Chapter 2
My parents spent their whole lives working their fingers to the bone at dead-end jobs, never stepping out of line. They thought sending Shannon to the best school was something to brag about. But they never guessed Shannon would end up like this.
The guy who came to investigate was Edward Lane.
As soon as Dad saw him, he latched on like he was a lifeline.
"Edward, is this enough evidence? Can I sue them?" Dad asked anxiously.
"I understand how you feel. Let me reach out to the students' parents first," Edward said.
Kids were a reflection of their parents.
Even with Edward reaching out, those parents just kept their heads down and refused to show up.
They couldn't care less, acting like it was none of their business.
People like us had seen this kind of thing way too many times.
In the end, nothing ever changed. Money was all that settled it.
Dad's eyes grew red, on the verge of tears. "We might not be as rich as they are, but we're not just going to let this go. I want them to pay for what they've done."
He spent the whole morning calling the other parents, but barely anyone picked up, and the ones who did were even more shameless than the last.
"It was just kids joking around," one parent said dismissively.
"She's just being dramatic. If she's still breathing, she's fine," another scoffed.
"You're just trying to get money out of us, aren't you? How much do you want? A few hundred? If you try to ask for some ridiculous amount, watch out, and I'll sue you. I'm a lawyer, you know," one parent threatened.
With so many people involved, the blame got spread so thin that nobody felt like it was really their fault.
That was what made them so brazen about it.
Dad was utterly broken.
He'd spent his whole life teaching Shannon and me to be good people, to be polite, to tolerate others, and that suffering losses was a kind of blessing.
But in the end, this was what it all came to.
He curled up in the hospital's emergency stairwell, smoking and sobbing.
It was like he was trying to deny and vent everything he'd ever believed in.
I said softly, "Dad, Shannon can't afford to be late for school the day after tomorrow. Let me go for her."
In the shadows, Dad turned to me, his eyes tired and hollow.
After a long silence, he finally nodded, snuffing out his cigarette with trembling fingers.
The last ember faded into the darkness.
I did not waste my time talking people into things. I made them pay until they were desperate to apologize.
In the mirror, I clumsily put on the wig.
At a reform school, having long hair could get one killed, so I never let mine grow out.
I practiced Shannon's mannerisms in the mirror a hundred times.
Her smile was so bright. I didn't understand why they had to pick on her.
I couldn't stop wondering why.
But when I retraced Shannon's steps myself, only then did I realize just how much she was really hurting.
Even with the door closed, the ruckus from the classroom was impossible to miss.
Inside, Lucia was the center of attention, with girls of every shape and size crowding around her, gossiping and giggling.
This was Lucia's gang, the Seventeen Angels.
Basking in their adoration, Lucia sat perched on a desk, a mocking smirk flickering across her face from time to time.
She absentmindedly twirled her brown hair between her fingers, never letting go.
When one of the girls couldn't help but glance at her, Lucia knocked over the girl's desk without hesitation.
Lucia sneered, her tone cocky， "Don't let me catch you after school."
Seeing the girl curl up in fear, Yvonne, Lucia's chubby sidekick with her signature red lipstick, looked super pleased with herself, tossing out threats like it was nothing.
I walked in, clutching my pie, and instantly became the center of their attention.
My timid, shrinking posture was like blood in the water for them, an easy target just begging to be picked on.
Lucia gave me a once-over, then pinched her nose and teamed up with Yvonne for the act.
"Why does it suddenly smell so bad in here?" Lucia said, pretending to gag.
The whole group erupted into laughter, their voices shrill and grating, like a bunch of rats screeching.
Lucia hopped down from the desk, letting out a mocking snicker. "Told you she was faking it that day. Now look. She's back at school, like nothing ever happened, and is even calling my mom to stir up trouble. She just wants some cash."
"Yeah, exactly," Yvonne chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
The rest of them all started talking at once, voices overlapping as they jumped in to add their own digs.
I ignored them, my eyes landing on Shannon's chair. Someone had splashed red ink all over it.
Yvonne snickered behind her hand, clearly enjoying the show.
So this was the kind of crap they pulled on my kind-hearted sister.
Expressionless, I looked up at them.