Chapter 2
Whenever I felt wronged, Mom would hold me close, kissing my forehead over and over.
"Emily, your happiness and sadness mean the world to me. I'll always protect you," she would say.
But as Mom became more famous, Elaine was born.
Elaine was always sweet and smiling, charming everyone without even trying.
However, my expressions were always stiff and awkward.
Mom, so used to having everything perfect and under control, gradually started to lose patience with me.
I kept telling myself that if I tried a little harder, maybe Mom would notice me or like me more.
But every time, it backfired.
The concert finally ended.
The audience started filing out, but Mom showed no sign of going home.
Elaine tugged at her hand, looking confused.
"Mom, aren't we going home?" Elaine asked. "Is Emily still acting?"
Mom stood up, smoothing out her dress.
She gave a frosty glance at the paused image of me on her phone screen.
She said, "No, we're not going home.
"Let's see who wins, her acting or my patience.
"If she loves acting so much, let her stay in front of the camera all she wants.
"Come on, Elaine. I'm taking you out for your favorite Averish food."
At the upscale Averish restaurant, Elaine was kicking her legs under the table, her bright eyes blinking up at Mom.
Elaine said softly, "Mom, Emily's been on the cold floor all by herself for so long. She must be hungry and tired.
"Should we pack up some escargot for her?"
The waiter was pouring lemonade for them and couldn't help but smile at Elaine's words.
"Your little one is sweet," the waiter said.
Mom smiled and gave Elaine's head a gentle pat. "Elaine, you have to be careful who you're kind to."
She picked up her napkin and laid it across her lap with practiced grace.
She said, "When it comes to Emily, who can't stop lying, showing any mercy encourages her lies.
"Don't pack anything for her. Let her go hungry for once. Let her see what happens when she's not honest."
The phone on the table lit up again.
Alert after alert popped up on the monitoring app, each one with glaring red words, screaming for attention.
[Prolonged inactivity detected.
[Abnormal temperature in target area.
[Minor fluid leakage detected.]
Mom glanced at my fingers, still frozen in that stiff pose, her face indifferent. She didn't even flinch.
She flipped her phone over, screen down, and set it on the table.
"Here, Elaine, try some foie gras. It's supposed to be good for kids' brain development," Mom said.
With practiced ease, she sliced off a small piece, blew on it to cool it, and gently offered it to Elaine.
Meanwhile, in our house filled with surveillance cameras, the only unexpected twist was about to unfold.
Ashley Buck, our part-time cleaner, showed up a day early since she was going back to her hometown the next day. She wanted to leave the place spotless before she left.
She stood outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, glanced inside out of habit, and was about to ring the doorbell.
But in the next instant, her smile froze.
Through the spotless glass, she saw me slumped in the middle of the living room, my face pale with a bluish tint, twisted and unnatural.
Beneath me, a small, dark puddle was barely visible.
"Emily! Emily!" Ashley shouted, her voice shaking with terror.
Terrified out of her mind, she pounded on the glass door, desperate for any sign of life.
"Emily, what's wrong? Please open the door," Ashley cried.
The glass didn't move an inch, and there was no response from inside.
She frantically pressed the panic button outside, but it stayed silent, no matter how many times she tried.
Looking closer, she realized someone had cut the wires clean through, right where they connected.
Ashley was panicked, her hands trembling as she fumbled for her phone and dialed my mom.
"Hey, Ashley, what is it?" Mom answered.
Her voice carried a hint of irritation, clearly bothered by the interruption.
"Professor Clarke, something's wrong. Please, you have to come back right now," Ashley sobbed, her voice thick with tears.
She was so desperate that she was nearly on her knees, her voice choked with emotion. "Emily's in trouble.
"She's collapsed on the floor, not moving, and her face has turned purple."
My soul floated next to Ashley, watching her frantically sweat and panic. For a moment, a tiny spark of hope flickered inside me.
Ashley had watched me grow up. Maybe she could convince Mom.
But in the next second, Mom's words sent me straight to hell.
"Ashley, don't bother with her," Mom said, her voice icy and dismissive.