Chapter 1

The nanny Mom hired made two meals each day, one for her own daughter and one to film for Mom. On camera, the table was loaded with barbecued ribs, baked fish, and mushroom soup.

As soon as she turned it off, she carried everything to her daughter. All I got was half a bowl of pasta and a few vegetables.

I cried as I called Mom and told her I was hungry.

"Mary makes you something different every day, and you still lie? Emily, you've disappointed me," Mom snapped.

Mary had locked me in my bedroom for sneaking dog food. With what little strength I had left, I called Mom again.

"Mom, please help me. I'm so hungry. Mary locked me in here," I begged.

Mom sounded cold on the other end. "I'm in a meeting. Be good and stop giving your nanny a hard time."

She hung up on me. My stomach hurt from hunger. At last, I curled up and stopped moving.

My spirit drifted into the living room. Mary was on a video call with Mom, while her daughter, Sophie Brown, sat nearby doing homework.

"Ms. Shaw, Emily saw another child with a collectible toy and insisted on one. I know how hard you work, so I scolded her. I didn't realize she'd get so upset that she'd lock herself in her room," Mary explained.

Mom sighed. "I spoiled that girl. Sophie is so well-behaved. I heard she came in first again on her exam. Unlike Emily, who's always lying and playing the victim."

I wanted to shout, to tell her she was wrong. I wasn't lying. I really was hungry. But even with my mouth wide open, not a sound came out.

Mom sounded annoyed. "I hung up on her during my meeting earlier. I called her back several times, but she didn't answer. She's probably mad at me. Emily's getting more and more difficult."

Mary hurried to reassure her. "Don't take it to heart, Ms. Shaw. She's throwing a tantrum. I'll make it up to her tomorrow and cheer her right up."

Mom's voice softened. "Thanks, Mary. I sent you seven hundred dollars. Get her a collectible toy."

As soon as the call ended, Sophie jumped up. "That's great, Mom. I can buy collectible toys now."

Mary sat on the couch and crossed her legs. "Linda says her daughter's sick and needs special meals. I think she's just spoiled. Look, she got hungry enough to eat dog food. How easy it must be for that woman to make money.

Who knows how many bosses she's slept with to get this rich? Still, the more she makes, the more we get."

I shook with anger. "Don't talk about my mom like that."

Then I threw myself at Mary with all my strength, but my hands passed right through her.

When Mary first came, I ate nutritious meals every day. Then she realized Mom could stay away for months, checking in only by video and sending money. After that, the expensive meals never reached me.

Once she finished filming them, they all went to Sophie. I was always left with half a bowl of pasta and a few vegetables.

Mary and Sophie split the imported snacks, milk, and fruit Mom bought for me. Mary yelled if I so much as touched the pretty boxes covered in foreign-language labels.

Mary dressed me in the new outfits Mom bought, filmed me in them, and sent the videos to Mom. Once filming was over, she stripped the clothes off me and gave them to Sophie.

Sometimes I secretly used my watch to call Mom and tell her I was hungry and Mary wasn't feeding me. Mom would call Mary to check.

Mary would wipe away tears and say, "How could Emily say that about me?

"I treat her better than my own daughter. I make her nutritious meals every day and take care of her."

After hearing it enough times, Mom stopped believing me. She thought I was lying, throwing tantrums, and trying to get her attention.

I remembered Mom's words: "Mary makes you something different every day, and you still lie? Emily, you've disappointed me."

Tears welled in my spirit, but there was nowhere for them to fall. Mom used to love me so much. Now she trusted a stranger more than her own daughter.

The next day, after Mary made the nutritious meal, she skillfully filmed it on her phone and sent the video to Mom. Then she carried the food to the dining table and ate with Sophie, laughing together.

Just then, I heard a noise at the front door. I drifted toward the entryway and saw Mom, whom I hadn't seen in months.

Mary scrambled to her feet. "Ms. Shaw? Weren't you overseas working on a project? What brings you back?"

Mom took off her coat and glanced toward the dining table. "The project wrapped early. Where's Emily?"

Mary's face went pale. She'd just remembered keeping me locked up for a whole day and night. But she recovered quickly. "Oh, Emily? She's in her room. She's still upset and locked herself in."

Mom didn't answer right away. She walked to the table and looked at the food in front of Sophie. "Why is Sophie eating Emily's special meal?"