Chapter 3
When I got home, the facial recognition system didn't even blink.
I had no choice but to bang on the front door. The cut on my arm started to sting, but nobody answered.
After what felt like forever, my parents and Vivian stepped out of a fancy car.
They were dressed to the nines, laughing and chatting like they didn't have a care in the world.
But I, by contrast, was covered in dirt and looked like a total mess.
No one said a word.
I followed them in, and as soon as the door closed, a teacup came flying straight at me.
I jerked my head to the side, but I wasn't fast enough. It still caught me.
Warm liquid trickled down from my forehead, running down my cheek.
Once the door shut out the outside world, Dad finally let his anger show.
Dad snapped, "Unbelievable. Even after I ordered you not to, you still managed to sneak back here with Emily.
"Who did you bully into doing your dirty work this time?
"When are you and Emily ever going to be as mature as Vivian and actually make my life easier?"
I pressed my hand to my bleeding forehead and couldn't help but scoff.
If I really had any power, I'd dump them and Vivian right into the middle of the riots in Camoria.
Let them taste that hopelessness for themselves.
If I really had any power, Emily wouldn't have died such a miserable death.
They knew full well Vivian was perfectly safe but still used their connections to get her a VIP channel back home, even dropping a fortune on blessings for her.
Meanwhile, Emily and I were stranded in Camoria, a place a thousand times more dangerous, desperate for just a single ticket out, but they coldly shut us out.
Emily was gone now, and I had nothing left to hope for from them.
"Claire, you okay?" Vivian called out, putting on her best worried face as she came over.
She acted all concerned, but I knew it was just for show.
Her hand 'accidentally' landed on my wound, and she not-so-accidentally pressed down, making it hurt even more.
The sudden pain made me shove her hand away.
Vivian staggered a few steps and collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face.
She sobbed, "Claire, I was just worried about you. I know I'm not as important as you and Emily.
"I know you hate me and think I'm not good enough, but I just want to care about you. I just wish we could all get along as a family.
"I... I can't breathe."
She kept gasping for air, looking like she might faint at any moment.
But I could clearly see the smug little smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
My mother, who was about to hand me a tissue, dropped it and hurried to Vivian's side.
She helped Vivian catch her breath, all worried, then pointed at me and started yelling.
She snapped, "Vivian was just trying to care about you, and this is how you treat her?
"You ungrateful brat.
"Go to your room and think about what you've done."
My injuries hadn't even healed yet, and I'd been on the move for so long without a break.
I couldn't care less about them right now. All I wanted was to go back to my room and get some rest.
The moment I opened the door, a cold wave washed over me.
Emily's belongings were strewn all over the floor.
Among the shattered glass of a broken photo frame, the smiling faces of our family were fractured and lost.
Especially that clay figurine Emily cherished, the one with all of us gathered around the table, looking so happy together.
Back when Emily was still here, she'd hold it every single day, her fingers smoothing out the edges over time.
Now it was shattered, abandoned in the corner like it was nothing but trash.
Vivian's voice floated over from behind me.
"Oh, I just couldn't find anywhere else for my piano, so I had to take over Emily's room. Sorry. You and Emily have to squeeze into one. You won't blame me, do you?" Vivian cooed.
She leaned in, her smugness practically radiating from her eyes.
She whispered right in my ear.
She said, "Face it. Mom and Dad only care about me. If you know what's good for you, just get lost.
"Next time, you won't even have these pathetic things left."
Seeing Emily's keepsakes treated like trash, I completely lost it.
Burning with rage, I raised my hand and slapped Vivian hard across the face.