Chapter 2

By the time I was admitted to the hospital, half my face had swollen beyond recognition.

The doctor gave me a shot and then turned to my family, his expression severe. "This patient has a documented mango allergy. Who gave her mango?"

Mary stood rooted to the spot, her lips pale.

That afternoon, the doctor had gone over the allergy precautions with her repeatedly and had even made her sign a consent form acknowledging the risks.

She took that piece of paper with her own hands, and yet somehow, mango still found its way into my bowl.

Sophia's eyes were rimmed with red as the tears streamed down her face. "I didn't know Charlotte was allergic. I swear I didn't. I just wanted to find a way to get along with her."

I was lying in the hospital bed, my throat still burning, but that didn't stop me from getting my point across. "You didn't know, fine. But Mom did know. She watched you bring that soup right to me, and she didn't say a single word to stop you.

"The two of you have an interesting system. One of you uses an allergen to test me, and the other just stands there and lets it happen."

Richard's voice turned to ice. "That's enough. Sophia made a mistake, but her heart was in the right place."

"Her heart was in the right place?" I let out a laugh. "She hands me a knife, and you want to compliment her on how steady her hand is?"

The room went completely silent.

Mary looked at me with tears welling up in her own eyes. "Charlotte, this was my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

"You have a remarkably precise way of not paying attention," I said, lifting my hand to point at Sophia. "I walk through the door on my first day, and the very first bowl of soup she gives me nearly puts me in the ground.

"If I had actually died tonight, everyone outside this room would just say the real daughter had bad luck. She finally made it home and didn't last a week."

Sophia was shaking so hard her whole body trembled. "Charlotte, how could you think something like that about me?"

I turned my head and locked eyes with her. "Then tell me something. Are you willing to pull the security footage?"

Her crying stopped abruptly.

I stared at her and let each word land. "Check the kitchen cameras and the dining room cameras. We'll find out exactly who knew about my allergy and exactly who brought that soup out. Are you willing to do that?"

The wounded expression on Sophia's face flickered for just an instant.

Richard's jaw tightened. "There's no need to turn a family matter into such an ugly scene."

"So you do know it's ugly," I said, my laugh growing louder. "I nearly went into anaphylactic shock, and to you that's just a minor family issue. If I had been so scared that I dialed 911 and then filed a police report, you'd probably tell me I was being dramatic and childish."

I had just finished speaking when the door opened and Victor walked in.

He had been driven over from the estate by his chauffeur, and he entered leaning on his cane with an expression dark enough to silence anyone who looked at him twice.

"Look into it," he said.

Just those three words, and Richard fell quiet on the spot.

The butler stayed up through the night reviewing the security footage, and when he came back half an hour later, his face had gone even paler than before. "There's a ten-minute gap in the kitchen recording."

I settled back against my pillow and gave a few soft claps. "That's remarkable. The minute something happens to me, the cameras just happen to stop working. With luck like this, the Evans family could buy a single lottery ticket and walk away with the grand prize."

Sophia's tears came even harder. "Charlotte, are you saying you suspect me?"

"You nearly put me in the ground, and you think it's unreasonable for me to have a few doubts?" I asked.

Victor held her gaze for a few seconds before turning to Mary. "From now on, you will personally oversee everything that goes into Charlotte's meals and everything she uses in her daily life."

Mary nodded eagerly, but I wasn't about to let the matter rest there, and my voice still came out rough from the reaction. "Oversight isn't enough. I want a different room."

Richard furrowed his brow. "What are you trying to stir up now?"

"I want the south-facing bedroom on the third floor," I said without hesitation. "The one Sophia is currently living in."

Mary looked conflicted. "Sophia has lived there for years. She's comfortable in that room."

"And I'd like to get comfortable somewhere too." I held her gaze steadily. "When I'm comfortable, I don't feel the need to make everyone else miserable. So you need to decide what matters more. One bedroom, or the entire Evans family's peace and quiet."

Victor raised his hand. "It's settled."

*****

By the end of that night, I had moved into the master bedroom on the third floor.

As I carried my things inside, Sophia stood in the doorway with her eyes so red and swollen she looked like she had been sobbing for hours.

"Charlotte," she said softly, "you win."

I picked up the limited-edition crystal swan from her vanity, placed it carefully back into its box, and gave her a small smile.

"You've got it wrong. I didn't win anything today. I just took back one small thing that was always supposed to be mine." I was still talking when a pink notebook slipped out from the back of the cabinet.

On the cover, someone had written: [If she ever comes back, I'll make sure she gets the hell out again.]

I opened the notebook to the first page and stopped cold. There was my picture, taped right onto the paper.

It had been taken without my knowledge outside the entrance of my high school in the town. I was at the town county high school gate, carrying that old backpack, wearing my faded uniform.

And next to it, written in red pen: [Trash.]

I slowly lifted my head and looked toward Sophia in the doorway. Her face had finally gone completely pale.