Chapter 3
Madison moved into my room as if it were her birthright.
I refused to stay anywhere she had occupied, so I moved into an old, long-vacant guest room on the edge of the estate.
It was far from the main house, the heating was spotty, and the bedding carried the stale scent of a room shut tight for years.
There were only two days left until the anniversary of my mother's passing.
In two days, it would all be over.
The next day, I went to the private memorial room on the estate.
The moment I pushed the door open, I froze.
Flowers were strewn across the floor. My mother's portrait was knocked askew. The memorial candles had been extinguished and were rolling everywhere.
Madison's dog was digging through the wreckage.
Madison stood off to the side, watching me with a provocative smirk.
A cold chill violently swept through my body, and the blood rushed straight to my head.
Every last shred of my reason vanished.
I grabbed a decorative wooden rod from the corner and swung it at the dog.
The dog yelped and scattered, while Madison shrieked and stumbled backward.
The rod smashed into a porcelain vase. The flying shards sliced into Madison's hand.
"Claire! What the hell are you doing?"
Richard's furious voice boomed from behind me.
Madison immediately threw herself into his arms.
"Dad, help! Claire is terrifying."
I was shaking uncontrollably.
"Dad, Mom's memorial room is destroyed. Can't you see that?"
Tears poured down my face. I could barely breathe.
Richard barely glanced at the mess before his brow furrowed in anger.
"Is that a reason to physically attack someone?"
"Claire, is this how your mother raised you?"
Madison held up her bleeding hand, her voice quivering.
"Dad, it's my fault. I didn't keep an eye on the dog, and he knocked things over."
"But Claire just started attacking me the second she walked in. I didn't even get a chance to explain."
"I'm fine. I just hope Claire can forgive me."
Richard glared at me.
"You lose your mind over a dog, and now you're attacking your sister?"
He lost control and shoved me hard.
I couldn't dodge in time. My body slammed into the sharp edge of the memorial table, and my cheek immediately swelled up.
Several estate employees rushed in and desperately pulled Richard back.
Richard stiffened, but he didn't offer a single word of apology. He just supported Madison and walked away.
I stood there for a long time before I finally felt the burning pain on my face.
My fingers brushed against the swollen skin, and a hollow laugh escaped my lips.
There was truly no place for me in this house anymore.