Chapter 3

I got up and glanced at the mirror on the dressing table. My own face stared back at me, but soon, a whole crowd of people's faces appeared.

One belonged to someone who'd died after being forced to drink toilet cleaner. It burned right through their liver and killed them.

Another was someone whose hand had been destroyed.

Finally, the reflection morphed into Herman's face, then shifted again to other class instructors.

Suddenly, they closed around me. I slammed my fist into the mirror, snapping myself out of the hallucination.

The shattered glass reflected my distorted face, and the blood dripping down made my heart pound wildly.

The shards of glass scattered across the table looked dangerously tempting, almost begging me to use them.

A voice kept echoing in my mind. "Come on, just pick it up. Plunge it into your body. Then everything will be over."

As I clutched the shards in my hand, I suddenly saw Antony's figure reflected in the jagged remains of the mirror frame, standing silently in the doorway.

He snapped on the light. "What are you doing?"

Startled, I let go of the glass. Without thinking, I dropped to my knees. "I didn't do it on purpose. The mirror... it broke on its own.

"Please, don't touch me…"

The commotion brought my parents and Mindy to the scene.

Mindy yawned as she stood in the doorway. "From what I know, that school is just a bit more strict because of military-style management. The rest of the time you're just taking online classes and playing games.

"Isn't it just that Mom and Dad haven't cared about you for three years? Kara, can you stop pretending and making a fuss?"

Mindy looked utterly annoyed.

I snapped out of it, like waking from a bad dream. "I... didn't mean to."

Mom looked worried. "Why is there so much blood? Should we get a doctor to check it out?"

Dad snorted. "No, that's not necessary. Maybe she's just not used to living at home yet. Antony, take care of it."

Antony nodded. "Alright. Mom, Dad, you should go get some rest."

I hid my hand behind my back and forced a pale smile. "Antony, you should get some rest too. I can take care of it myself."

His brows were knitted tightly, and there was real concern in his eyes.

"Come on, let your brother take a look," Antony said.

I kept my head down, making sure he couldn't see my hand.

"Kara," Antony called. His voice was sharp and commanding.

I slid off the stool and dropped to my knees, head still bowed, not daring to meet his eyes. "I messed up. I know I messed up."

Antony frowned, his voice full of concern and confusion. "Why are you like this now, Kara?"

Looking around, I realized I was at home. I was safe.

Would they send me back just because I broke the mirror?

I had no clue. And I didn't dare get up.

Antony grabbed my bleeding right hand and yanked it into view. "Why?" he demanded.

"The mirror broke, and I just wanted to check, then I slipped," I stammered.

Antony frowned, concern in his voice. "Why are you acting so strange?"

My mind was buzzing, and my fingers were trembling so hard I could barely control them.

Antony stared at me and asked quietly, "Does it hurt?"

Hurt? It was the first time in three years anyone had asked if it hurt.

But I didn't feel anything. I shook my head. "It doesn't hurt. Don't… don't tell Mom and Dad."

Antony lowered his head and gently started picking the shards out of my hand.

"If anything like this breaks again, just call your brother," Antony said softly. "Don't try to handle it on your own."

Would it even matter if I called for him?

It felt like I'd called out for Antony, Mom, and Dad a thousand times before.

But they never showed up. They never heard me.

I nodded numbly.

Once Antony finished bandaging my hand and picking out all the shards, I retreated to the corner and curled up, trying to disappear.

I stopped going out altogether, and I didn't even feel hungry anymore. It was like my mind just shut down.

I could hole up behind the curtains all day, just watching the world go by outside.

Sometimes, they'd have someone bring me food.

Every now and then, I'd force myself to eat a little, but it would all come right back up.

I felt so useless, like I couldn't even do something as basic as eating.

As time went on, there would always be someone standing right beside me.

She yelled at me, "Kara. Are you planning to go back to school or not?

"Didn't you say you'd work hard and finish college once you were free?

"Are you really okay with letting Mindy beat you?"

I tried picking up a book from the shelf. The words were all familiar, but when I tried to read, nothing made sense at all.

My attention slipped away every time. I couldn't focus no matter what.

It was like my brain just stopped working. But I just couldn't bring myself to admit it.

"Lily, did your parents take you home too?" I asked.

I glanced at the girl next to me, chewing on a lollipop like a little punk. She replied, "Did you forget? My parents ditched me ages ago."

"So... can you stay with me? Like, always?" I whispered.

Lily nodded, though she was pretty reluctant, still keeping that cool, arrogant vibe. "Yeah," she replied.

With Lily by my side, it felt like my world finally had a spark again.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

Lily shook her head.

That was odd. She used to get hungry if she skipped a meal. How come she was not hungry now?

She might just be too embarrassed to admit it.

When I asked May for two sets of plates, she blinked in surprise. "Ms. Hamilton, you actually have a friend over?"

I nodded quietly.

It wasn't often that Dad and Antony came home together.

Antony just took the plate I'd made for Lily.

I was just about to say something. I heard Lily say, "I'm really not hungry."

Good thing, I wasn't hungry either. I obediently handed my plate to Dad.

"Dad, when can I start school?" I asked.

Dad's eyes flickered, avoiding mine. "There are still some formalities we need to finish. Just wait a little longer.

"You won't officially start until next semester. It's still a ways off."

Back then, they said I was just supposed to be on medical leave.

There was a ton of paperwork, and it was all such a hassle. I didn't think much of it.

When I woke up in the middle of the night once more, Lily, who had been sleeping beside me, had disappeared.

I pushed open the door and went out to find her. But I overheard Mom and Dad talking.

"What if Kara finds out her acceptance letter was taken by Mindy? What do you think will happen to her?" Mom asked.

Dad sounded completely unfazed. "So what? The company's thriving now that Antony's in charge. If it comes to that, we'll just send her abroad for school.

"Honestly, things are way better now than they ever were for Mindy back then."

"But..." Mom's voice trailed off.