Chapter 2

When Lily showed up, she didn't bother asking what happened. Right there in front of the other parents, she lifted her hand and slapped me across the face.

"Haven't I told you not to make a scene? I'm busy. Stop giving me more trouble, will you? You're supposed to be grown up now," she snapped.

But I was only in second grade. Wasn't I a kid?

This time, the teacher had her come to school.

I was happy at first. I hadn't seen her in forever.

But now, I pressed my burning cheek, feeling numb inside.

I was so spaced out. It was like I'd turned to stone, frozen on the spot.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I bit down on my lip so hard that it started to ache.

I told myself I couldn't cry.

She hated it when I cried.

Before she arrived, I was certain that she would take my side, fight for me, and make things right.

Now, that certainty had shattered. I'd never felt so let down.

Right, I'd let myself forget that I was something she used to avoid getting remarried or having more kids.

So she showed up, smacked me, tore into me, and then turned her back and walked out like nothing happened.

She left me standing there, alone, facing the other parents and the teacher, who took turns tearing me down and criticizing me.

I couldn't understand why I was the one on trial, no matter what happened.

Back in elementary school, it felt like people kept throwing dirt on me, over and over again.

Everyone said I was a bad kid.

After that, I learned to endure everything in silence.

I never fought back or talked back.

Fighting back was a sin. Maybe if I kept my head down and took it, they'd show a little pity.

At first, I'd go to the teacher for help.

But the teacher would call Lily.

She'd barely pay attention, waving it off on the phone. She said, "If you're innocent, people will see that. Fighting takes two, you know. Endure it, and things will calm down."

If she didn't care, the teacher didn't want to get involved either.

I was worse off than an orphan. I was like a maggot crawling through the trash, barely making it all the way to high school.

Lily said she'd be home tonight.

When I saw her car headlights sweep past the window, I got excited.

I thought I might shake off all that loneliness from elementary and middle school.

I jumped out of bed and freshened up in a hurry, wanting to look my best for her.

"Mom, you're back!" I shouted.

I couldn't stop fidgeting with my hands. My heart was racing, and I couldn't hide how thrilled I was.

But she barely glanced at me before heading straight to the kitchen.

Right behind her came a girl about my age.

She was thin, appearing gentle and timid, with eyes still red from crying.

She greeted me right away and said politely, "Hello, my name is Chloe Bennett."

Her last name was the same as Lily's?

Lily poured Chloe a glass of warm milk, and then walked over with a smile. "Just call her Emily. She's about your age," she said.

That kind, loving look was what I'd always hoped for from her.

But why was she smiling so gently at a total stranger?

"From now on, this place will be your home," she said softly, tenderly fixing Chloe's hair.

When she noticed Chloe had a little milk mustache, she leaned in and gently wiped it off for her.

The two of them exchanged a warm, intimate smile as they'd been family forever.

Seeing that, it was like a dagger straight through my eyes.

I stood there, my whole body numb and cold as if I'd been dumped in a freezer.

This was the way I'd always dreamed she would treat me.

No matter how much I tried and no matter what I did, I could never earn even a sliver of that love.

I didn't get it.

Was I not well-behaved enough?

Chloe got placed in the class right next to mine, and the moment she arrived, tons of guys started crushing on her hard.

She never bothered to hide our connection.

On the contrary, she always made a point of staying close to me, wrapping her arm around mine, throwing it over my shoulder, and calling me sister loud enough for the entire class to hear.

She didn't care at all about my reputation for being trouble or a bully.

Even when some classmates called me gross, weird, or made fun of me for not having a mother, she'd jump in to defend me without batting an eye.

She'd declare loudly and proudly, "Emily is the best sister in the whole world."

Just like that, I felt my heart soften.

She never skipped a single morning bringing me breakfast. She'd help me tidy up the classroom and stay up late with me whenever I needed to study.

She even spoke up for me in front of Lily, trying to close the distance between us. That's when my heart melted.

I knew in my heart that Chloe cared for me.

I let down my walls and let her into my life as the sister I never had.

For almost three years in high school, Chloe and I were inseparable.

She'd tell me that running into me was the best luck she ever had in her whole life.

And I'd laugh and tell her that I was the lucky one here.

Because after all those years alone, she was the first real friend I'd ever had.

I gave her my whole trust, treating her as the one person in this world who felt like family.

But a month before the college entrance exams, everything changed.