I'll Be Good for You

Back in my room, I sat on the bed and cried quietly, my eyes fixed on the family photo sitting on the dresser. That was the happiest time of my life.Back then, the four of us were still packed into that little, worn-down house before Mom and Dad turned the business into something bigger.Dad used to pick Miley and me up from school every day, sneaking hot dogs for us. Mom, on the other hand, always made us eat those awful vegetables, insisting they were good for our health.Back then, Miley laughed all the time. She was everyone's little ray of sunshine. However, after Mom and Dad died, I never saw her smile again.I didn't even remember how I ended up falling asleep that night. My pillow was soaked when I woke up.…At exactly 5:00 am the next day, I got up, washed, and sat at the dining table.Those were the rules at the residential treatment center. They drilled so deep into me that it felt like breaking them would trigger a punishment I could never wake up from.Even thoug

Suddenly, the images from that day came rushing back. I remembered the counselor dragging me out of bed and hauling me across the gravel all the way to the therapy room.Sharp stones tore into my legs, leaving them bloody, and my scalp burned from how hard she was yanking my hair.But that was only the start of the nightmare. She strapped me to some kind of torture device, tore my clothes off, and then came the shocks, again and again.Every time I blacked out, she'd dump ice-cold water on me to jolt me awake, so that she could do it all over again."No, the counselors didn't hit me. They didn't."I shook my head frantically, the memories crashing back and sending violent tremors through my body. The sheer terror on my face left everyone in the private room shocked.Miley marched straight up to me and yanked up my sleeve, revealing the scars snaking across my skin, some still freshly scabbed."What is this?" she asked.Tears spilled down her cheeks almost instantly. Her hands shook as

After hanging up, Miley hit play on the videos the center's director had sent her. I stood beside her, watching every second.The footage showed me getting into a fight with someone else, then later curled up in a corner, hurting myself and screaming threats at a counselor.But I knew damn well that wasn't me. They'd deepfaked my face onto someone else's body using AI.These videos didn't surprise me one bit. I knew exactly how they operated. Back at the center, they made it clear that they had countless ways to keep us quiet.After watching the videos, Miley hurled her phone at my face. She jabbed a finger at me, yelling, "You lied to me again, Delia! Seriously, have you ever told me the truth about anything? How am I supposed to trust you now?"You got into a fight with another resident and ended up hurting yourself. Then, you had the nerve to self-harm just to threaten the counselor? And after all that, you still had the gall to accuse them of abuse? What the hell is wrong with

Miley and I sat on the couch, watching a comedy and snacking in front of the TV. For a moment, it felt like I'd been thrown back seven years.But before long, Miley got a call and had to rush to the office. Before she left, she promised she'd be home in time for dinner.I stayed where I was, staring blankly at the screen as the same comedy kept playing on a loop.Over the past year, I hadn't had any real entertainment. Somehow, I'd grown used to a life filled with blank stares and silence.Zoning out became my only escape—the only thing that dulled the pain, whether it was physical or the kind that gnawed at my heart.…That night, I heard Miley come home. I rushed to the door, my eyes instantly locking onto her hands. They were empty.She'd forgotten my birthday."Lia, why are you waiting by the door? Are you hungry? I'm sorry. The work was insane today. I had to stay late."The hope in my eyes flickered out. The loneliness underneath was too raw to hide.As Miley stood ther

Epilogue - Miley's Point-of-ViewSteve was sentenced to death. Before the execution, I went to see him one last time.Through the iron bars, he taunted, "Miley, you cost me the career I cared about most, and I cost you the sister you loved most. Guess we're even."I didn't take the bait. Instead, I kept my voice calm as I replied, "Steve, according to your plan, your wife, son, and parents should be safely out of the country by now, right?"His eyes went bloodshot. He gripped the bars, roaring, "What the hell do you mean? Miley, what did you do to them? I'll fucking kill you!"I sneered and didn't bother answering. The fear of the unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.Steve's parents had been neck-deep in murder and body disposal for years. His wife had conspired with foreign agents to smuggle contraband. And his son? Just a year ago, he'd killed a classmate and faked his age to escape justice.Did they really think they could vanish abroad and live out their days in lux