Chapter 9

[What a poor girl, dead at such a young age!]

[Her brother is a monster. That whole family is sick.]

The school expelled Neville, revoking his medals and stripping his honors.

His "bright future" vanished.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" He sobbed outside the school, snot and tears smearing his face. "I'm a genius! Second in the city! You can't expel me!"

No one cared.

People pointed at him, mocking him as though he were a clown.

"That's the creep who wished his sister dead."

"Stay away from that twisted kid."

"He's a walking disaster."

Neville covered his face and ran home, where reporters swarmed the gate.

"Neville, how do you feel about your sister's death?"

"Did you really want her dead?"

"Do you stand by what you said?"

Camera flashes captured his humiliation.

At home, the outrageously expensive smart study space felt like a cruel joke.

High-tech gadgets gleamed, but they couldn't save a young girl.

Otis sat among piles of cash, his hands covering his face. "