Mrs. Ellie chased after me, her face inevitably showing a look of reproach:
"Elise, what are you being stubborn about with your father and brother? You only have us as your family. Where else do you want to go?"
"Be obedient. Just go back and apologize, and that'll be it."
Back then, after I was mistakenly switched at birth, I was picked up by a kind scavenging grandma. She had no pension and no children, and could only make a living by picking up some waste. But last year, she passed away due to illness.
"I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?"
I looked at this mother in front of me with disappointment: "You clearly know that I have no other relatives, so you bully me unscrupulously, thinking that I don't dare to leave, right?"
In the years of living with grandma, I learned to be independent very early and mastered the skills to support myself. Grandma was not wealthy, but her spirit was not barren. She taught me that people must be independent and self-reliant. Even if poor, one cannot lose integrity.
"Don't you remember what I said? People don't worry about scarcity but about inequality.
"There is clearly a room in your house that is the same as Anna's, but it wasn't prepared. Making me choose between the two is just passing the conflict on to me.
"I know you love the child you watched grow up more. But obviously, you are not a pair of qualified parents. For her sake, you can even ignore right and wrong.
"I know I'm not liked by you, and I have no support from you. I clearly know that if I continue to stay in your family, I will face this kind of helpless situation again and again.
"Even if I am in the right, you can still blindly favor Anna."
"I think before you picked me up, you should have investigated me. Then you should know that I have excellent grades, and it will be no problem at all for me to be admitted to a famous university in the future."
"The school not only waived my fees but even gave me a subsidy so that I can study without distractions."
"I am an independent and self-respecting person. I will not lower my bottom line just because I long for your affection and let myself be treated unjustly and wrongfully."
"So, after seeing your true faces, I choose to fulfill your family. Since there is no place for me, I will not stay forcibly."
"Even without you, I will still continue to complete my studies and start my own life."
"You are very rich, that's true. But compared to you who live in luxury, I am much richer than you."
After saying that, I didn't stay any longer and walked directly towards the gate of the community. It's very difficult to get a taxi here, so I pulled my suitcase and walked in the direction of the urban area.
I don't know how far I walked when a Bentley suddenly stopped beside me. Mr. Ellie and Albert opened the car door and blocked me.
I fearlessly met Mr. Ellie's gaze and waited for his next words.
In the end, he was defeated and patted Albert on the shoulder:
"Albert, apologize to your sister."
Albert apologized to me. Even though he was very reluctant.
I didn't care anymore. I just silently opened my phone's video recorder and recorded this apology of his. In case I need it to block the mouths of the Ellie family at any time.
Seeing me return to the Ellie family, Anna's face was very bad, but she didn't dare to say anything.
She could only watch me push my luggage and move into her room. Again, I spread my big flowery quilt on her princess bed. Secretly grinding her teeth.
The next morning, at the dining table.
Albert probably didn't want to see me. He went back to live in the university overnight yesterday.
Anna had red and swollen eyes, and there were still dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, she didn't sleep well and cried all night. Mrs. Ellie was extremely distressed.
In the end, she couldn't hold back and carefully said to me:
"Elise, if you like the layout of the current room, in fact, there is another one just like it on the third floor. Find someone to redecorate it according to your preferences for you to live in. Is it okay?"
I stuffed the remaining sandwich in my hand into my mouth and swallowed it. Only then did I look up at her and said flatly: "No."
After saying that, I took out a fresh-keeping bag from my pocket and packed another sandwich from my plate into it.
Then I took out my thermos cup printed with computer city advertisements and poured the hot milk I hadn't drunk yet into it.
I picked up the toolbox placed by the dining chair and respectfully said to Mr. and Mrs. Ellie: "Mom and Dad, I'm full. I have something to do and I'll leave first."
Mr. and Mrs. Ellie were suddenly taken aback when they saw me being so respectful.
Seeing that I was about to walk out of the dining room, Mrs. Ellie shouted loudly: "Elise, what on earth do you want..."
I looked at the time, turned back and looked at Mrs. Ellie, and said simply and clearly: "Obviously you could have given me the same as Anna from the very beginning."
If they are all the same, there is no need for anyone to give in to anyone.
It is precisely because of the parents' differential treatment that those who are not favored want to fight for that little bit of favor. Those who are favored are also afraid that their love will be taken away and they will become the ones who are not favored.
Only then will children fight and scramble to constantly confirm their parents' love for them.
I didn't care about Mrs. Ellie who was stunned in place and went down to the underground garage.
Among the row of luxury cars in the Ellie family's garage that I can't name, I pushed out my bicycle and pedaled so hard that the wheels seemed to smoke.
Forty minutes later, I stopped at the gate of City College in the university town.
When I called the client lady, I found Alex sneaking after me not far away.
Alex, who was found by me, was a bit guilty and could only take the initiative:
"You just returned home. Instead of staying at home and accompanying Mom and Dad well, why did you come here?"
In fact, Alex and I are twins of different genders. So I look very much like him, much more than I look like Albert.
This also makes it even harder for me to tolerate his stupidity.
I rolled my eyes at him and said in a yin-yang tone imitating Yi Ping:
"I am nobler than you. You are here to follow me, but I am here to make money!"
As I said that, I saw the girl in a white down jacket holding a mobile phone at the school gate.
Immediately changing my expression like in Sichuan Opera, I waved to the girl with a smile and said: "Miss, over here."
I have to say that although Alex is a bit brainless, this appearance of his really has something.
There were always girls secretly looking at him along the way.
Originally, I wanted to leave him outside the school alone.
But when the client lady knew that he was my younger brother, she insisted on bringing him in together.
Now that the university is on vacation, there is only her in the lady's dormitory.
After entering, she made hot drinks for me and Alex.
I then opened my second-hand sports camera that I bought back from the recycling station.
I started to disassemble the computer parts that the client lady bought back on Double Twelve.
By the way, I chatted with the lady to accumulate video materials for the next issue.
I am a computer assembler UP master.
After Grandma Lin passed away, in order to support myself, I collected waste, worked illegally in an electronics factory, and also washed dishes.
The couple who run second-hand computers next door felt sorry for me and asked me to pay attention to the electronic products recovered from the recycling station for them.
Every time I help them get good things, they will give me a little "hardship pay".
Over time, I also learned how to assemble computers and do simple computer repairs.
Later, I was admitted to the best high school in the county and didn't have so much time to earn money by doing odd jobs.
So I specialized in assembling computers on weekends and took some videos of me taking orders to assemble computers to make a living.
Today's lady is a fan of my account.
After knowing that I came to City A, she deliberately left the parts and waited for me to come and install them.
After assembling the computer, the fan lady transferred me a hundred yuan for assembling the computer. Happily congratulated me on finding my family and said she was looking forward to my new video.
I happily received the payment and thanked the lady and left.
Outside the school gate, Alex looked at me with a complicated expression. After a while, he said:
"You rode seventeen kilometers on a bicycle just to earn this one hundred yuan?"