Chapter 3

At the very next second, a crack rang out. In one swift motion, Wendy snapped the rowan branch in half, destroying the very thing that had protected me for over 20 years without any hesitation.

"Wendy!" I screamed in horror.

She tossed the two halves onto the floor and snorted. "You're deplorable, Nathan. I can't believe that a grown-ass man like you is still trying to steal your little brother's things.

"Whitney and I have both achieved so much success in our careers. And if you hadn't spent all your time scheming and plotting how to steal other people's things, our family would've risen through the ranks even more!

"All you do is fool around with junk like this. Who knows? Maybe you used some sort of nefarious trick to steal the spot in the postgraduate program from Jem. It's just as well that I destroyed it!"

With that, Wendy turned and walked away.

"Wendy! Wendy, come back! I'll really die in here!"

My desperate screams and shouts echoed off the walls of the attic, but music started playing downstairs, drowning out my anguished cries.

I couldn't remember when the music was turned off. All I remembered was sitting on the floor with my back against the door, feeling like I was about to die at any given moment.

Then, footsteps rang out, and my parents appeared at the door. They looked at me through the glass window. "Are you alright, Nate?"

"Dad! Mom! Save me! I want to get out!" I clung to the door. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

They couldn't see the dark energy and malevolent spirits swirling around me, but it was more than enough to completely crush my soul.

My parents exchanged a glance, and a hint of sympathy crossed their eyes. "We'll get you the key."

They walked off, and I waited.

Yet even after night fell, they never came back.

When I saw the maid that Whitney assigned to keep an eye on me walk up to the door, I looked at her and asked, "Where are my parents?"

"Just give it up. Mr. Jeremy broke down crying just now. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, along with Ms. Whitney and Ms. Wendy, failed to comfort him no matter how hard they tried, so they've decided to take him on a trip to Southview Beach. They've already left."

"What did you say…"

My hands slipped down the doorframe.

They had forgotten about me, and I didn't know if I could make it through the night.

…

It was Professor Graham who saved me. She'd come to the house and broken down the door to get me out.

After spending a full day and night being treated at the hospital, I could finally open my eyes again.

Professor Graham took my hand and thanked me repeatedly. "You told me not to let my daughter go out yesterday. Sure enough, the place she usually hangs out at suddenly collapsed into a sinkhole. You saved yet another one of my family members' lives again!

"When I couldn't get a hold of you yesterday, I got the feeling something was wrong. True enough…"

She gritted her teeth.

When the attic door was finally opened yesterday, even the people Whitney had sent to keep an eye on me couldn't help but gasp in shock.

I'd looked more dead than alive by that point.

I checked my phone and saw Jeremy's latest social media update. It was a photo taken at Southview Beach. His cotton shirt fluttered in the breeze, and his grin shone brightly beneath his sunglasses. Whitney and Wendy stood on either side of him, both smiling at the camera, too.

Even my parents were staring fondly at him.

The caption read, "Why would I ever feel hurt or slighted? When you have such a loving family beside you, you'll never suffer."

Professor Graham sighed. "I'll admit that I have a hard time treating both my children equally sometimes, but your family has shown a level of favoritism that is completely unfathomable!"

I put down my phone and clenched my fists tightly. "If they care so much about Jeremy, then I'll just have to make sure their darling son and brother suffers a crushing defeat at my hands."

It wasn't long before Mom summoned me to her study. "I heard that both you and Jem want to submit an entry to some science and technology award."

I nodded.

"Withdraw your entry. Jem needs to win the award to apply for a national award."

"So do I," I replied.

Mom frowned at me.