Chapter 3

I stayed locked in there all day. It wasn't until the following evening that the door finally opened.

The livestream comments were still coming in.

"She said she'd show us her life for three days, and she's already spent almost all of day two locked in a closet. This is getting boring."

"There's still one day left. I want to see what this big reveal she promised us is supposed to be."

"Come out and change your clothes," Mom said. "Your dad's home. It's his birthday, so don't ruin tonight for everyone."

I nodded and followed her into the living room, moving as if I were barely there.

Mom looked at me and sighed helplessly. "Lie after lie, every single day. I honestly don't know who you take after."

Richard Cole smiled when he saw me come out, the deep lines around his face shifting with the expression.

He even pretended to take my side.

"She's grown up. She's bound to have an attitude sometimes," he said mildly. "And you shouldn't keep locking her in there every time she acts out."

The sound of his voice made my stomach turn.

That night, the clock had just struck midnight when we sat down for his birthday dinner.

The dining table was covered with food. Richard sat at the head, with Mom and my brother, Jared Cole, on the other side.

And somehow, the seat beside him had been saved for me.

He carved off a piece of roast beef and placed it on my plate.

My fingers began to tremble uncontrollably. It looked exactly like the piece he'd put on my plate four years ago.

Except that night, he'd drugged it.

"Go on, eat," Richard said. "I remember how much you like it."

His eyes narrowed as they traveled slowly over me. Then his mouth stretched into a grin, revealing yellow-stained teeth.

Mom and Jared didn't notice, but the livestream did.

"Okay... Did anyone else see the way he just looked at her? That did not look like a father looking at his daughter."

"You're reading way too much into it. Don't tell me you're actually starting to believe this girl."

My stomach churned again, acid burning its way up my throat.

I doubled over. And without warning, I threw up all over the platter of roast beef.

Richard's fork froze halfway to his mouth.

Then he shot to his feet and kicked the table over. It happened so fast that Mom and Jared didn't even have time to react.

Plates crashed to the floor. The birthday cake went with them, leaving frosting and food scattered everywhere.

Richard pointed at me, his face twisted with rage. "I put a roof over your head! I feed you, I pay for everything you have, and this is how you repay me? By doing something this disgusting at my birthday dinner?"

I stood there, white as a sheet, unable to get a single word out.

Jared rounded on me, practically spitting the words in my face. "What is wrong with you? We're trying to have dinner! Did you seriously do that on purpose just to ruin Dad's birthday?"

Richard let out a cold scoff before turning his anger on Mom. "Look at the daughter you raised. I never should've agreed to let her live under my roof in the first place."

Mom glared at me, resentment written all over her face.

More and more viewers were flooding into the livestream now, and the few comments questioning Richard's behavior were quickly buried.

"This girl is disgusting. Who deliberately ruins someone's birthday like that?"

"I actually feel sorry for her stepdad. Imagine taking care of someone for years just for her to treat you like this. Kick her out already!"

My stomach was still cramping. I pressed a hand against it and tried to explain. "I feel sick. I really can't eat."

The words had barely left my mouth when Mom grabbed me by the ear and hissed furiously, "You're lying again! You did that on purpose! How could you treat your father like this? How did I end up with a daughter like you?"

She shoved me to the floor.

My palm came down on a shard from one of the broken plates. When I lifted my hand, a thin line of blood had already begun to seep from the cut.

Mom brushed my hand aside without a second glance, then turned to Richard with an apologetic smile. "Richard, don't let her ruin your birthday. I'll go get you another cake."

Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Then, out of nowhere, he pulled some cash from his wallet and handed it to Jared. "Here. Run to the store for me. Buy me some cigarettes."

I barely noticed the pain in my hand anymore.

With trembling fingers, I caught hold of Mom's sleeve. "Mom, please. Don't leave me alone with him..."

Then I looked desperately at Jared. "Jared, please. Stay with me."

He hesitated, but Mom grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.

The moment they were gone, I ran to my bedroom and locked the door behind me.

I found the notebook, pulled it from its hiding place, and held it up to the hidden camera. "Everything I've been hiding… It's all in here."

The words had barely left my mouth when Richard called from the other side of the door, telling me to come out.

I opened it and found him waiting there, watching me with a look that made every instinct in my body scream at me to run.

I tried to slip past him and head for the living room, but I only made it a few steps before his hand clamped around my wrist.

Goosebumps broke out across my skin.

He leaned in too close, then reached for the collar of my shirt. "Don't play innocent with me. You weren't putting up much of a fight when you were eighteen."

I struggled desperately, doing everything I could to keep the hidden camera recording what was happening.

When Richard turned his attention away from me for a moment, I seized the chance to dodge past him.

But I stepped on one of the broken pieces still scattered across the living room floor and lost my balance.

Richard shoved me away.

I fell hard, striking the side of my head as I hit the floor.

Pain shot through me, and everything seemed to blur.

I tried to move, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

Richard looked down at me and cursed under his breath. By then, whatever he'd been planning to do had clearly been forgotten.

The front door opened.

Then I heard Mom's voice. "What happened?"

Richard answered before I could. "She started throwing another tantrum. I tried to stop her, but she fell."

I forced the words out. "He... pushed me..."

Mom immediately snapped at me, "Another lie! You obviously fell on your own! What if this leaves a scar? Have you even thought about that?"

I wanted to tell her how badly I was hurt.

But those two words had taken every ounce of strength I had left.

Mom called out to Jared. "Help her into bed. She just needs to rest for a while. I'm not paying for another trip to the hospital."

And just like that, Jared helped me back to my room and laid me on the bed.

Outside the door, I could still hear Mom complaining. Calling me a liar. Saying all I ever did was cause trouble for her.

Her voice gradually faded. So did everything else.

When I became aware of my surroundings again, something felt different.

I was looking down at the bedroom from somewhere above, at my own motionless figure lying on the bed, my face unnaturally pale.

But Mom had already closed the door. She had no idea how badly I was hurt.

I could still hear Mom outside, muttering angrily to herself, complaining that I was the same compulsive liar I'd been since I was a child.

I gave a bitter smile and turned my attention to the livestream.

After a stunned silence, the chat suddenly erupted.

"Wait, she wasn't lying this time! She's seriously hurt!"

"Medical student here. This is really bad. Someone needs to get to her now."

"I've been saying this since the beginning! She never ate that candy! The wrappers were there, but we never actually saw her eat any of it. She was telling the truth!"

"I called the police. What is wrong with this family?"

I didn't know how much time passed before someone began pounding on the front door.

"Police! Open the door!"