Chapter 5 · Obedient Until Madness

"Really?" I asked, my face pure and innocent.

"Of course," Dennis said, almost too sincerely.

Zoe turned her head, as if she couldn't bear to watch me get burned. But in fact, she was just hiding her grin. She was certain this time I couldn't keep the act going.

Matt was starting to get nervous. Seeing the innocent look in my eyes, he gave Dennis's sleeve a discreet tug.

Dennis sucked in a sharp breath, his tone growing colder. "Let's see how she keeps pretending."

All eyes were suddenly on me.

I pretended not to notice and actually reached out my bare hand toward the sizzling steak.

My skin hissed against the heat.

"That's enough!" Matt jumped up first, trying to stop me.

Dennis's face turned pale instantly.

He just couldn't believe I'd actually lost it.

I blinked at them, all innocent.

I wasn't trying to hog the food or anything. Why were they freaking out?

I picked up a piece of steak and put it on Dennis's plate. Then I grabbed another and placed it on Matt's.

I remembered—they liked steak best.

"Dennis, eat up. Matt, you too. I'm not selfish—I never eat alone," I said, looking all sweet and innocent.

Dennis was already pale as a ghost.

Matt wrapped his arms around me, his eyes brimming red.

"Nina, stop it. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault..." he said.

His hot tears fell onto my hand, then slid down onto my plate.

I frowned. I didn't want to eat someone else's tears and spit.

What should I do now?

*****

My brothers rushed me to the emergency room.

The burns on my hand were carefully bandaged.

Matt cradled my hand as if it were glass, apologizing again and again.

I just blinked up at him, totally clueless why he was crying.

When they locked me in the mental hospital, I'd suffered far worse than this.

Dennis got me checked out again, and when the psych report came back, he was totally lost for words.

Matt, his eyes all red, said, "Are you happy now?"

Dennis stopped dead in his tracks, one foot stuck in the doorway.

He glanced at my bandaged hand, then at the psych report, and just stood there, totally silent.

Finally, he turned and walked away.

Outside, Zoe and Lucy were waiting for him.

Dennis looked pale and grim.

"From now on, none of you are to mess with Nina!" he snapped.

Zoe's face went ashen.

It was the first time Dennis had ever really blown up at her.

Dennis didn't come home for three whole days.

Three days later, I was out of the hospital, and he was back.

He brought me a music box.

I just blinked at it, not daring to take it.

"I don't want it," I said.

Dennis's face tightened in frustration, his brows knitting together.

"Didn't you always want a music box?" he asked.

"You said I didn't deserve it," I replied quietly.

Dennis stayed silent.

His expression turned cold.

I just looked at him, all innocent.

I wondered if Dennis had forgotten.

On my birthday the year I came back, he had a music box specially flown in from abroad for Zoe, but he just tossed me 300 bucks and told me to buy whatever I wanted.

I asked him, "Can I trade those 300 bucks for a music box instead?"

I wasn't trying to compete with Zoe. I just envied her, wishing my brothers could love me the way they loved her, even just once.

But Dennis just smirked and said, "You didn't deserve it."

"I know I didn't deserve it," I said. "I get it. You don't have to pretend for my sake."

I wondered if Dennis was moved, seeing a mental patient like me being so understanding.

I gave him an innocent look and slipped back to my room.

Dennis just stood there in the doorway, frozen like a statue, unable to move a muscle.

*****

After the steak incident, everyone became nice to me at home.

But honestly, the place got super dull.

Back in the mental hospital, people beat me and bit me every single day. They even said they wanted to eat me alive.

So I'd slice off some of their flesh and toss it into the pot. Too bad I got caught before I could kill them.

I thought I'd get beaten and shocked again, but this time, nobody dared lay a finger on me.

William was right—if I was ruthless enough, no one would dare mess with me.

But when nobody dared to mess with me, life just felt empty and miserable. So I put on my best behavior and got myself discharged.

William told me I could only fight back if someone made the first move. That was called self-defense, and nobody could throw me in jail because of that.

Now that my brothers won't let anyone mess with me, what am I supposed to do?

I was getting anxious.

Whenever I got anxious, I'd end up sleepwalking.

So that night, I snuck into Lucy's room with a knife in hand.

Chapter 5

"Really?" I asked, my face pure and innocent.

"Of course," Dennis said, almost too sincerely.

Zoe turned her head, as if she couldn't bear to watch me get burned. But in fact, she was just hiding her grin. She was certain this time I couldn't keep the act going.

Matt was starting to get nervous. Seeing the innocent look in my eyes, he gave Dennis's sleeve a discreet tug.

Dennis sucked in a sharp breath, his tone growing colder. "Let's see how she keeps pretending."

All eyes were suddenly on me.

I pretended not to notice and actually reached out my bare hand toward the sizzling steak.

My skin hissed against the heat.

"That's enough!" Matt jumped up first, trying to stop me.

Dennis's face turned pale instantly.

He just couldn't believe I'd actually lost it.

I blinked at them, all innocent.

I wasn't trying to hog the food or anything. Why were they freaking out?

I picked up a piece of steak and put it on Dennis's plate. Then I grabbed another and placed it on Matt's.

I remembered—they liked steak best.

"Dennis, eat up. Matt, you too. I'm not selfish—I never eat alone," I said, looking all sweet and innocent.

Dennis was already pale as a ghost.

Matt wrapped his arms around me, his eyes brimming red.

"Nina, stop it. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault..." he said.

His hot tears fell onto my hand, then slid down onto my plate.

I frowned. I didn't want to eat someone else's tears and spit.

What should I do now?

*****

My brothers rushed me to the emergency room.

The burns on my hand were carefully bandaged.

Matt cradled my hand as if it were glass, apologizing again and again.

I just blinked up at him, totally clueless why he was crying.

When they locked me in the mental hospital, I'd suffered far worse than this.

Dennis got me checked out again, and when the psych report came back, he was totally lost for words.

Matt, his eyes all red, said, "Are you happy now?"

Dennis stopped dead in his tracks, one foot stuck in the doorway.

He glanced at my bandaged hand, then at the psych report, and just stood there, totally silent.

Finally, he turned and walked away.

Outside, Zoe and Lucy were waiting for him.

Dennis looked pale and grim.

"From now on, none of you are to mess with Nina!" he snapped.

Zoe's face went ashen.

It was the first time Dennis had ever really blown up at her.

Dennis didn't come home for three whole days.

Three days later, I was out of the hospital, and he was back.

He brought me a music box.

I just blinked at it, not daring to take it.

"I don't want it," I said.

Dennis's face tightened in frustration, his brows knitting together.

"Didn't you always want a music box?" he asked.

"You said I didn't deserve it," I replied quietly.

Dennis stayed silent.

His expression turned cold.

I just looked at him, all innocent.

I wondered if Dennis had forgotten.

On my birthday the year I came back, he had a music box specially flown in from abroad for Zoe, but he just tossed me 300 bucks and told me to buy whatever I wanted.

I asked him, "Can I trade those 300 bucks for a music box instead?"

I wasn't trying to compete with Zoe. I just envied her, wishing my brothers could love me the way they loved her, even just once.

But Dennis just smirked and said, "You didn't deserve it."

"I know I didn't deserve it," I said. "I get it. You don't have to pretend for my sake."

I wondered if Dennis was moved, seeing a mental patient like me being so understanding.

I gave him an innocent look and slipped back to my room.

Dennis just stood there in the doorway, frozen like a statue, unable to move a muscle.

*****

After the steak incident, everyone became nice to me at home.

But honestly, the place got super dull.

Back in the mental hospital, people beat me and bit me every single day. They even said they wanted to eat me alive.

So I'd slice off some of their flesh and toss it into the pot. Too bad I got caught before I could kill them.

I thought I'd get beaten and shocked again, but this time, nobody dared lay a finger on me.

William was right—if I was ruthless enough, no one would dare mess with me.

But when nobody dared to mess with me, life just felt empty and miserable. So I put on my best behavior and got myself discharged.

William told me I could only fight back if someone made the first move. That was called self-defense, and nobody could throw me in jail because of that.

Now that my brothers won't let anyone mess with me, what am I supposed to do?

I was getting anxious.

Whenever I got anxious, I'd end up sleepwalking.

So that night, I snuck into Lucy's room with a knife in hand.