Chapter 3

Linda realized she couldn't reach me anymore. I didn't answer calls. I didn't reply to her messages. It was like I'd disappeared into thin air.

She started to panic. For the first time, her years of control over me began to slip. And that loss of control made her irritable and anxious.

"That brat. She's really gotten too big for her britches." She paced back and forth in the living room, cursing under her breath nonstop.

Ethan was gaming nearby. He looked up impatiently. "Mom, why are you yelling? She can't just vanish into thin air."

"Just figure it out.…