Life with the Linnells was as wonderful as I had dreamed. I had my own room, learned sign language, and even attended the same school as Stephen.
Despite that, years of poverty and fear had left scars. I was completely reliant on him.
He told me he would always be my brother and protect me—and I believed him.
At school, Stephen was a star, and every girl seemed infatuated with him. But he only spent time with Phoebe and, later on, me.
Phoebe treated me well—at least in front of Stephen.
She would gently brush my brittle hair, fastening it with delicate hairpins.
The moment Stephen wasn't looking, though, her warmth vanished. She'd rip the hairpins out, her expression cold and disdainful.
At first, I thought I had done something wrong. Phoebe was known for being kind and gentle.
Yet, she taught me, over and over, what it felt like to fall from heaven into inferno.
Eventually, I began to fear her kindness.
Stephen didn't understand. He thought I was being stubborn and often encouraged me to get along with Phoebe.
That changed on his 14th birthday.
At the party, Phoebe, dressed impeccably, got "pushed" by me and fell into the pool.
For the first time, Stephen slapped me across the face.
I stood there, stunned and helpless, the red imprint of his hand on my cheek as the crowd's accusations swirled around me.
I really hadn't pushed her.
Phoebe had asked me to adjust the bow on her dress. As I had reached out, she had stumbled back into the water.
I frantically gestured to explain, but the sharp, cruel words from the crowd drowned me out.
"That girl's rotten to the core, even at her age!"
"Good thing she's mute—imagine the trouble she'd cause if she could speak!"
That was the first time I truly understood the power of rumors and how devastating they could be.
Harsh criticism felt like arrows to my heart.
By the end, I could only mechanically repeat the gestures: "It wasn't me, I didn't do it."
Stephen punished me by forbidding me to eat for three days.
After that, he grew distant.
I tried to make myself invisible, throwing myself into my studies and avoiding him as much as possible.
During those lonely days, I cheered myself on. If I could just do well in school, I thought, I'd be able to stand on my own one day.
However, even that small solace wasn't something Phoebe was willing to let me have.
