Chapter 1

I beat up Zoe Klein, the girl who had taken my place in the family for years, and my brothers threw me into a mental hospital.

When I came out, I acted like the perfect girl.

Whatever my brothers told me to do, I did it.

But then Zoe started acting even more obedient than me.

Dr. William Gilbert said I couldn't fight unless someone hit me first. That was the basic rule for a mental patient.

I hadn't hit anyone for three days, and it made me feel uneasy.

So I started sleepwalking.

One night, I stabbed a dagger into the headboard of Zoe's bed.

"Why won't you fight me?" I asked her.

Zoe trembled in fear.

My brothers finally realized I was crazy, and they regretted everything.

"Nina, we're sorry. It's all our fault..." they kept saying.

I tilted my head. Wasn't it a little too late to say that now?

*****

The day Matt Klein came to pick me up from the mental hospital, I was wearing a baby-doll shirt and overalls. My hands were folded neatly in front of me, head lowered, no trace left of the arrogant girl I used to be.

Matt looked me up and down, finally satisfied. "Do you know what you did wrong?"

I nodded obediently and repeated what William Gilbert had drilled into me. "I'm sorry, Matt. I was jealous of Zoe, so I got some punks to bully her. I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again."

The right amount of hurt, the right amount of regret, tears in my eyes but too ashamed to let them fall—I had practiced this look after Zoe for a long time.

Sure enough, Matt fell for it.

He lifted his hand and ruffled my hair like he was some kind of royalty granting me mercy.

"That's better. If you hadn't gone so overboard this time, Dennis wouldn't have had you sent to this mental hospital," he said. "From now on, try to get along with Zoe."

I nuzzled into his palm, just like Zoe would, putting on my best pitiful act.

Sure enough, Matt smiled happily.

No one noticed that Harvey Lewis, the hospital director who had walked me out, suddenly shivered hard.

I shot him a look, and sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

"M-Mr. Klein, if there's nothing else, I'll leave you and Nina alone," Harvey said, his voice shaky.

Matt nodded. "You did great. The Klein family's investment will be coming in soon."

"Th-thank you!" Harvey stammered.

After thanking Matt, Harvey bolted out of there.

"Mr. Lewis sure moves fast," I muttered.

Hearing that, Harvey tripped and fell hard on the ground.

Then, under Matt's confused and surprised gaze, Harvey scrambled to his feet and bolted, like he was being chased by something horrifying.

"Matt, can I go home now?" I asked.

Seeing how well-behaved I am, Matt nodded.

But he still made sure to warn me, "If you ever mess with Zoe again, even if Dennis doesn't send you back here, I will."

"Okay." I nodded obediently.

When we got back to that familiar house, I stood at the doorway, not stepping inside without permission.

Zoe said this was her home.

The parents were hers, and so were the brothers.

I was just the outsider here.

How could I just walk into someone else's house?

It wasn't until Matt said, "Come on in," that I gave him a wide-eyed, flattered smile, like I couldn't believe my luck. "Really? I can come in?"

Just as I expected, Matt's eyes went soft, and I could see a hint of redness there—he actually felt sorry for me.

But then he remembered what a little terror I used to be, and just like that, all that tenderness disappeared from his face.

Before long, Dennis and Zoe came home too.

"Dennis, I brought Nina back," Matt said.

"So it's been six months already?" Dennis frowned. "Time flies."

Seriously?

To me, every day in that mental hospital was torture, dragging on forever. But for them, time had just flown by.

"I know, right? Harvey called to rush me this morning. I didn't even realize we were three days overdue," Matt said.

Dennis just shrugged it off, like leaving me in that hellhole for a few extra days was no big deal. He looked me over critically.

I immediately gave him a polite little bow.

Zoe's eyes went wide with terror when she saw me, and she quickly ducked behind Dennis.

Dennis patted Zoe's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be scared, I'm here. If she ever bullies you again, I promise—she'll rot in that mental hospital for the rest of her life."

He stared at me like I was his enemy.

I pressed my hand to my chest in silence. So even the heart of a psychopath could hurt.

"I'm good now. I'll be obedient," I said, my eyes full of honesty, my face a little pitiful.

Dennis shot me a look of pure disgust, then took Zoe off to wash up and eat.