Chapter 2

"My sweet Selena, I love you, but I have to go now..." Mom kissed my forehead, then fidgeted with her clothes like she was about to meet someone really important.

Then she stabbed herself in the throat with a carving knife right in front of me, still smiling blissfully even as she died.

In just half a day, my brother and mom were gone. Everyone—friends, the media—pitied me, the daughter who'd just been brought home.

While I was still struggling with how to break the heartbreaking news to my dad, he accidentally dropped his lucky charm at work—and then, just like Mom and my brother, he died in a bizarre, sudden way.

And just like them, he left behind a cryptic message. "Selena... Daddy's coming. Just give me a little more time, okay..."

The cops pulled up the security footage of my family's deaths and shoved it right in my face.

"How did you drive them to suicide? Why does your name keep coming up in all their final words?" the cops asked.

I stood up, exasperated, let out a sigh, and jabbed at my dad's bloody face with my finger.

"They were taken by her. I'll be next... See? She's right there!" I laughed like crazy.

A chill ran down the cops' spines. With all those eyes on me, there was no way anyone could've snuck in without them noticing.

They turned around, slow as molasses, to look behind them.

Nothing. Just empty air.

They just frowned and hauled me off to some dark little room for questioning.

"Selena... Can you live with yourself after what you did to your parents? They spent eighteen years searching for you, and you were only with them for less than three months before they died. Why did you have to kill them?

"Your family handed over everything to you as soon as you came home. Whatever you wanted, they gave it to you. What else could you possibly want? If you've got any shred of conscience, just admit it and pay for what you've done!"

I looked at them and let out a wry chuckle.

"Yeah, my parents and brother really treated me well!" I said.

When I first came home, my dad had a whole princess-themed room built just for me. My mom even put on an art exhibition in my name. And my brother took a whole month off work just to travel the world with me.

"Our little princess is finally home! Mom's going to make sure you get to try everything the world has to offer, Selena. We love you!"

"Selena, if you ever need anything, just come to Dad. I'll give you whatever you want."

"And your brother, too, Selena! Remember, you've always got us behind you!"

They bought me the prettiest dresses, got me the best tutors in the city, and no matter how busy they were, they always made it home in time for dinner so we could eat together.

"So, to thank them, I got each of them a lucky charm. They loved the gifts I gave them, so they wore them all the time," I replied.

Then, I fell silent, my eyes sweeping over everyone with a frosty, unfeeling glare.

As I stayed silent, the media in the back finally lost their patience.

"What's up with those lucky charms the dead were wearing? How much for a lucky charm just like theirs? Name your price, Selena. We'll pay anything!"

"You say you loved them, but after your family died, you don't seem sad at all. Is there some dark secret you're hiding?"

Everyone was searching for the truth, their eyes glued to those blood-soaked lucky charms.

Frozen in shock, I finally broke my silence when I heard their demands.

"They were honestly excited to go wherever they were headed. So why pin all the blame on me?

"About those lucky charms... I'm not telling you anything yet. If you're so curious, go dig up the truth yourselves. But let's be real. None of you is even close to being worthy of seeing her!"

The cop was so pissed he was practically grinding his teeth, slamming his hand on the table as he stormed over to the three blood-soaked lucky charms.

"You little brat, acting all mysterious in front of me? Let's see what these lucky charms are really hiding!" he snapped.

I shot up in a panic and rushed to block him.