Chapter 2

The conditions outside got worse every day. People were freezing to death left and right, and Faye's chances of survival were slim.

My parents took out all their anger on me. They tore up my only warm clothes and shoved me into the dark, drafty stairwell.

Russel dumped nuts all over the government relief food and forced me to eat it.

He sneered, "You're just some wild girl from the orphanage. Why are you acting all delicate? Don't you love putting on a show? Let's see how long you can keep pretending."

My throat was so swollen I could barely breathe, the choking sensation nearly killed me more than once.

When the relief food ran out, Russel made me go out and scavenge for supplies, to make up for the fact that I'd driven away the sister he loved most.

It went on for a whole year.

I always thought they just misunderstood me. Even when I got mugged or roughed up out there, I never said a word.

But today, when the Tucker family's front door slammed shut in my face, when I saw the cold looks in my parents' eyes, and when Russel himself told me I was no longer his sister, I finally realized the love I'd been chasing all this time was never real.

Draped in the only thin blanket I had, I holed up in an empty mall, desperate to escape the freezing cold.

Luckily, there were still some beds left in the furniture section. I pried off a few wooden planks and stuffed them with cotton I ripped out of my blanket. My palms were rubbed raw, but I finally got a tiny fire started.

Huddled by the fire, I gnawed on a hard, stale bread I'd managed to scrounge up, my tears hitting the ground.

Why did my family do this to me? If they didn't want me, why bother taking me back at all?

They gave me hope, only to snuff it out bit by bit. It was so cruel.

Even after Faye died, they still celebrated her birthday. But today was my birthday too and no one even remembered.

Would they celebrate my birthday if I died too?

The cake must taste amazing.

I started burning up with a fever, barely conscious.

In my feverish haze, I remembered when I first moved in with the Tucker family and got sick because my body couldn't adjust to the new place.

Mom stayed by my side all night, kept wiping my forehead with a warm towel, and even caught my vomit for me.

Dad traveled across the city for me, sneaking into my room early in the morning to leave the oatmeal I'd been talking about for ages by my bed.

Russel was always awkward about showing he cared, so he tossed a game console onto my bed. "Play a bit when you feel better. I'll call in for you today."

I reached out, but the memory suddenly fractured. Russel was right in front of me, his hands around my neck, eyes blazing red as he demanded, "Were we too good to you? Why did you have to drive Faye away?"

Mom turned away, disappointment written all over her face. "I don't have a daughter as heartless as you."

Dad grabbed a knife, his voice dripping with hatred. "If I kill you, then Faye will come back."

"No!" I cried out.

I jolted awake, gasping for air.

The room was dim, and at some point the fire had died out.

The air was thick with smoke that stung my throat. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and stumbled my way to another floor.

As I was heading downstairs, a wave of dizziness crashed over me, so I had to sit down on the stairs and try to steady myself.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice.

It was Faye. "Samuel, why don't we make our move now?"

Another voice came. "Cool your heels. The Tucker Group is massive, and everyone's circling like vultures for a piece of it. If we try to take over now, we'll end up with a mess on our hands.

"Didn't you say the apocalypse will end in a month? Once things settle down, we can take everything fair and square."

After he finished, he let out a low chuckle. "Sweetheart, are you really willing to get rid of the family that raised you for eighteen years?"

"Why would I be unwilling? If they actually cared about me, they wouldn't have brought back that real Tucker heiress to fight me for their love. They owe me this."

Faye's voice was as sweet as ever, but it sent icy chills crawling all over me.

Peering through the crack in the door, I could barely make out a bunch of burly, heavily armed men lurking in the distance.

Faye was alive. And now she was plotting with an outsider to take out Mom, Dad, and Russel.

But how did she know the apocalypse would end in one month?

Forget it, I couldn't waste another second. I had to get back and warn my family, no matter what.

While Faye and the guy were making out, I sneaked out of the mall as quietly as possible.

The wind was bone-chilling, and waves of dizziness kept hitting me. I forced myself to stagger all the way to the Tucker family's villa, knocking on the door with the last of my strength.

After a moment, Russel opened the door.

When he saw me, his brows furrowed, but he still let me in.

He said, "Eileen, you're really getting bold, huh? You just storm off after a few words, and you even had the guts to spend the night out there alone. So, you finally realize you messed up?"

The house was warm, but I couldn't stop trembling.

"Russel, I saw Faye," I managed to say, my voice shaking.

"What! Where's Faye?" Mom sprang to her feet, grabbing my shoulders so tightly it felt like she might crush my bones.