Chapter 1
My name is Lily. My family is considered one of the strongest and most famous in the country. Everyone dreams of being part of this family, but for me, it wasn't a dream—it was a heavy burden. Because I was considered the "extra person" in this family. Yes, you heard it right, I felt invisible in my own family. Why? Because I am the daughter of my father's second wife. In this family, no one took me seriously.
My father loved my mother dearly. My mother, Ella, wasn't just my mother; she was my whole world. Her long, white hair, blue eyes, and warm smile always lit up our lives. But fate isn't fair to everyone. My mother's health was deteriorating year by year, and it was tormenting both my father and me.
My mother could only give me love for three years before she passed away. Before she left, she said something to my father:
Ella: "I have one request..."
John: "What is it, Ella? Tell me, I will do anything for you!"
Ella: "I can no longer take care of Lily. Please protect her after I'm gone, and try not to let her know I'm no longer here. I trust you with our daughter."
John: "No! We'll take care of Lily together. You'll get better, don't say such things!"
Ella only smiled. That smile, as if to reassure me that everything would be okay. But then she left... leaving me and my father alone.
After my mother passed, my life turned dark. Six months later, my father took me to his real home. This house was grand and luxurious, but to me, it felt cold and foreign.
Here, I met new people: my stepmother, Victoria, who came from an aristocratic family, with cold eyes. She could never be a mother to me. Besides her, I had three step-siblings: an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. They lived freely in the shadow of wealth and power, while I felt lost in the dark.
But there was something else. My father and my younger brother truly cared for me. They would do anything for me. After my mother's passing, my father became even closer to me, and my younger brother always stood by me, trying to protect me. These two people filled my life with kindness and love.
My older brother, however, was different. He had his own way of seeing the world. He was his own person, someone who walked his own path. For me, he was someone caught between love and resentment. Yet, with my brother's indifference and my father's care, this blended family was far from complete(chapter 1 sarlavha top bunga