Chapter 4

I stared at the text. My heart skipped a beat, then settled back into a steady rhythm.

I was faking it. That part was true. But who was on the other end?

Zach or Jeffrey? No. They weren't that sharp, and they definitely weren't that bold.

If they had noticed anything, their first instinct would have been relief, then silence.

That left one person—Regina, the one who had just been thrown out but refused to leave.

I didn't reply. I muted my phone and set it aside.

I wasn't the one in a rush.

Ten minutes later, another message came in, right on cue. [Why aren't you answering? Feeling guilty?]

The hostility in her words almost pushed through the screen.

I picked up my phone again, slow and calm, and typed back: [Who is this?]

The reply came instantly. [Stop playing dumb, Melody. You know who I am.

[I'm at the coffee shop downstairs from your house. You have thirty minutes. If you don't show up, you deal with the consequences.]

I looked at the message and smiled.

She really had no patience.

I sat up and got out of bed. I changed into something simple and casual. I skipped the makeup and tied my hair back in a loose knot.

I made sure I looked pale and weak, like someone who had just been discharged and hadn't fully recovered.

When I went downstairs, Grace was in the living room, arranging flowers.

The moment she saw me, she put the vase down. "Melody, why are you up? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Mom, I feel a little stuffy," I said softly, leaning into her. "I want to go out for a walk."

"I'll come with you," she said right away.

"You don't have to." I held onto her arm and gave it a small shake. "I'll stay nearby. I'll be back soon. I just want a little time alone."

With my "memory loss," she had no real way to refuse me.

She hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Take your phone. Call me if you need anything."

I nodded and walked out the door, out of the cage they called home.

Regina was already waiting at the café.

She sat by the window, all dressed up as she always used to be. She wore full makeup and a designer dress.

I recognized it. Grace had bought it for her.

The irony almost made me laugh.

When Regina saw me, a hint of jealousy and bitterness flashed in her eyes.

I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

She blinked, caught off guard.

She had probably expected me to panic, to question her, or to lose control. Instead, I looked completely calm.

"You really are faking it," she said, her teeth clenched.

"Do you have proof?" I leaned back in my chair, relaxed.

She froze for a second. "I was there that day," she said quickly. "I saw Zach and Jeffrey push you down the stairs."

"Oh." I nodded. "I see."

My calm reaction stunned Regina again.

Her expression stiffened. It was like she had thrown a full punch, only to hit something soft that absorbed all the force.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell your parents?" she snapped.

"Go ahead," I said, smiling slightly. "Go tell them their precious son pushed me down the stairs. And tell them it was because of you.

"Who do you think they'll believe? You or their own son?

"And even if they believe you, what then? What do you think they'll do to protect Zach? Give you some money and send you away? Or make sure you never talk again?"

Each word landed cleanly and sharply at her weak spots, hitting where it hurt most.

Her face went pale. She had already lived through being discarded once. She knew exactly where she stood in that family.

I watched her carefully. When her eyes started to waver, I knew the moment had come.

I leaned in closer and lowered my voice. "Regina, let's make a deal."

Her head snapped up. Her eyes were full of caution. "What are you planning?"

I picked up the lemonade the waiter had just set down and took a small sip.

"Don't you hate them?" I asked quietly. "Don't you hate how they could call you in whenever they wanted, then throw you out the moment you weren't useful?

"You spent six years being perfect for them. And the second I came back, they treated you like trash.

"Don't you want something back? Something that should have been yours?"

My voice stayed soft. But the pull behind it was hard to ignore.

Regina's breath suddenly grew rapid.