Chapter 2

With Theodore and Lily coaxing me, I ended up sleeping in an actual bed that night, which left me deeply unsettled.

That uneasy feeling turned out to be right on the money. The next day, Nolan kicked my bedroom door open.

"Luna! Look at what you did!"

I instinctively tried to crawl toward the trash can, but he grabbed me and slammed me down on the bed.

His expression was stormy, and he raised a hand to slap me.

"Don't you dare play innocent with me. Mom and Dad might buy it, but I don't.

"If you hadn't handed Bella that bouquet on purpose at the banquet this morning, why would she be in the ICU right now with a pollen allergy attack?"

Damian gently caught Nolan's hand before it could land on my face.

"Mr. Nolan, Ms. Luna sent the dog to attend the banquet in her place today. She said she didn't feel she deserved to be present at such a lavish event."

Nolan froze for a second, then raised his voice even louder.

"Then she must have put the cake with flower petals Bella's allergic to onto her plate at lunch. That's what triggered the reaction!"

Damian calmly moved his hand back to his side. "Ms. Luna ate lunch with the dog. She said she didn't feel she deserved to sit at the table with the rest of the family."

Nolan gritted his teeth. "Then she must've snuck those flowers into Bella's bedroom this afternoon on purpose, and that's what put her in the ICU!"

Damian started to calmly reply again. "Ms. Luna was..."

"Shut up!" Nolan snapped, cutting him off.

He whipped around to glare at me, undisguised disgust churning in his eyes.

"Luna, I don't care if you're actually crazy or just faking it. You'd better remember this. In this family, Bella is the one we've chosen. And you? You've never deserved any of it."

He stormed out and slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing through the room.

I stared blankly at the space where he'd been, his words looping over and over in my head.

I didn't deserve anything.

That made the eighth time I'd heard those words. It also marked my eighth time being reborn.

The first time, it was because Bella's dog went missing. I got locked in a dog cage as punishment and dragged behind a car.

Right as my consciousness was fading, I heard her voice drift down from somewhere high above me, laughing and teasing.

"All of this is mine. Some people are just born to be dogs, not people."

The second time, it was because dirt from my clothes had gotten on her bedroom floor. My punishment was being hung upside down outside the window.

By the time the rain and blood were falling together, all she did was look down at me and curl her lip.

"So what if you're back? You still don't deserve to walk on this floor. If you ask me, hanging out there suits you just fine. At least you won't be dirtying up the air in the house."

The third time, the fourth time... every time, I tried to change things.

I tried winning everyone over. I tried fighting back. I tried running.

At first, it seemed to work. But no matter what I did, it always ended with those same words—I didn't deserve anything.

Every time I opened my eyes again, I was right back here. No matter what I did, I couldn't escape it.

I looked at Damian, confused but sincere. "Am I still not putting myself low enough? Why is everyone still so unhappy with me?"

Damian asked respectfully, "Ms. Luna, why would you need to lower yourself at all?"

I blinked and answered quietly. "Because I already know I don't deserve anything."

I leaned in a little closer and lowered my voice. "And besides, if I don't know my place, I'll die."

Damian looked up at me, and something like confusion flickered across his eyes.