Chapter 6

“Yes, Lily,” Mary said softly, trying to calm me down. “Emily has always been a little troublemaker. I’ll talk to her next time.”

Ben turned to Mr. Wilson. “There are still two chances left. Hurry up and make her recall where Emily went.”

“Please don’t worry, Mr. Zeller,” Mr. Wilson said confidently. “Miss Lily has been very cooperative. We’ll get results soon.”

My parents and Steve said nothing more. After a short rest, they sat down again and put their helmets back on.

Mr. Wilson gently wiped away my tears and began another round of hypnosis.

“Miss Lily,” he said in a calm voice, “you and Miss Emily are sisters. Tell me, what is the one thing you remember most clearly about her?”

The thing I remembered most clearly?

My memories began to blur, and the dream twisted into chaos. I couldn’t steady it right away because there were too many moments burned into my mind, each one sharp and impossible to forget.

They surfaced in fragments, scattered and broken.

One after another, the memories began to flash before me.

“What’s wrong with me smoking, huh? If you dare tell Mom and Dad, I’ll kill you!”

Outside the school gates, Emily had been smoking when I caught her. She grabbed me by the collar and cursed at me.

I swore I wouldn’t tell anyone. She smiled sweetly, then suddenly lifted my skirt. “I believe you won’t snitch, but I still have to teach you a lesson. I’m wearing a skirt today too, so you shouldn’t be.”

Before I could react, she pressed the lit cigarette into my thigh.

There was a sharp sizzle, followed by smoke rising from my skin. I screamed in pain as she laughed.

“Not bad, huh? You’ve got nice legs. That burn looks perfect!”

*

“Hey, it’s raining outside. My nightgown blew off the balcony. Go get it.”

It was pouring that night. Emily stood by the door, smirking as I reached for an umbrella.

She snatched it from my hand and shoved me outside. “You’re just a filthy stray dog. What do you need an umbrella for? Go on, get wet.”

The door slammed behind me. I stood there, drenched from head to toe, while she laughed from inside.

*

“You little brat. I’ll give you a hundred grand if you go back to that small town you came from. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

Emily was always trying to get rid of me.

She tried threats, bribes, and even pretending to be nice, but I refused to go.

Her temper finally broke. “So you’re staying? You really think you’re some kind of princess? Let me tell you something. I’m the only princess in this house. Get on your knees.”

She loved making me kneel. Maybe it made her feel powerful.

When I refused, she didn’t hit me or yell. She just smiled, took out a stack of cash, and waved it in front of me.

“Kneel and bow, and it’s yours.”

I bit my lip, took the money, and did as she said.

She laughed loud and hard. “You little money-grubber. Looks like I don’t even need to try with you. All it takes is cash. And that’s one thing I’ve got plenty of.”

Yes. For money, I would do anything.

“Enough!”

The voice cut through the dream.

Steve tore off his headset and shouted, “What on earth is this, Mr. Wilson? You really think these memories are real? That liar is slandering Emily!”

My parents pulled off their helmets too, their faces pale with shock.

Mr. Wilson bowed respectfully. “In theory, memories can’t be fabricated.”

“Ugh!” Steve kicked a chair, speechless with rage.

Ben’s expression was hard and unreadable. After a long silence, he finally said, “Lily brought this on herself. She didn’t fight back because she wanted the money. That only encouraged Emily’s behavior.”

Mary nodded and sighed. “That’s true. Emily was young and liked to tease people, but Lily shouldn’t have let her. In a way, she’s at fault too.”