Chapter 2

Not long after I returned to the shelter on the island, Helen came back supporting Ivan, who was still pretending to have a broken leg.

He had changed back into his old, tattered shirt, while Helen had put on pale lipstick that made her look sickly.

When she saw that I had returned empty-handed, she looked surprised. "Nina, you're back so soon? Weren't you out looking for food?"

I suppressed my anger and shook my head. "I didn't find anything today."

Ivan frowned and said, "You used to stay out until sunset. Why did you come back early today?"

Helen's eyes turned red immediately. "Ivan, don't blame Nina. It's all my fault. I can't go on without eating, or I'll faint."

She firmly gripped my wrist as her tears fell onto the ground.

"Nina, could you please go look again? Anything is fine," she requested.

In the past, words like that always got to me.

I used to pity her, thinking how hard it must have been for a young woman to end up stranded here all alone. After all, I still had my brother and Ivan. I had even told her to think of me as family and that my family was hers, too.

But what did I get in return?

I pulled my hand away from Helen's grip, my face expressionless.

"Haven't you eaten enough already?" I mocked.

Helen froze for a second before quickly composing herself.

Ivan's brows knitted together. "She hasn't eaten since this morning. It's been hours. You know she has low blood sugar. Without food, she won't make it through tomorrow. If my leg weren't injured, I would have gone out to find food myself."

I stared at Ivan and smiled wryly.

He used to be the boy who saved every bit of his allowance to buy me a birthday gift, the boy who promised he would marry me when we grew up. But now, he felt like a stranger.

I pointed at the starchy root lying on the stone and said to Helen, "You can eat that."

I had spent two hours digging it up until my fingernails bled. I couldn't bring myself to eat it, yet Helen had taken one bite, complained that it was too tough, and tossed it aside.

Ivan's Favoritism Meter increased by several points. If I kept this up, I would have enough points to leave the place soon.

Before Ivan could say anything else, John walked out from the bushes. His fake bruises looked even more exaggerated than before.

When he saw me, his cracked lips pulled into a guilty smile.

"Nina, I'm sorry. I failed again. I couldn't find any food today, so we'll have to rely on you," he said.

I had never realized how good John was at acting. Without saying a single word, I walked toward the water I had carefully saved.

I reached for a coconut shell to scoop up some water and clean the wounds from my fall. Just then, Ivan limped over and stopped me.

"Fresh water is precious. Are you really going to waste it just to clean some minor scrapes?"

John handed me some dry grass and said, "Just wipe them with this, Nina."

I scoffed, "Helen can use the water to bathe, but I can't use it to clean my wounds?"

Without hesitation, I scooped up the water and poured it over myself. I kept going until the last drop was gone.

Before either of them could react, the water container was empty. Their faces all darkened at once.

I heard Helen whisper, "Nina loses five points."

The Favoritism Meter above John's and Ivan's heads immediately rose.

John's expression turned serious as he signaled a minus sign toward the hidden camera.

Then I remembered what had happened before.

Helen had claimed that her skin allergies were severe and asked if she could use the fresh water to bathe.

I had agreed.

John had smiled proudly, patted my head, and told me I had grown up. Then he gestured to Ivan, signaling him to add five points for me.

At the time, I didn't understand what those gestures meant.

Later, when we found the supplies at the fake plane crash site, Helen was the first to take the cotton clothes.

"Nina, I'm allergic to polyester. Can I have the clothes?" she asked.

I agreed again.

John then raised five fingers toward the tree, signaling another five points for me.

That was when I finally understood that everything I did was being scored.

If I treated Helen well, I gained points, causing the Favoritism Meter above their heads to fall.

If I treated her badly, I lost points, and the meter rose.

Fine. If they wanted to play this game, then I'd play along.

With bloodshot eyes, I charged forward and slapped Helen hard across the face.

So what if I lost points? Let them deduct as many as they wanted!