Chapter 3 Meeting

"This must be the starting point."

The beginning of everything.

The real daughter would return, and with her arrival, jealousy might spark like a flame and with it, the conflict between her and Arin, the false daughter, might intensify until it consumes them both.

But is it really worth it?

No, it isn't.

Whether it's the one I remember or the one I met, Arin isn't cruel. She even sympathized with the girl, and so did I. After all, she is only a child, raised as an orphan who would have always dreamed of reuniting with her family.

Still, it would be better to keep my distance for now. Not only from her, but also from the man who calls himself my father.

Knock, knock.

Just when I made up my mind to stay away, a knock sounded at the door of my room.

"Come in."

A maid stepped inside, bowing politely, then spoke:

"Miss, the Master requests that the three of you dine together tonight."

The first hurdle appeared the instant I decided to withdraw...

I sighed inwardly but I replied showing a smile.

"Tell him I'll be there on time. It's rare to have a family dinner, and I'm... excited to see my sister."

The maid bowed again before leaving.

Here, every servant act as his eyes and ears. That's why I must continue to act like 'Arin'... obedient and cheerful. Only then would he believe I'm still the daughter who dances in the palm of his hand.

***

Awkward... so awkward.

After arriving here, taking a bath, and being examined by the doctor, it was already time for dinner. I went down to the dining room expecting the three of us to eat together, just as Father had said... but the one who suggested it was absent.

Father suddenly received a call, claimed there was an urgent matter at the company, and left in a hurry. In the end, I was left sitting face-to-face with Arin.

Strangely enough, this might be better because I wanted to talk to her alone as I need to figure out her character and I also want to show her that I'm not someone she should be wary of in this house.

From today on, the two of us will live together, I have to make it clear that I'm not here to compete with her for anything... really... especially my 'dear' father's attention I just the scenario of the true daughter and fake daughter fighting to death in the novels I read before.

Sitting across from each other at a dinner table, the silent atmosphere just feels too heavy.

I stared at the girl in front of me with some doubts in my heart as I recalled my 'father's words.

"Were you sad that Dad didn't come to pick you up earlier?" He suddenly asked.

"Yeah, I thought the DNA test was negative." I said my honest thoughts at that time.

"Dad is sorry. I actually wanted to come sooner and I tried many times to do so in my free schedule but everytime I was planning to come get you, your sister gets into trouble and sometimes she even gets injured that I would need to take her to the hospital." He said as he sighed deeply by the end of his words.

"It's okay..." I smiled slightly but not sincerely.

"Anyway, your sister doesn't know that you are coming here so we are going to surprise her."

She doesn't seem like someone who really didn't know of my coming... not surprised at the slightest.