When the parents of the Male Lead came to the orphanage to adopt, they had a choice. Between the chatty, golden-retriever-energy Female Lead and the quiet, reserved me. They chose me. Suddenly, floating text—like a live stream chat—drifted across my vision. [They picked the mute, fragile side character because she seems easier? Little do they know the Heroine is the only one who can truly save the Male Lead!] [The Male Lead is actually a snake-shifter. He was hurt by humans as a kid, so he became dark and withdrawn. Doesn't even speak.] [This side character is useless. She tried to suck up to him, but the moment she saw his true form, she cried like a baby.] [Just wait. Once the parents return her for being defective, our cute, chatty Heroine will take the stage!] Snake? I am terrified of snakes. Urged by his parents, the Male Lead hugged me with a blank expression. I was trembling so hard I blurted out, "N-no..." His eyes suddenly lit up. He put on a heartbroken act. "Do you hate me too? Figures. Once people see what I really am, no one likes me..." I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged him back, shaking. "N-no, I... I really like Big Brother." The floating chat exploded. [Why isn't he acting all depressed and emo?] [OMG the side character baby is so scared it's cute! She was literally frightened into speaking!] [The Male Lead has said more words in the last minute than in his entire life just to coax her into talking.] 1 When the prospective parents came to the orphanage, I was quietly massaging the Director's back. At the Director's signal, I poured two cups of hot tea and handed them over. Before they could speak, I shyly hid behind the Director. The Mom’s eyes lit up. She started hitting the Dad’s shoulder excitedly. "She’s so good! So well-behaved! This is exactly the daughter I imagined!" The Dad patted her hand soothingly. "Okay, okay, I know. But we have to ask her first." He looked at me kindly. "Sweetie, how old are you?" My face turned red, and I twisted the hem of my shirt helplessly. The Mom started hitting the Dad again, suppressing a squeal. "So cute~" The Director stepped in to save me. "To be honest, Penny is a good child. Everyone here loves her. It's just... she can't speak." The parents looked at each other, surprised. My heart sank. I lowered my head. Many people had wanted to adopt me before. But once they found out I was mute, they all gave up. This time would be the same. Just then, a commotion erupted in the hallway. The door banged open. A teacher rushed in, trying to catch a girl with twin ponytails. "Mia! You little rascal! Give Charlie his hearing aid back!" The girl stuck out her tongue and grinned. "Hi Auntie, hi Uncle, hi Director!" Then she zoomed off again. Rows of text floated across my vision. [Our cute little demon spawn Heroine is here!] [The parents still prefer the quiet mute girl, but the Heroine is the real soulmate who can save the Male Lead.] [The Heroine gets the Male Lead to talk using just a stinky sock! The parents were so happy.] [Hurry up and ditch the useless side character! Take our baby Heroine home!] Reading the text, a sour feeling spread in my chest. These "comments" started appearing about two weeks ago. I was slowly understanding what they meant. Apparently, I was in a story where everyone loved the main character, and I was just cannon fodder. The comments loved comparing me to Mia. Using her liveliness to highlight my dullness. The Director spoke up. "If your son is withdrawn, it might be better to choose a livelier girl to keep him company. I worry Penny might not meet your expectations." The parents fell silent. I stared at my toes. I was used to this. The Director was just worried I'd be returned if I didn't fit in, which would only hurt more. The parents huddled together and whispered. Then the Mom made a decision. "So what if she can't speak? My son doesn't speak either." "Exactly. Like father, like son. If we like Penny this much, our son won't be too bad." "Worst case, the whole family learns sign language! It's a new skill!" The Director paused, a look of relief in his eyes. He bent down to look at me, smiling kindly. "So, Penny, would you like to go home with this Auntie and Uncle?" The parents looked nervous. I looked at them, eyes red, and nodded. 2 As soon as we got in the car, Mom hugged me and kissed my cheek. "Yay! I finally have a daughter!" Dad chuckled as he drove. "Hehe, finally don't have to stare at that bratty son all day." My face burned. I didn't dare look at them. Mom... smelled so good. Their house was huge. Beautiful. The housekeeper had a table full of food ready. It was still steaming when we arrived. Sitting at the table was a boy in a white shirt. His features were as exquisite as a painting. Mom and Dad happily pulled me forward to introduce us. The boy glanced at me indifferently, then stood up without a word and went upstairs. The floating text got lively. [The Male Lead is definitely disappointed. The side character is nothing like the sister he wanted.] [He wanted a cute, bubbly girl like Chibi Maruko-chan.] [This girl is too gloomy. She looks like she's scheming.] [The parents are busy and don't have time for him. The house is already cold enough.] [Finally gets a sister, and she's a mute. Of course he's disappointed.] I froze. My chest felt tight, my eyes stung. It... it's okay... Afraid of crying and upsetting Mom and Dad, I held it back desperately. It's normal for a brother to want a better sister... I understand. Mom patted my head apologetically. "Brother has always been shy. Don't mind him, Penny. It'll be better once you get to know each other." Dad said angrily, "So rude. I'll teach him a lesson later. Penny, are you hungry? Let's eat first." Mom added, "Yeah, look, are there any dishes you like?" I looked up and forced a smile at them. Mom and Dad were really gentle... Even if I get sent back later, I want to cherish every day with them. 3 Even though my new brother disliked me, the food was amazing. How could every single dish be so delicious?! I was timid at first, only taking small bites of the dishes and shoveling rice. But Mom and Dad kept putting food in my bowl. "Honey, look at Penny eat. Like a little hamster. So cute." "I know, right? Watching her makes me hungry." "Hehe, I'm gonna take a picture and send it to that brat. Make him jealous." "I'm posting it to the family group chat to make everyone envious!" Thinking I might be sent back tomorrow and never eat this well again... I fought back the sadness, grabbed a drumstick in one hand and a spoon in the other, and went to town! That night, lying in the soft, fragrant bed. I burped happily. Just as I was drifting off, I opened my eyes. In the moonlight, I saw a small black snake on my pillow. It lifted its head, looking at me curiously. My face went pale. I hid under the covers, shaking. Text floated by. [Hehe, is the Male Lead trying to scare her away?] [His true form is a snake. Humans hurt him when he was little, so he became dark and mute.] [This side character is useless. Wanted to suck up to him but cried as soon as she saw the snake.] [If the Heroine hadn't been picked by that infertile couple two days ago, the side character wouldn't even be here.] [It's okay. Once she gets returned, our chaotic demon king Heroine will take her place! Hahaha~] I shook even harder. The text meant— This... this snake... Is my brother? Director Grandpa, I want to go home!!! 4 At breakfast. I was on pins and needles. But I didn't see my brother the whole time. My nerves finally relaxed. I racked my brain trying to avoid him. Even going to the bathroom was a stealth mission. I held it until I couldn't anymore. First, I'd crack the door open. Check for "brother" activity. Then tiptoe out. Done. Sprint back to my room. Lying in bed, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. Safe. Didn't see the snake. To stop him from slithering under the door, I blocked the gap with books before bed. Windows locked tight. I played it safe for days and didn't see him. I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But living under the same roof, this couldn't last. Sure enough, two days later, Mom and Dad brought him to me. To show family unity, they almost forced him to hug me. My face turned red, but I couldn't refuse. I couldn't speak, and I didn't want to make them sad. Mom and Dad stood at the bottom of the stairs, beaming with expectation. Urged by them, my brother walked up the stairs expressionlessly, bent down, and opened his arms. I was shaking, so scared I blurted out, "N-no..." His eyes suddenly lit up. Like he found something interesting. He studied me for a long time. Then he leaned in and whispered. His voice was raspy, like he hadn't used it in ages. "You can talk?" I clamped my mouth shut and shook my head frantically. He looked at me, a strange light in his eyes. The chat was shocked. [I'm more surprised than the Male Lead. She can talk?] [Why didn't she speak before?] [Did you guys forget? She could always talk. She just had psychological trauma.] [Her mom had her out of wedlock, then remarried. Hid her in the basement so the new husband wouldn't know. Forbade her to make a sound.] [One time she got scared by a rat and cried. The husband found out and dumped the mom.] [The mom blamed her, said she ruined her happiness, and dumped her at the orphanage.] [Since then, she never spoke. She thought her mom abandoned her because she made noise.] [She's a pitiful baby too.] Reading the text, I lowered my head. Nose stinging, eyes burning. But I held it in.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386733", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel