Chapter 3

Once everyone left, I forced myself to sit up, shivering, and wash myself off.

I didn't dare mess with any of the controls, worried that if I broke something, they'd get even more pissed.

So, I sat in the tub that had gone cold, icy water wrapping around me, feeling like needles.

After I was done, I was shivering even worse.

No one had ever shown me how to use a hair dryer, so with my hair still dripping wet, I quietly slipped out of the bathroom like a drowned rat.

They were gathered around the table, having dinner, looking for all the world like a happy family.

But still, no one even glanced my way.

I couldn't help but remember what it was like with Carter.

Every time they ate, I'd have to sit next to the trash can and wait.

Once they were done and tossed their leftovers in, only then could I crawl over and use my hands to scrape together whatever scraps I could to eat.

I glanced around and spotted the big plastic trash can by the kitchen door.

Just like I'd done so many times before, I sit beside it, head bowed, waiting.

"What are you doing over there?" I flinched, startled, and looked up to meet Andrew's eyes.

Since my face was clean, I looked more and more like Lily, but I was so skinny, as if I'd never eaten my fill.

Andrew stared at me, visibly annoyed for some reason. "Get over here and eat."

I scrambled up and quietly sat down next to my mom and dad, trying not to draw any attention.

The food on the table smelled amazing, like nothing I'd ever tasted before. My stomach was growling, and I mimicked their movements, picking up the fork.

But Carter had messed up my tendons, so I couldn't get a proper grip.

No matter how many times I tried, my fingers kept trembling so much I couldn't even pick up a single bite.

I was starving, so I snatched a piece of meat with my hand and shoved it into my mouth.

Andrew couldn't take it anymore. "Charlotte, that's so gross. How can anyone eat this now?"

I was stunned by his yelling, not knowing what I had done wrong.

Andrew shouted toward the kitchen, clearly irritated. "Dump all this and make it again.

"Charlotte, get on the floor and eat every last bit of this mess."

He swept his arm across the table, knocking all the dishes to the floor.

I glanced at my mom and dad, not knowing what to do, but they stayed quiet, saying nothing.

Trying not to cry, I sat on the floor and grabbed the food with my hands, stuffing it into my mouth.

Damn, this tasted good.

It was way better than the leftovers I used to eat out of the trash.

After dinner, everyone gathered around Lily, checking in on her and making sure she was comfortable.

With my hair still dripping, I nervously edged over to my mom's side. "Mom, where am I supposed to sleep?"

My mom looked a bit surprised, like she'd just remembered. "Well, there's a room upstairs where we keep stuff. You can stay there for now."

She didn't say how long I'd have to stay there, as if she'd never even bothered to think about what would happen to me.

The storage room was stuffed with old boxes. My mom pushed some aside and threw down a thin mattress. "This is fine."

I nodded.

Having my own bed, not having to worry about any man sneaking in at night to hurt me, honestly, that already felt like a blessing compared to before.

I lay down, my wet hair plastered to my face, icy against my skin.

But despite everything, I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I could hear voices coming from the dining room.

Thinking about yesterday made me anxious, but I made up my mind. I was going to try my hardest with the fork, so I wouldn't give them another reason to look down on me.

But as I was about to step onto the stairs, I heard my dad's voice. "Is it a pain to get her into the orphanage?"

Andrew's voice was cold. "It's still better than keeping her here. She spent five years with those traffickers. Who knows what she's like now?

"Aren't you worried she'll mess with Lily again? Or steal? Or poison the food?"

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was rooted to the spot.

My mom hesitated. "She has family. It's not like she's alone. If people find out we sent her to the orphanage, they'll gossip about us..."

Andrew cut her off. "Are you really going to put your reputation above Lily? Make up your mind."