Chapter 2
Instead of taking the suitcase to the trash, Wanda dragged it into the storage room under the stairs.
I watched as Wanda glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then caressed the suitcase's shiny new shell, clearly reluctant to let it go.
"Such a nice suitcase. It's a shame to throw it away," Wanda said.
"Once I figure out how to crack this thing, I'll just take it home and use it myself," she muttered, fiddling with the combination lock.
When Violet asked about the suitcase, Wanda kept a straight face and lied, "I already dropped it off at the recycling center, just like you said."
That evening, Charles came home from work, his arms full of shopping bags.
Violet flew into his arms like a cheerful butterfly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Charles, what did you bring me?" she asked.
Charles ruffled her hair, his gaze softer than I'd ever seen it.
He said, "All here. Chocolate, shoes, and this necklace..."
He took out a velvet box, and inside was a sparkling diamond necklace.
"This will go perfectly with your dress," he said.
Violet let out a happy squeal and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Charles, you're the best!"
I stared at the necklace, the diamonds throwing off a frosty sparkle under the lights.
Charles pulled out a few more beautifully wrapped gift boxes.
He said, "And these are for your teachers and friends.
"Make sure everyone takes good care of our little princess."
Violet suddenly acted coy.
"Well... Will Summer get upset if she sees all these gifts?" she asked.
Charles snorted and then grabbed an old hair tie off Violet's dresser without a second thought.
"Just give her this. She's not worth anything fancy," he said.
At that moment, it felt like my whole world was shaking.
So even the little bear hair tie I'd treasured all this time was just something he'd casually taken from Violet's things, like it meant nothing to him.
By dinnertime, the long table was covered in mouthwatering dishes.
Charles shot a look at my empty chair, his brows furrowed.
"Where's Summer? Seriously, does she have no manners? Can't even bother to come down for dinner?" he snapped.
Wanda kept her head down. "I haven't seen Miss all day," she said.
Violet set down her fork, her voice full of concern.
She said, "Charles, when I got home today, Summer was throwing a fit. She said we didn't take her to Switzery, and she was going to run away. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen to a word I said."
"Run away? Fine, let her. She'll just end up back at the orphanage anyway. She'll come crawling back sooner or later," Charles snapped.
"But Charles, shouldn't we go look for her? It's so late..." Violet said.
Her concern was clearly just for show.
Charles let out a cold snort. "Why bother looking for her? She's just waiting for us to come after her. She's got no upbringing. Let her suffer a bit."
I floated beside him, trying in vain to explain.
"Charles, I didn't run away. I'm right here, inside the suitcase..." I cried out.
But they couldn't hear me.
Violet picked up some food and put it on Charles's plate, and the anger on his face slowly faded away.
He was back to being the doting brother, all gentle and caring toward Violet.
Late at night, the house's floor heating switched on.
The temperature in the storage room was rising.
The next day, as Charles was passing by the stairs, he instinctively pinched his nose.
A nasty smell was wafting out from the storage room.
He pushed the door open, and his gaze landed on the suitcase, lingering there for a second.
Hope bubbled up inside me.
Finally, Charles was going to find me.
But he just shut the door and called out, "Wanda, make sure you clean this place up. It reeks in here."
Wanda answered quickly, then came over and sprayed air freshener all around.
Charles turned and walked away, never even stepping inside.
If only he'd walked over and opened that suitcase, he would have seen what was really inside.
The sister he once stood before our parents' graves and swore he'd protect for a lifetime.
The body inside must have been starting to decompose.
A faint, unpleasant smell still drifted out from the crack in the storage room door.
The air freshener Wanda had sprayed was losing its effect.
At last, Wanda finally traced the source of the stench to the suitcase.
Wanda tried to subtly ask Violet what she'd put in the suitcase, careful not to make it too obvious.
Violet's expression froze for a split second before she answered nonchalantly, "Just some rotten ham, that's all."
After mulling it over for ages, Wanda finally made up her mind to toss the suitcase out.
After all, the stench of rotten meat had seeped deep into the suitcase. There was no getting rid of it, no matter what she did.
Wanda took the chance to get rid of the suitcase while Violet was out of the house.
But just as she was dragging it out the door, she bumped straight into Charles and Violet, who had just gotten home.
And with them was Erica, there for a home visit.
Violet's face turned white as a sheet.