The Luna Who Paid to Live in Her Own Home Chapter 07

The Luna Who Paid to Live in Her Own Home Chapter 07

“Like Rhea?”

Della looked at Mom, her eyes red.

“So now you’re both sick of me?”

“She’s gone and suddenly you remember how great she was?”

“Then why did you drive her away in the first place?”

Mom went pale. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

She’d always believed I was stealing from Della. That Della was the one this family owed everything

to.
That was why they had done everything possible to compensate Della.

They gave her more clothes, a larger allowance, and a bigger room.

They even removed Rhea from the Mercer family registry just so Della could remain the Alpha family’s only daughter.

But eighteen years had passed.

Della still felt that it wasn’t enough.

Dad’s jaw tightened. “Enough. Both of you need to stop talking.”

But Della was past the point of stopping.

“You promised that I would be the Mercer family’s only daughter!”

“You were also the ones who said I could have anything I wanted!”

“All I’m asking for is one renovation. Why can’t you even give me that?!”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Mom and Dad both were speechless.

They suddenly realized that there might never be an end to what Della wanted.

When I was there, they could take it for granted that everything was my fault.

But now I was gone.

Mom suddenly remembered the small room containing less than a single cardboard box of my

belongings.

For the first time, she stopped to think about what I’d actually had all those years.

The doorbell rang.

It was Elin Foster, the teacher who ran the Physics Olympiad at Briarwood Prep.

“Mr. and Mrs. Mercer? Is Rhea home?”

“We’d love to have her.come back and talk to the students about her experience.”

“She took first place in the Inter–Pack Physics Olympiad last month. A lot of the younger students

want to hear from her.”

Long after she left, Mom and Dad were still standing in the doorway.

I really had won first place.

My success had never been faked.

Dad thought about the trophy he’d smashed, and his face went gray.

Mom picked up her phone and tried to send me a message, only to discover that I had blocked her.

She tried from Dad’s phone. Then Della’s.

Blocked on both.

She scrolled through her contacts, searching, and realized she had no one left to try.

She asked Della, “Do you know any of Rhea’s friends?”

Della rolled her eyes, annoyed.

“Why are you asking about that?”

“She’s gone. You seriously want to drag her back?”

Mom didn’t answer. She went to ask Dad instead.

Dad frowned and thought for a long time before shaking his head.

Eighteen years.

They didn’t even know who their own daughter usually spent time with.

They suddenly realized how very little they truly knew about me.

The next day, Mom and Dad went to the school.

That was when they found out. Full scholarship. Kingswell Academy.

I was already in the UK with Mrs. Hadley.

After returning home, Mom sat frozen on the couch, her face frighteningly pale.

Della drifted out of her room and rolled her eyes. “What’s the matter? Regretting it now?”

Mom’s voice was raw. “She’s your sister.”

Della sneered. “My sister? Now that she has good grades, has won an award, and has proven she‘ useful, you suddenly want this daughter again?”

Mom wearily closed her eyes.

“Enough, Della.”

“What else do you want?”

Della’s eyes widened.

“What do I want?”

want to be an only child. I want Rhea to have no place in this family forever!”

Mom stared at her. For the first time, the girl standing in front of her looked like a stranger.

She suddenly began to wonder whether they had truly given Della too much over the years.

They had given her so much that she now took everyone else’s sacrifices for granted.

Mom stood up.

Dad raised his head and looked at her.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find Rhea.”

She emphasized every word.

“I’m going to find her and bring her home.”

“No matter what happened, this is still her home.”

That same day, she booked a flight to London.