Chapter 2

I had a secret hidden deep inside the closet.

It was a tiny wooden music box decorated with a little blue bird.

When I wound it up, it played the lullaby my mom used to hum for me, the one she loved most.

This was the last thing she ever left for me.

Every night, once everyone was asleep, I took it out, gave it a gentle twist, and pressed my ear close to the music box, soaking in the sound for a little while.

With that familiar tune playing, it felt just like I was wrapped up in her arms again, safe and loved.

Still, Lucas somehow ended up discovering my secret.

That afternoon, while Emily was putting Lucas down for a nap, I snuck the music box out, wanting to dust it off.

I had just cupped it in my hands when Lucas came running out of the room, rubbing his eyes.

He blinked sleepily and blurted, "What's that? Let me have a look."

His eyes went wide the moment he saw the music box, reaching out with excited hands to grab it.

I clutched it protectively to my chest and shrank back, my voice firmer than usual. "No. I can't give it to you."

I shook my head; it was the first time I had ever said "no" to him.

"This isn't for you," I told him gently.

"I want it. Give it to me," Lucas wailed, his cheeks puffing up as he saw I wouldn't give in. He was about to let out a full-blown cry right then and there.

"It's my mom's stuff," I stammered, barely holding back tears.

"Your mom is dead. My mom is the only woman in the house. Everything you have is mine now," Lucas shouted furiously.

He shrieked and charged at me, arms flailing like a crazed little beast.

Soon, we tumbled to the floor, wrestling in a tangle.

I clung to the music box as tightly as I could, but Lucas was stronger than I was.

Suddenly, the music box was knocked from my arms and crashed into the corner. The box splintered into pieces, spilling its small parts all over the floor.

The music stopped abruptly.

For a split second, the whole world seemed to go silent.

Lucas froze for a second, then instantly pulled his usual stunt—plopping down on the floor and wailing at the top of his lungs.

Emily came rushing out of the room at the noise, and her eyes fell immediately on Lucas, who was wailing in agony on the floor, and the broken pieces of the music box.

"Sophie, stop it. I told you not to upset him," Emily barked, her voice dripping with accusation.

She stormed over and shoved me aside without thinking, sending me crashing into the corner of the table—pain lanced right through my waist.

"It wasn't me," I stammered, tears brimming in my eyes as I tried to explain.

"Stop lying," Emily shouted, glaring and jabbing her finger at the shattered music box on the floor.

"It's just a damn music box. What's the harm in Lucas wanting to play with it? Did you really need to do this to him? How can you be so mean?" she said.

I collapsed to the ground, reaching out with shaking hands to pick up the broken pieces, but they were smashed into tiny bits—there was no way I could ever fix them.

My tears kept streaming down, hitting the floor.

My dad burst out of his study. He glanced at me on the floor, Lucas sobbing his guts out, Emily raging and yelling, and the broken pieces of the music box everywhere.

Feeling like I had nothing left, I looked up at him. "Dad, it was Lucas—"

"Enough," he said with a frown, clearly irritated, cutting me off.

He said, "It's no big deal. Why are you all making such a scene? You're so annoying."

He walked over, scooped up Lucas while he was still bawling, and gave his back a few clumsy pats.

"Come on, Lucas, stop crying. It's Sophie's fault; she shouldn't have tried to take it from you," he said.

My heart sank like a stone.

To cheer Lucas up, my dad pulled out a handful of cash and shoved it into Emily's hand.

He said, "Take Lucas out and buy him the biggest remote-control car in the store tomorrow. Sophie didn't mean it."

Emily's expression finally softened, and she carried Lucas back to the bedroom.

Not once did Dad even glance my way.

He just stood there, leaving me to stand all by myself among those broken shards that would never sing for me again.

The living room lights were blazing, but somehow, it felt cold to me.

It dawned on me that in this house, all my grievances, my treasures, and my deceased mom were worth less than a single tear from Lucas.