Chapter 23: Cannot Carry On Anymore
“Rebellious girl, what are you insinuating? You’ve lost your mind!” Henry was livid. He lunged forward, raising his hand to slap Luna. Luna deftly sidestepped, causing Henry, in his rage, to stumble. By the time he regained his balance, he pointed at Luna, his hand shaking.
“She’s your sister! How could you believe her lies, covering for Bianca and then blaming her?” Marjorie exclaimed, as if fearing Luna would harm her favorite daughter. Such blatant favoritism! When scandalous photos surfaced, Henry and Marjorie only looked at Luna with disdain, subtly blaming her. But when they discovered Bianca was in the photos, their reaction… well, that’s what you’d expect from real parents, right? If they didn’t share the same face, I’d seriously doubt Luna was their biological daughter.
Hearing Isabella’s inner thoughts, the Quirks shook their heads. The disparity in how Henry and Marjorie treated their daughters was unbearable—one cherished, the other treated like a worthless pebble. Luna, long numb to this, watched her parents’ hysterics with an impassive expression. It was clear she was used to it. Henry and Marjorie seemed to reserve their intelligence for Bianca. How could a favored child ever be harmed? It’s always the overlooked who suffer.
The Quirks nodded in agreement. Christopher reminisced. He often saw the same scene: Luna stood aside, icy and stern; Bianca, red-eyed and teary, cried pitifully; Henry and Marjorie shielded Bianca, furiously scolding Luna. It seemed they'd never taken Luna's side. How could a favored child need to compromise? Christopher had assumed Luna resented Bianca because of the favoritism. He felt dazed; his memories felt inauthentic.
Luna looked at Bianca, her voice cold. “Bianca, who did you say that person is?”
Bianca shrank into her mother’s embrace, trembling but exuding an air of aggrieved innocence. “Luna, what on earth are you talking about?” she asked, her voice firm.
“Just as I thought, you’re beyond redemption,” Luna said with a cold laugh.
Henry and Marjorie, infuriated, practically gasped for breath. They cursed their misfortune and lamented Luna’s defiance. Thomas stormed forward, his anger palpable. “Luna,” he spat, “you won’t learn until it’s too late. I’ll make sure you give up!” He chuckled coldly, tapped his phone, and projected various images—hospital visits, culminating in an abortion consent form.
Name: Lana Cowell
“You carried my child! You got rid of it behind my back! You owe me!”
Luna’s eyes widened in disbelief, instantly looking at Bianca, who trembled with fear but quickly regained her composure. Christopher’s face paled. His world would be rocked, regardless of who was pregnant.
Isabella almost laughed. The Quirks understood—this was Isabella’s gossip, and potential evidence. The buzz of conversation drowned out Bianca’s unease.
“Ah, I think I know who you’re talking about. She was my senior in college. There were rumors about her complicated love life, even a photo of a supposed abortion on the campus website.”
Everyone’s hearts faltered.
“So, it’s true? I didn’t expect her to be so stubborn.”
“What’s so bad about marrying Thomas? They were even close to having a child.”
“Didn’t you hear about her messy sexual life? More than one could be involved!”
Thomas, smug, reached for Luna’s arm. Luna stepped back, turning to the junior. “You should know,” she said, “if the posts were rumors, our school’s forum would have deleted them. Why didn’t you mention this? Those posts were deleted, and the posters silenced.”
Thomas choked, bowing his head in embarrassment. Isabella’s sarcastic thoughts—He pursued her, she rejected him. Some men try to ruin women they can’t have.—caused the Quirks to look over, deciding to avoid such a person. Christopher etched Thomas’s face into his memory. Thomas felt a chill.
Luna ignored him. “How can you prove it was me? Easy to impersonate me with an identical face, no?”
“Even now, you won’t admit it?” Thomas laughed, exasperated.
Henry and Marjorie were even more upset.
“You were pregnant, and you did this vile act, blaming your sister?” Henry seethed.
“What a disaster! How could I have such a shameless daughter! Luna, if you continue, we’ll disown you!” Marjorie warned.
Luna scoffed. “I stopped wanting to be your daughter a long time ago.”
Henry and Marjorie froze. “What… what did you say?”
“You’re unbelievable! You’ve crossed the line!” Luna’s resentment surfaced. “What’s so great about being your daughter? You can’t even recognize her from a photo! Have you never had doubts? Others might not know, but hasn't she done enough under my name? Is this really so surprising?”
Henry and Marjorie were taken aback, as if regaining a forgotten memory. They tried to subtly change the subject, but Luna didn’t let them.
“My grandmother was seriously ill, so I prayed for her. When I turned around, the media was all over it, claiming it was Bianca. My sister wasn’t even in her sickroom; she was at home, overindulging in ice cream.”
The onlookers were shocked. Wasn’t this Bianca’s good deed? The news had praised a frail young lady’s filial piety, boosting her reputation. Luna remained silent. Henry and Marjorie never denied it. Christopher remembered visiting Bianca; she’d insisted it was her duty.
Now they claimed it was Luna?
“You told me not to argue, saying it was sincere filial piety, and striving for fame brings unrest,” Luna said with self-mockery. “Did you truly believe that, or were you using my hard work to boost my sister’s reputation? You couldn’t bear to see her suffer, yet you gave her the credit.”
Henry and Marjorie’s faces paled; Bianca’s eyes widened.
“What nonsense! It wouldn’t matter which sister did it. Your sister isn’t healthy; you did it because you’re healthier,” Henry said, flustered and angry.
“So you’re this petty? Did she only pray for a show?” Marjorie shouted.
The Quirks and onlookers saw the Cowells’ bias. Many agreed with Isabella.
“This is ridiculous! I worked hard, and it’s fine if no one praises me, but someone else stealing credit isn’t right.”
Henry and Marjorie remained defiant, feeling Luna was being overly particular.
Luna asked, “So, you admit Bianca took my place?”
Everyone wondered if this was a prior offense. Henry and Marjorie asserted, “That wasn’t intentional… an accident…”
“What about the car accident she caused? She hit a child, leaving him disabled. She feared it would tarnish her reputation, so she pretended to be me. She played the distraught part, making me feel sorry. You all didn’t say anything, only reminding me not to reveal anything. You promised to take care of the child, but you all forgot! The parents came to me, and I had to sort it out.”
The crowd was shocked. Was she a scapegoat? Christopher’s face changed. He’d criticized Luna. He’d begun to despise her because of this incident. He remembered Luna’s eyes welling up. Was this also a lie?
“No… Luna, why did you have to…” Bianca sobbed uncontrollably.
Henry and Marjorie, worried, wanted to pressure Luna.
Luna said, “Do I need to present evidence? That day, I attended an academic conference.”
Henry and Marjorie were speechless, staring at Luna’s recklessness. Bianca hadn’t anticipated this. Luna had always conceded. The most important things were her parents' approval and her sister's well-being. But it seemed Luna had given up on everything.
Luna took a breath, as if releasing shackles.
“I was the one who represented the Cowell family in disaster relief, but it was your name credited. At the Centurion Music Contest, you deliberately injured yourself, forcing me to take your place. You used my name, causing the Cowell family’s relatives to blame me for the loss, stripping me of my inheritance rights. After I left, you impersonated me at school, messing up my relationships, causing my reputation to be in shambles.”
Everyone was speechless.
Luna finished, seeing Bianca’s tears. “Where have I wronged you, that you treat me this way? My glory you snatch, your burdens I carry, but should I also bear this? I’m sorry, I can’t carry on anymore! I don’t want to anymore!”