Chapter 2

Matthew and I followed each other into the house.

In the living room, Lily was curled up on the couch, watching TV with a tub of ice cream in her arms, a smear of cream still on her lips.

When she saw us come in, her eyes lit up for a moment, then she quickly put on a pitiful look. "Matt," she said in a soft, sweet voice.

I didn't give her a chance to keep up her act. I walked over, snatched the ice cream tub from her hands, and threw it to the floor.

"Charlotte," Matthew called out from behind me.

Lily shrieked, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I let out a laugh, knowing my smile must have been ugly. "I'm teaching you how to be a decent person."

Before she could react, I slapped her hard. Once across the left cheek, then the right. The crack of my palm against her skin was sharp and loud. I didn't hold back.

Lily was left reeling, clutching her face, her eyes wide in shock.

Two seconds later, she burst into a dramatic sob, crying out with a trembling voice, "Matt, she hit me."

Matthew stormed over and shoved me aside.

I lost my balance, stumbled, and crashed into the corner of the coffee table. A jolt of pain shot through my waist.

"Charlotte, what's the deal?" he snapped, stepping between us like a shield. "She's just a kid. Why are you making such a big scene?"

He didn't even glance at me after that, just turned to Lily with concern written all over his face.

"Lily, don't be scared. I'm here," he said gently.

Lily flung herself into Matt's arms, bawling her eyes out. "Matt, I-I was just curious—"

"Curious?" I repeated, my voice trembling with rage. "You posted a private recording of me for everyone to see and slapped my name all over it. That's not curiosity. That's sabotage."

"Charlotte." Matthew's voice was sharp, cutting through the air. "Lily already admitted she was wrong. But look at you. And you seriously hit a child?"

"A child?" My laugh was short and bitter. "For six years, Matthew. Every single time she does something terrible, that's your excuse. She steals? She's just a child.

"She breaks something important? Just a child. She puts something in my drink? Still just a child. She tries to destroy my reputation? Just a child. Now she's turned the entire internet against me, and you still call her a child?"

Matthew's face froze. His lips parted like he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

Lily's crying grew louder, becoming a desperate, trembling wail as she clutched at him. "Matt, I'm sorry. I just heard all the noise from your room that night. It's her fault. She was the one making all those sounds. I swear, I was only curious..."

Matthew drew in a long breath and turned, pulling Lily into a tight embrace. "Alright, alright, it's over. Don't cry," he said. "I'll make sure Charlotte apologizes."

He looked up at me. "Charlotte, whatever happened, you shouldn't have hit Lily. Go on, apologize."

It hurt just to watch them.

For six years, the script had never changed.

Lily would mess up. Matthew would rush in to comfort her.

If I pointed out what she did, I was "petty."

If I showed my anger, I was "overreacting."

And this time, she was trying to ruin me. And after all that, he still had the nerve to demand my apology.

"Matthew." My voice was so calm it startled even me. "You need to choose. Today, either she leaves, or I do."

Matthew whipped around to glare at me. "Charlotte, are you serious right now?"

"I'm dead serious," I said, heading for the stairs. "You have one hour to make up your mind. If she's still here after that, I'm gone."

"Charlotte!" Matthew called after me.

I didn't look back.