Chapter 3

After dinner, I had just picked up my comforter and was about to settle onto the couch when Avery suddenly stepped in front of me.

"One of my friends is coming over later, and she's staying for a couple of nights. What is she supposed to think if she sees you sleeping out here?"

I looked at her. "So what if she sees me? Why does it matter?"

Avery pursed her lips. "Who knows what people will say if word gets around? They'll probably start telling everyone you're being mistreated."

"So you're aware that this isn't fair to me," I retorted.

That shut her up.

She glared at me before turning around to get Mom and Dad involved.

The two of them came out moments later, and without even asking what had happened, they immediately scolded me.

"Avery's only trying to protect our reputation. Why do you have to turn everything into an argument?"

"Clary, are you part of this family or not?"

I'd spent three years being left out. Yet the moment they needed me to make a sacrifice and keep quiet about it, I was suddenly a part of the family.

I looked calmly at Avery. "Where is your friend going to sleep?"

"With me, obviously," she answered without hesitation.

"Then if I can't sleep on the couch, where am I supposed to go?"

Mom and Dad answered almost immediately, "We'll get you a hotel room."

As it turned out, that was where I stood with them. Even a guest mattered more than I did. But this time, I didn't want to argue.

"Fine," I said.

I went out to the balcony, gathered my suitcase and everything else I owned, then headed for the door.

My train left the following afternoon. Once I checked out of the hotel, I could head straight to the station. There would be no reason to come back here again.

Mom sent me the reservation information and glanced at my suitcase and backpack. "You're only staying there for a couple of nights. Why are you taking all your stuff?" she asked.

"It was cluttering up the balcony," I replied casually.

Mom and Dad looked like they were about to ask something else when Clarence came rushing out and pulled them away.

"The designer sent me two different layouts for the gaming room. Come help me decide which one looks better."

I watched the four of them crowd together around his phone, then turned and left.

The moment the front door closed behind me, I found myself thinking about three years ago.

Back then, I'd also been standing outside with a suitcase in tow and a backpack over my shoulders. Only then, I had been full of excitement about finally starting a new life with my family.

Now, all I wanted was to get as far away from them as possible.

The hotel was right outside our neighborhood.

The moment I unlocked my room and stepped inside, a musty smell hit me. I immediately opened the windows, but even after airing the place out for a long time, the odor refused to disappear.

The peeling paint and run-down room made me uneasy.

Then, I remembered all the warnings I'd seen online about hidden cameras in hotel rooms. Following one of the safety guides I'd seen before, I started checking the room.

To my horror, I found a hidden camera in the bathroom that was pointed directly at the shower. A chill ran down my spine, and the realization that someone might have been secretly watching the room left me terrified.

My hands started shaking, and I instinctively called my parents.

No one answered.

It wasn't until my third call that they finally picked up.

"Mom… it's not safe here. I found a hidden camera in the bathroom…"

The other end of the call was so noisy that I couldn't tell whether she'd heard me clearly.

I was about to repeat myself when Mom cut me off impatiently, "Then call the police. Avery's throwing a welcome party for her friend, and I'm really busy right now. Clary, you're not a little kid anymore. When something happens, you need to learn how to deal with it yourself."

With that, she ended the call.

I listened to the disconnect tone in my ear, and the last sliver of hope I'd still been holding onto finally vanished.

After taking a while to steady myself, I called 911.

I was too scared to stay inside the room, so I left immediately and waited in the hallway with the door open.

Those ten minutes felt endless.

Once the officers arrived, they examined the room and collected evidence. Then, they took me to the police station so I could give a formal statement.

By the time I'd finished the paperwork and was ready to leave, it was almost midnight.

I stared out at the darkness beyond the station, still shaken from the incident.

One of the officers noticed how tense I was and asked whether I needed a ride home. He said he could drop me off on his way, but I shook my head.

That place wasn't my home anymore.

"Officer, could you take me to the train station instead?" I asked.