Chapter 1 Scapegoat "Little Lamb"

• The cold floor made her bones ache.
• Lila sat up, her throat filled with the taste of blood.
• She took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, took a deep breath, and the smoke made her cough, pulling at the wounds on her lips, making them ache—damn, it hurt.
• Her right cheek was swollen high, burning like fire.
• Just a few minutes ago, her biological father, Richard , stared at her with eyes like he was looking at trash, and slapped her across the face!
• "Rebellious girl! You caused Elena's accident! If you hadn't encouraged her to drink, how could she have had a car accident!"
• Her grandmother, Dorothy, cursed even more sharply: "If your sister is disfigured and scarred, I will tear you apart!"
• She let out a cold laugh, but it pulled at her wound, causing her to grimace in pain.
• Turning her head, she spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground.
• It was ridiculous.
• It was Elena who hit someone with the car. But now, all the headlines were saying—"Swift Family's second miss, Lila, drove recklessly late at night, causing an accident and fleeing the scene. She has been sent abroad for treatment and recuperation by her family. The Swift Family has reached a huge compensation agreement with the victim and obtained forgiveness."
• Treatment abroad?
• She was clearly locked up in this moldy storeroom like a dog.
• Leaning against the cold wall, Lila sarcastically curled her lips.
• Clearly, they were twin sisters, both obedient and sensible. But from childhood to adulthood, Elena was the princess, and she was the shadow, the scapegoat!
• If Elena couldn't play the piano well, she would stand in; if Elena broke an antique vase, she would kneel down; all the trouble Elena caused, she, Lila, took the blame.
• No one ever asked her a word.
• They all assumed that the troublemaker must be Lila. The obedient and sensible one would always be Elena.
• Why?
• Just because Elena could cry and act cute, she could twist the truth? While she could only grit her teeth and stay silent?
• At that moment, she understood that the Swift Family had never treated her as their daughter, Lila.
• All they wanted was a tool that could take the blame for Elena at any time, a sacrificial pawn that could be sacrificed at any time.
• So, the prickly and unapproachable appearance she had now was all forced out by them.
• Her throat itched, and she took another deep drag of the cigarette, suppressing the sweet smell.
• She casually extinguished the cigarette butt on the ground.
• With a creak, the door was pushed open, and light flooded in, making Lila squint.
• Standing in the backlit doorway was a person, dressed in a brand new pink velvet loungewear, completely out of place in this rundown place.
• It was Elena.
• Her face was wrapped in thick gauze, only revealing a pair of eyes and a mouth, but that didn't stop her from putting on her usual, perfectly timed look of concern.
• "Lila, how are you? Dad was too angry, he didn't hold back." Elena's voice was deliberately hoarse, as if she had just cried, and also as if she was afraid of disturbing the wounds on her face, being very careful.
• She slowly approached, the expensive scent of her perfume mixing with the bloody smell in the air, making people nauseous.
• Lila looked at her, looking at her eyes that were trying hard to show "concern".
• Elena squatted down, reached out her hand, pretended to want to touch her face, but stopped in mid-air, touched her own face instead, furrowing her brows slightly, looking even more "heartbroken".
• "The doctor said the injury on my face needs surgery, it will take a long time to recover, ... and over at Andrew's side... the marriage with the Morgan Family..." Elena's voice lowered, with a hint of appropriate fragility and difficulty, her eyes glanced at Lila, observing her reaction.
• "Lila, I know this is very unfair to you, but... now only you can help me." Elena sniffed, her voice tinged with a sob, "The Morgan Family is pushing hard, the wedding is next month. If they find out that I hit someone and ruined my face, this marriage will definitely be over, and our Swift Family will also lose face."
• Lila looked at her in silence, feeling nauseous and cold inside. It was always like this, every time. Elena caused trouble, and she had to take the blame. Elena wanted something, she used her guilt to demand it.
• She reached out again, wanting to touch Lila's swollen cheek, but Lila instinctively turned her head to avoid it.
• Elena's hand froze in mid-air, then casually withdrew it, her tone becoming matter-of-fact: "So, Lila, you must do it for me."
• Lila looked up, her eyes bloodshot: "Do what for you?"
• "Marry Andrew for me." Elena stared into her eyes, enunciating each word clearly, "Everyone thinks the person who had the car accident and needs to 'recover abroad' is you now. You marry him in my place, just for one year."
• "Impossible!" Lila's voice was hoarse, her chest heaving violently, "Elena, are you crazy! That's your fiancé! You want me to marry him in your place?"
• Elena casually lifted the hem of her home pants, revealing a dark scar above her ankle.
• "Do you remember when we were kidnapped as children?" Elena's voice lowered, carrying a seductive power, "It was me, I distracted the kidnappers and let you run first. If it wasn't for saving you, how could I have this scar? How could I almost die? Lila, you owe me."
• The old scar was brutally reopened.
• It was always like this. Every time Elena needed something from her, she would bring up this scar. This "favor" had become a shackle for Elena to control her.
• Lila closed her eyes, unwilling to look at Elena's face, which, even when covered by gauze, still felt insincere.
• "Aren't you always wanting to leave the Swift Family, to find news about your mother?" Seeing her hesitation, Elena immediately increased the stakes, her voice tempting, "As long as you marry into the Morgan Family for a year, play the role of 'Elena' well. After a year, I promise, I will let you be completely free, and I will tell you everything about your mother. I will talk to Dad and Grandma on your behalf."
• Freedom.
• And her mother...
• It felt like something tightened in her chest.
• In this family, it seemed like only her mother was genuinely kind to her.
• And that faint warmth, almost forgotten, was her only obsession.
• Seeing the subtle changes in Lila's face, Elena knew she had hit a nerve. She pressed on, "You just need to play my role, be the young mistress of the Morgan Family, you don't need to worry about anything else. Remember, you must not have any substantial relationship with Andrew, after a year, we can switch back."
• One year...
• Lila slowly opened her eyes, looking at Elena's eyes full of anticipation and calculation, her dry lips moved slightly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "....okay."
• One word, as if she had used up all her strength.
• A burst of joy flashed in Elena's eyes, even through the gauze, one could feel how smug her smile was.
• "I knew Lila was the best." Elena stood up, looking down at her, her tone returning to its usual lightness, "That's a good girl. Don't worry, I will have someone take care of your wound, 'nurse' you back to health. Next month, you will be the glamorous new bride of the Morgan Family."
• After Elena finished speaking, she walked away contentedly, her footsteps fading in the empty corridor.
• In the utility room, Lila still leaned against the wall, unmoving.
• She lifted her head and her gaze fell on the cold, clear moon outside the window. A slight curve appeared at the corner of her mouth, and deep in her eyes, the hidden coldness and calculation finally became clear.