They Replaced Me... Until the Government Wanted Me

Chapter 1

On my eighteenth birthday, my brothers brought home a seven-year-old orphan girl.

Ethan Parker—my oldest brother—slapped me across the face because of her.

Lucas, the middle one, shouted, "Get out! Don't ever come back!"

So I left.

No fights. No goodbyes. Just packed my bags and walked out the door.

They thought I was just being dramatic and would come crawling back in a few days.

Finally rid of me, they took Lily Thompson abroad—to Norway.

It was the one place I'd always dreamed of visiting, just to see the Northern Lights.

Weeks later, they came back to an unexpected headline:

I'd joined a top-secret, ten-year medical research program.

And I could never come home again.

That night, everything fell apart for them.

...

I booked a one-way ticket on the day of the Lantern Festival.

Professor Knox walked me to the gates of the research institute. His voice was kind, almost fatherly.

"You leave in seven days, Paige. If there's someone you're still holding onto… go say goodbye."

Spring had technically arrived in North City, but the air still bit like winter.

I stood on the curb for what felt like forever.

Then, against every ounce of pride I had left, I pulled out my phone and called my second brother—Lucas.

We hadn't spoken in years. But we'd been family for over two decades.

No matter how bad things had gotten, I thought maybe… one last meal together wasn't too much to ask.

He hung up.

I tried again. Then again.

The third time, his phone went straight to voicemail.

I took a breath and called Ethan.

The line rang for so long I almost gave up—until he finally picked up.

It felt less like answering and more like he was doing me a favor.

Worried he'd hang up, I rushed out the words.

"It's the Lantern Festival. I was thinking… maybe we could have dinner together at home?"

I remembered the housekeeper was off for the holiday, so I quickly added,

"I'll cook. I'll make glutinous rice balls—with strawberry filling. Lily's favorite."

Lily Thompson. The little girl they chose over me.

Ethan's voice was sharp. Distant.

"Because of you, Lily's still in the hospital. And you think now's the time to celebrate?"

I tried to ignore the anger in his voice. Pretended I didn't hear it.

"Then... I'll bring the rice balls to the hospital. We can eat together there?"

I'd never begged like this before.

Not even when they turned their backs on me.

Not when they replaced me.

But now… I was leaving for good. And who knew if we'd ever cross paths again?

There was a long pause.

And then, faintly, I heard Lily's small voice in the background:

"Big sister's strawberry rice balls are yummy."

I latched onto it like a lifeline. "Then I'll make them. I'll bring them over."

Before anyone could object, I hung up.