Chapter 2

My dad's face turned ashen right before my eyes.

He instinctively hid the doll behind his back, his eyes darting away, unable to meet mine.

My mom's eyes welled up with tears instantly, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.

She stood there, completely at a loss, like a kid who'd been caught doing something wrong.

I stood at the doorway, the draft from the hallway blowing in, making me feel frozen to the core.

But that wind couldn't compare to the chill inside me.

I was like an outsider, calmly watching this ridiculous scene play out.

I saw the coffee table in the living room was piled high with all sorts of snacks I'd never seen before: chips, candy, and chocolate.

I never liked that stuff, and my mom knew it.

On the couch, there was a brand-new set of pink pajamas, clearly meant for a little girl, with adorable cartoon bunnies on them.

Those weren't mine.

Mine were plain blue cotton ones, kept in my bedroom.

My mind was spinning, all the clues lining up, pointing straight at a reality I couldn't bring myself to accept.

"Is there someone else living here?" My voice came out dry and scratchy.

My dad turned his head away and let out a long sigh.

My mom's tears finally fell. She came closer, reaching out to take my hand.

Instinctively, I took a step back, pulling away from her.

Her hand froze awkwardly in midair.

"Jess, come inside. It's cold out there," she said, her voice choked with tears. "It's not what you think."

I didn't move. I stood there, staring at them, frozen like a statue.

I needed an explanation that could make me believe all of this was just a bad dream.

We stood there in awkward silence for about a minute.

My dad finally caved.

He rubbed his brow, sounding worn out and defeated. "Come in. I'll tell you."

I slipped off my shoes and stepped into this house that was at once familiar and strangely foreign.

My dad motioned for me to sit and then poured me a cup of water.

I cradled the cup, and my fingers felt numb.

"Her name is Camille Frost," my dad said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We adopted her a year ago."

Adopted?

That word was like a thunderclap, blasting through my mind.

Without me ever knowing, my parents had adopted a daughter who could take my place.

"Why?" I asked, my voice trembling before I realized it.

"You're always away, hardly ever home," my mom said, wiping her tears. "The place felt dead quiet. We felt so lonely."

Dad said, "Cam is a good kid. She's had it rough. Her parents died in an accident, and she was stuck in the orphanage for ages."

Mom added, "She's really sweet and smart, and she knows how to say the right things to cheer us up."

Listening to them take turns explaining, I found the whole thing utterly absurd.

So, because they felt lonely, they thought it was okay to bring in another kid to fill the emptiness?

And because she was sweet, they thought they could give her all the love that was supposed to be mine, without a hint of guilt.

But what about me?

I worked late nights at the office, grinding away overtime, just so I could get back early.

I racked my brain trying to surprise my parents. And now, it all felt like a joke.

"So, when you called and said you missed me, you were actually talking about her, right?" I asked. "And when you told me to take care of myself, you were actually saying it for her, weren't you?

"All this, the Christmas Eve dinner, the new clothes, the snacks. None of it was meant for me. It was all for her, right?"

My voice kept getting louder and sharper with every word.

My dad's expression grew more and more unpleasant.

"Jessica Foley!" he snapped in a low, angry voice. "How could you think like that? We did this for your own good."

For my own good?

He continued, "You're out there busting your ass all alone. We were worried you'd get too stressed out. With a little sister around us, you'll have someone to watch your back in the future."

I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.

Oh really?

A sister, more than ten years my junior, was supposed to be my backup?

That was the biggest joke I'd ever heard in my life.

I suddenly remembered something and shot to my feet. "What about my room? Where is she staying?"

Mom looked instantly panicked.

I immediately understood everything.

I pushed past them, sprinting for my bedroom like a wild animal.

I could find that door blindfolded. And now, brand-new cartoon stickers were plastered all over it.

I flung the door open, and the scene inside made me feel like I'd been plunged into freezing water.

My desk was stacked with someone else's textbooks and homework.

My closet was hung with someone else's pink dresses.

My bed was made up with someone else's cartoon sheets.

Every trace of me had been wiped away, as if I'd never existed here.

This wasn't my bedroom anymore.

This was Camille's princess room, and I became nothing but an intruder.

I felt my head spinning so hard that I could barely stay on my feet.

Right at that moment, I heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock from outside.

Then the door swung open.