Lilith Jones had always felt as though she did not belong in her family. After she died—run over by a speeding truck driven by a drunk driver, her body reduced to a bloodied mess on the pavement—her spirit hovered above, a few feet above her broken form. She stared down at the gruesome sight of herself, unable to bear the sight for long. What shocked her, though, was the strange sense of peace that washed over her. A long, deep sigh escaped her lips. As the breath left her body, a sudden, sharp beep filled her mind—a warning sound reminiscent of a malfunctioning machine. That was when it all made sense. She realized that this world was nothing more than a totally over-the-top romance story—like one of those cliché novels everyone always talked about. Her father, Adrian Jones, was the perfect example of the classic male protagonist, complete with all the usual tropes. He was an orphan who had lost both parents at a young age, grew up in a foster home, and seemed to excel at everything he did. He had always been top of his class, rose to the highest levels in his career, and eventually became the CEO of a company. Before long, he was the wealthiest man in Etheron, controlling much of the economy and living the dream life everyone envied. Her mother, Catiana Payne, was the quintessential female lead in a dramatic love story. She was admired by everyone and remained the dream girl everybody truly wanted but was always just out of reach. Her life was filled with all the common elements: a beautiful first love, a glamorous career in the entertainment industry, a high-status family, and a relationship that suffered but ultimately healed. Lilith’s older brother, Hadden Jones, was the brooding, emotionally distant figure straight out of an elite society novel, destined to end up with a soft, elegant woman who loved wearing gowns. Her second brother, Garrick Payne, was the rebellious bad boy famous at school. No one dared to mess with him. His future love interest would no doubt be a sweet, innocent girl with a voice as soft as sugar. He was associated with stories that involved pinning girls against a wall before kissing them while mumbling sweet nothings. Her elder sister, Alexis Payne, was the picture-perfect heroine, loved and adored by everyone around her. From kindergarten to college, she had no shortage of admirers, both male and female. Her brilliance and grace often made Lilith feel small and invisible. Then there was her younger sister, Winona Jones, the fragile, beautiful girl who was destined for a life with a powerful business tycoon upon her high school graduation, her relationship starting with an arranged marriage and slowly blossoming into a complex love story, because she had a love rival, her husband once-unforgettable first love… Even Lilith’s grandparents had a rags-to-riches story, going from humble beginnings to becoming highly successful and influential. But Lilith? She was the complete opposite—an absolute nobody. She had an ordinary name, looked average at best, and her grades were far from impressive. She would likely graduate from a run-of-the-mill university and then, on some random afternoon, get hit by a regular truck, her life snuffed out in an instant. Lilith had often wondered if she was adopted or perhaps switched at birth—like in those dramatic stories where the wrong baby heiress was taken home.. But sadly, she wasn’t living in a soap opera. As a child, she often questioned her place in the family. It all started with the peculiar choice of her name—why did they use a name that was associated with a demon? It didn’t even remotely match the names of her siblings, and it seemed so out of place. After asking over and over again, she finally got the answer. “Someone gave us a bouquet of lilies the day we had you, so we named you Lilith.” … It was a name given without much care, without any real thought behind it. As Lilith grew older, she started doubting her appearance, too. At 15, Lilith sat on the cold, hard bench outside the hospital, clutching the DNA test results in her hands. The sun beat down relentlessly, blinding her as she stared at the page, where a 99.99% match stared back at her. With that number, her last shred of hope shattered. How could this be? How could they all be my family, and yet we have such different lives? The divide between them felt so vast. Even within a family, nothing was ever certain. Lilith retreated to her spacious room, curling up beneath the heavy blankets, her body trembling as she cried, a mixture of frustration and sorrow consuming her. But soon, a gnawing hunger tugged at her stomach. Wiping away her tears, she threw the blanket aside and jumped out of bed, aiming to grab a loaf of bread. But as her vision blurred, she stumbled on the carpet and fell to the floor with a thud. Her face collided with the ground. Fortunately, the plush carpet, made of thick wool, softened the blow, dulling the pain. She winced, rubbing her knee as she slowly made her way to the window. Outside, the expansive garden stretched out, bathed in sunlight. Alexis and Garrick were feeding the fish in the pond while Winona rested in a large wicker rocking chair. Hadden was beside her, quietly explaining a complicated physics problem, his calm, soothing voice likely helping her prepare for an upcoming competition. Lilith couldn’t understand a word of it. She pressed herself against the heavy curtains, feeling like a distant observer in someone else’s perfect world. The sun shone brightly, the wind barely stirred, and the sky was clear. Everything was serene … except for her. Even in her own family, she had never truly belonged. Now, after her death, she understood—no wonder, despite everything she tried, despite all her hard work, she could never quite catch up. No matter how much she studied, no matter how confident she felt, the results were always the same: full of simple mistakes and unfinished tasks. Her mind was always slower, and her responses were slower. In a crowd, she was invisible. She was never the one to stand out, never the one to get noticed. Just a quiet, obedient girl—though even that seemed meaningless in her family. At school, things weren’t so bad; everyone was just like her. But at home, surrounded by the brilliance and charm of her family, she felt like a rat hidden in the shadows, unnoticed and insignificant. No wonder no one ever seemed to get close to her. Alexis and Garrick, the twins, had always been inseparable from their early years into adulthood. Though their personalities had diverged, their bond remained unbreakable, with a quiet understanding between them. Hadden, the eldest, had always been protective of Winona, the youngest. He had practically raised her, taking note of every detail about her likes and dislikes, offering care even their parents couldn’t match. Lilith, on the other hand, seemed to exist somewhere in between—and it always felt awkward. Her parents, Adrian and Catiana, treated each child with care and love, but even with their best intentions, there was only so much affection to go around. Most of their attention was reserved for each other, the power couple that everyone admired. Lilith never truly complained. After all, they were an incredibly wealthy family—more money than she could ever need—so she had no real reason to complain. They had everything she could ever dream of. The finest clothes, the newest cars, the most luxurious houses. Anything she wanted could be hers in an instant. Lilith wasn’t a girl who asked for much—she didn’t compete with others, nor did she strive to be the best. She was just lonely. She worked tirelessly, hoping someone would notice her efforts, that someone would see her as more than just the quiet, obedient daughter. The indifference she faced, the cold, dismissive words that often came her way, hurt too much. Sometimes, she wished she could just disappear, blend into the background where no one would see her. She had no close friends, no one to confide in. Late at night, her only companion was the small bear plush her mother had given her when she was younger. But it hadn’t really been a gift. During a family trip, Garrick had won a pile of toys from a claw machine and divided them among the family members. They were cheap and no one cared much for them. The bags they came in were worth more than the toys themselves. But Lilith had stared at the small bear for so long, with such longing in her eyes, that Catiana had given it to her. That bear had been with her ever since, sitting faithfully by her pillow as if it were some priceless treasure. For so many years, she had poured her heart and soul into something that never seemed to pay off. Now she understood. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trying hard enough—it was simply that she was just an ordinary, insignificant character in an overblown, dramatic world. Having finally seen the truth about the ridiculous world she lived in, Lilith had given up.