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456words2026-01-26 09:10

When our parents divorced,my sister and I had to choose whom to live with for the rest of our lives.
A lifetime ago,my sister chose Mom,living a frugal,arduous life as a ceramicist.
I chose Dad however,becoming the top socialite in elite circles.

This time,she grabbed Dad's sleeve first:"Dad,I can't bear to leave you.I'll go with you!"
Her eyes gleamed with mockery as she looked at me.
"Stella Summers,enjoy your miserable life!Wealth and glory are mine!"
I gave her an indifferent smile,amused by her naivety.
She didn't know I was done with that life of nothing but fear.The"top socialite"title?I'd rather not have it!
...

Opening my eyes,I was back at the moment of our parents'divorce.
Mom held the divorce papers,hshe gazed at me and my sister,unwilling to let either of us go.
"Dad and I are divorced,Stella,Luna.Come with me.I'll take good care of you!"
Before I could speak,Luna stepped forward,clutching Dad's sleeve tightly.

"Dad,Luna can't leave you!Take me with you!"
Mom frowned,worried.
"Luna,Dad's unemployed now.You might even starve if you go with him!"
"Come with me.You're my children—I'll treat you well!"
Luna curled her lips dismissively at this.
"So what?Dad's unemployed now,but that doesn't mean he’ll stay unemployed forever!When he makes big money,you'll get nothing!"
She looked up at Dad,eyes brimming with hope.
"Dad,Luna believes in you.I'll help you build from scratch.We'll live well!"
Dad,pleased,patted Luna's head approvingly.
Mom sighed helplessly,disappointed.
I quietly took Mom's hand,saying softly,"Mom,I'll go with you."
Mom was always kind,cooking and cleaning for us.Dad rarely came home,barely acknowledging our existence.
Given Luna's personality,she'd have chosen Mom without hesitation.
Puzzled,I noticed her mocking glance and suppressed smirk.
In that moment,I knew—she was reborn too.
After our decisions were made,our parents went upstairs to sign the papers.
Luna shot me a disdainful look.
"Stella,how's the life as a socialite?Servants at your beck and call,everyone fawning over you?"
"Sorry,it's my turn now.You and your useless mom can stay in the gutter forever!"
Watching Luna gleefully leave with Dad,I could barely contain my smile.
She was celebrating too soon.
A lifetime ago,she rejected Dad because she was unemployed,choosing Mom,thinking it'd be better.
When Mom took her to Grandma's home in the countryside,her world crumbled.
Grandma's house was remote,deep in the mountains,with no neighbors in sight.
Living conditions were harsh—a wooden frame with a thatched roof was their shelter.
Grandma and Mom earned a living through making ceramics.On good months,they sold a few pieces;on bad ones,they struggled for food and drink.
Mom brought Luna there to learn ceramics,waking at 4 a.m.,walking ten miles to the only school in the aera,returning at 10 p.m.to study ceramics for two hours.
Rest was impossible in her life—she was always digging,kneading,shaping clay...
It was far from the carefree heiress life she'd envisioned.