Chapter 2

Of course, dinner was packed with all of Zoe Klein's favorite foods.

Zoe, nerves barely in check, picked up a chicken nugget and placed it on my plate. "Here, Nina, have some."

That chicken nugget was coated in pepper, then chili, and even a layer of jam. It managed to hit every single thing I couldn't stand.

Dennis placed a comforting hand on Zoe's back. "Zoe, I brought you up myself. You're just as good as anyone else, and you don't have to go out of your way to please anyone."

Zoe kept her head down, quietly eating, her eyes glistening with tears.

I just didn't get it. Zoe always got the best of everything, even the food was made just for her tastes—so why did my brothers act like she was the one being wronged?

William always said that kids who knew how to act could get candy.

I sat there quietly, eyes glued to that chicken nugget, my mouth practically watering.

Then I blurted out the question that made the whole table freeze. "C-can I eat this?"

Dennis stayed silent.

So did Matt.

And Zoe was so mad she almost ground her teeth.

Seeing no one object, I picked up my fork and started eating.

I was absolutely starving. It had been ages since I'd had any real food, and right now, I felt like I could devour everything on the table.

My brothers' faces turned grim as they watched me wolfing down my food without any table manners.

"Nina, didn't you get anything to eat in the mental hospital?" Matt asked.

I shook my head. "I did. But there was no meat in the slop—"

Suddenly, Dennis slammed his fork down. "Nina, are you trying to ruin our appetite?

"That mental hospital is funded by us. Harvey wouldn't dare treat you like that.

"Just stop telling such ridiculous lies!"

He wouldn't dare?

Had Dennis ever seen a bed of nails? Or electroshock therapy? Or people fighting dogs for food?

Of course, Dennis hadn't seen any of that. But Zoe, the one he always protected, was smiling.

If she hadn't lowered her head so much, I would've seen her grin stretch almost to her ears.

I was frozen in place, too terrified to say a word, my eyes filled with panic as I stared at Dennis, who was seething with anger.

Matt shot Dennis a look, trying to defuse the tension. "Nina just got back today. Can't we just sit down and have a normal family dinner for once?"

Dennis barely managed to hold back his temper, but the disgust in his eyes toward me only deepened.

Matt shook his head helplessly and handed me a fork. "Nina, if you're hungry, help yourself to more."

I flashed him a sweet smile. "Thanks, Matt."

Matt's eyes went wide.

He suddenly realized I could smile.

He was shocked at how beautiful my smile was.

And he couldn't figure out why, after all these years, he had never seen me smile like that.

He finally understood that as long as he treated me kindly, I could smile that sweetly.

For just a moment, Matt felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Dennis froze too, but it didn't change the way he felt about me.

*****

After I finished washing up and was about to get into bed, Zoe came in.

"Nina, I brought you some milk," she said.

She walked right in without asking.

I gently took it from her. "Thanks."

I had never thanked her before.

Because whenever she acted nice to me, there was always some ulterior motive behind it.

Zoe paused for a moment, then grinned. "Nina, you're such a good girl now."

The next moment, she "accidentally" let the cup slip, and the milk splashed all over me.

"Oh no, Nina, you really should've held it tighter," she said.

Her eyes flashed with sly satisfaction, but I just stood there, unfazed.

Then she grabbed the only gift Dennis and Matt ever gave me the year I came back and threw it straight into the trash can.

I didn't even flinch.

She scanned the room, and finally, her gaze settled on the photo frame sitting on my desk.

It was the only photo I had left of me and my parents together.

This time, I couldn't just stand by.

I caught her hand.

Zoe smirked, then snatched up the photo frame and slammed it down onto the floor.

I was practically shooting daggers from my eyes.

"Aw, mad now? Come on, hit me if you've got the guts!" Zoe taunted.

It was obvious that she was trying to enrage me.

Being stuck in that mental hospital, the first thing I learned was to keep my head down and do whatever I was told.

I swung my arm and landed a hard slap right on her face.

Zoe was totally dazed by that slap. It took her a few seconds before she snapped out of it and started putting on her little show.

"Dennis, Matt, help me!" she screamed.

My brothers stormed in without hesitation, instantly putting themselves between me and Zoe, their eyes blazing with fury as they glared at me.

"Nina, what the hell is wrong with you?" Dennis shouted.

I obediently folded my hands in front of me, looking innocent. "She asked for this," I said.

Zoe clutched her face, bawling her eyes out.

"I just came in to bring her some milk, and saw her tossing the gift you gave her straight into the trash. Then she tried to rip up our parents' photo," she sobbed. "I tried to stop her, but she slapped me."

The gift was still in the trash, and the photo was lying on the floor, the frame smashed to pieces.

The evidence was all right there, plain as day. There was no way I could talk my way out of this.