Chapter 1: The Girl Who Was Always Different
The rain had been pouring since afternoon. Its drops soaked the tall windows of the Adinata family mansion, leaving long trails of water that slowly vanished into the darkness.
On the second floor, Alea stood alone in front of her bedroom window, staring blankly at the sprawling yard illuminated by the glow of the garden lights.
The house was so large and beautiful, yet for some reason, Alea had never truly felt like she belonged there. She had only just turned seventeen, but that sense of alienation had shackled her since childhood. She had grown up in this house, slept in the same room for years, attended a school with the best facilities, and even had a closet full of expensive clothes.
But there was one thing she had never had: warmth.
“Not asleep yet?” A voice, soft yet cold, broke the silence.
Alea turned toward the doorway. A girl stood there in a white nightgown, her long hair spilling beautifully over her shoulders. It was Celine, the Adinata family’s favorite daughter. Beautiful, graceful, intelligent, and always able to get whatever she wanted. Completely different from Alea.
“Not yet,” Alea answered quietly as she watched Celine walk in without asking permission, clutching a small black box.
“My birthday is tomorrow,” Celine said, a note of pride running through her voice. “Dad and Mom have prepared a huge party. Dad even gave me a new car.”
Alea offered a thin smile, trying to hide the tightness in her chest. “I know. Congratulations.”
Celine walked over to Alea’s vanity and placed the black box on its surface.
“I want you to wear this tomorrow,” she said, gesturing for Alea to open it.
When Alea opened the box, the sparkle of a small flower-shaped diamond necklace greeted her eyes. She fell silent for a moment.
“Pretty, right?” Celine asked, watching her sister’s reaction.
“Pretty,” Alea replied shortly.
Celine tossed her hair back, then added with a faint smile, “Don’t get the wrong idea. I just don’t want you looking too plain at the party tomorrow.”
Alea closed the box again. “I can choose my own clothes, Celine.”
The sweet smile vanished from Celine’s face in an instant. “You’re always like this,” she muttered sarcastically. “As if everyone in this house is out to hurt you.”
Alea chose to remain silent. Her silence made Celine click her tongue in annoyance. She snatched the jewelry box off the table, then turned toward the door. “Whatever. Don’t cause any trouble tomorrow.”
The bedroom door shut firmly, leaving Alea to stare at the downpour once more. She was used to being treated this way.
Ever since they were children, Celine had been the center of this household’s universe. Whenever Celine earned a perfect score or won a competition, the entire house would celebrate, and their father would host a special dinner. Meanwhile, whenever Alea accomplished something, the only response she received was one flat word: “Good.” Nothing less, nothing more.
As Alea tried to steady her emotions with a deep breath, another knock sounded at her bedroom door.
“Come in,” Alea called softly.
The door opened to reveal Marissa Adinata, an elegant middle-aged woman who always felt just out of Alea’s reach. The mother who should have been her place of refuge.
“Alea, don’t be late coming downstairs tomorrow,” Marissa said without preamble. “And please help Celine get ready. Important guests will be coming.”
“Yes, Mom. I’ll help,” Alea replied obediently.
Marissa had just begun to turn away when Alea gathered the courage to interrupt her. “Mom…”
Marissa stopped and looked back coldly. “What?”
Alea swallowed, trying to gather the last of her courage. “Tomorrow… is Dad coming?”
Silence suddenly crept through the room. The simple question seemed to shatter the calm on Marissa’s face. “Your father is busy, Alea,” she answered sharply.
“He’s always busy,” Alea murmured.
“Alea!” Marissa scolded, barely containing her anger. “Don’t act like everything is about you.”
She had spoken without raising her voice, yet the words hurt far more than a harsh shout.
Marissa turned and left without another word, leaving Alea to slowly lower her head. She tried to hold her defenses in place, but a single tear still escaped and slid down her cheek.
Why do I always feel like a stranger in my own home?
The next morning, the Adinata family mansion had transformed into a sea of flowers. The servants busily prepared the party decorations, luxury cars began filling the driveway, and congratulatory flower arrangements crowded the front yard.
Alea descended the stairs in a simple light-blue dress. She stopped when her eyes caught sight of the living room. Celine stood there gracefully in a stunning long white dress, while Marissa busily fixed her favorite daughter’s hair.
“You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart,” Marissa praised warmly.
“Thank you, Mom,” Celine replied with a radiant smile.
Marissa’s eyes happened to catch sight of Alea standing a few steps away. “Are you ready?” she asked flatly.
“Yes,” Alea answered softly.
Marissa merely gave a brief nod, without a compliment, a hug, or even the slightest proud look, then returned to straightening Celine’s dress.
Alea gave a bitter smile before stepping back and walking toward the dining table.
There, Adrian Adinata, her father, finally came into view.
A powerful man whom Alea had only been able to watch from afar for years.
“Dad,” Alea greeted him softly.
Adrian lifted his face from his phone for a moment. “Oh,” he said briefly, then lowered his head again to read his messages.
Alea froze in place. “I…”
Before Alea could finish, Celine ran over to Adrian and hugged him from behind.
“Dad!”
Adrian’s stern face immediately softened. A wide smile spread across his lips as he embraced Celine.
“Daddy’s girl.”
Those two words felt like they crushed Alea’s chest.
Daddy’s girl.
Adrian handed Celine a large velvet box. “This is a special gift for you.”
Her eyes sparkling, Celine opened the box and squealed with delight when she saw the glittering diamond bracelet inside. “Dad! It’s so beautiful!”
“Anything for my little girl,” Adrian replied fondly.
Alea bit her lower lip, fighting hard against the sting in her chest.
Suddenly, Adrian’s gaze shifted to her, his expression turning flat again.
“You,” Adrian called.
Alea flinched and looked at her father. “Yes, Dad?”
“Help serve the guests later.”
Alea fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding. “Okay.”
Celine, standing beside her father, let out a small laugh. “She’s much better suited to being a servant anyway.”
Faint laughter rose from the people nearby. Only Alea stood in silence, her head bowed deeply.
Not a single person in that room knew that those simple words would echo in Alea’s mind for years to come.
No one knew that Celine’s birthday that day would mark the beginning of the Adinata family’s downfall. And no one realized that the girl they had treated like a stranger all this time was actually harboring a huge secret—a secret even she herself did not yet know.
The night grew late, and the party became livelier still. Melodious music echoed all the way to the yard, mingling with the guests’ laughter beneath the glow of decorative lights hanging from the trees.
Alea stood motionless in the corner of the room, holding a tray of drinks. From a distance, she watched Celine laughing happily, surrounded by her friends.
If only I were like her… Alea thought, but she quickly shook her head. She didn’t want to be jealous. She didn’t need that luxury. She only wanted to be loved. It was as simple as that.
When Alea turned to carry the tray back to the kitchen, an elderly servant suddenly stopped her, worry written across her face.
“Miss Alea,” the old woman whispered.
Alea turned to her in confusion. “Yes?”
“I… I found something on Mr. Adrian’s desk earlier,” the servant said as she handed over a faded photograph that looked more than a decade old.
Alea accepted the photograph and examined it. It showed a baby girl. But when she turned the paper over, her heart began pounding as she read the nearly faded handwriting:
July 12 — Two baby girls.
Alea felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Her eyes swept over the next line beneath the date:
Don’t let them find out which child belongs to whom.
Alea looked up, her eyes widening with fear and confusion. Her hands began to tremble violently. “What does this mean?”
Without saying a word, the old servant frantically snatched the photograph back from Alea’s fingers. “Don’t ask me, Miss!” she whispered, half terrified, then hurried away and disappeared among the passing guests.
Alea stood frozen in the middle of the crowded party. Her hands were still shaking violently. For the first time in her seventeen years of life, a profound question crept into her mind and shattered her certainty.
What if… there’s been something wrong about my birth all along?
That night, without anyone in the grand house realizing it, the life Alea had always known began to crack, little by little. The first fissure had appeared, and directly behind it lay a dark truth that had been carefully hidden from her.