly I was crying out loud.

Whose fault was Poppy's death, really? I didn't know. I just sank into endless guilt. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and lost eight or nine pounds in a week.

Nolan stayed with me patiently. Thanks to him, I slowly steadied. The civil service exam results came out too. I passed, got through the interview, and landed the job.

He said we should celebrate. He threw a party and invited my classmates and professors, and his friends. For the first time in a long while, I smiled.

I thought about my life in Austin to come, about how long I'd have to save my paychecks to buy a place of my own, so I'd never be afraid of being thrown out again.

But then the police pushed the door open. "Evelyn Upton, you're under arrest for killing your sister two months ago." Crash.

The glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.

I stared, stunned, at Nolan as he denounced me in front of everyone as a murderer. "You resented Poppy for taking your parents' attention, and you hated her because she kept you from the dance conservatory.

So you wanted her gone forever.

That's despicable." But just last night, Nolan had been blowdrying my hair and asking me, "Where do you want to have the wedding someday?" Why would he do this to me?

I asked it, my voice hoarse.

Nolan's eyes were cold, full of hatred. "The day it happened to Poppy, I had just brought in a doctor from overseas who could cure her." "She was one step away from getting better, and you destroyed her future.

Now it's your turn to know how it feels—to watch what you were about to have turn into nothing