- #1
we are established that she has a very closes relationship w her brother and grandparents, is a successful painter, have strain relationship w mom bc adopted sis is terrible. With her brother, it is because she trust him and gave him capital to start his *now* very successful company when NOBODY does. His parents and grandparents cut off his allowance! She came home when she was 15-16? And now she is 21. It takes time to build a company, and 5-6 years seem to be a good time line. She also has a very closed relationship to her grandparents to the point thay SHE IS WILLING TO MARRY A SOMEWHAT STRANGER TO FULLFILL HER DYING WISH (!) Like this is not a day one problem! You don't suddenly have that strong connection. I think think the time gap is perfect to establish her current situation at the start of the novel. After coming home, she took up painting as a way to find peace then became a successful painter during that time.. like that makes sense. It is also long enough to build up the animosity between her n her adopted sister (2-3 years) to the point where she pratically move out during her college yr and barely come home (the next 3 years).
[collapse]A bit of a spoiler, but I honestly feel bad for the adopted sister, bc from her point of view, she has been adopted and rescued, but into the house and nobody really trust or like her, except for the mom Spoilerwho was hypnotized into thinking the adopted daughter is real by husbanf
[collapse]. Like, everybody treated her nicely, but that's on the surface (remember she was jusf a child when adopted. Young enough to be innocent, but old enough to begin to understand how the world works).. how is it different from her being a white lotus??? Like her later actions are... not my cup of tea, but I GET HOW SHE FEELS BETRAYED. In another world, she could be her own mary sue MC in a reincarnated novel lol