Chapter 4

Grandma didn't even glance at the wreck. Instead, she lifted her chin with pride.

"So what if some girl outside the Morgan family died? Yale can do no wrong in my eyes. Why are you sticking your nose into this?"

I stared at her in shock.

So she had known Yale was coming here to hit Sophie today.

But Sophie was her own granddaughter too.

My chest tightened painfully as the truth finally sank in. This was who the Morgan family really was.

Still, one question kept nagging at me.

Who was the girl who had died?

And why had she been riding in the car that was supposed to take Sophie?

"Grandma, what if it were one of the Morgans lying dead in that car? Would you still talk about it like it was nothing?"

Her face changed instantly.

She slapped me hard across the face.

"Watch your mouth, you wretched girl! Don't you dare curse this family. You could drop dead, and the Morgans would still be perfectly fine!"

Then something seemed to occur to her, and she turned sharply to Laura.

"Call Daniel. Ask if Rachel made it to the interview."

The phone rang only a few times before he answered.

"Daniel? Are you and Rachel at the interview site yet?"

His impatient voice came through the speaker.

"Do you have to bother me over everything? She's taking an exam, not going to war. Why would I need to drive her? I told her to go on her own."

He hung up before Laura could say anything else.

For the first time, unease crept across Grandma's face.

"Rachel went alone? What if something happened to her?"

Laura didn't seem worried at all. She even took the opportunity to sneer at Sophie.

"Our Rachel is nothing like that unlucky girl. She's not going to get herself killed in some car accident."

I had no interest in arguing with her anymore. I turned and started toward the wrecked sedan.

Laura immediately panicked.

"Stop her! She's going to the interview site to ruin everything! We can't let her mess things up for Rachel!"

"What could she possibly do there? Is showing up somehow going to stop Rachel from taking the interview?" Grandma said flippantly.

Laura nearly shouted in frustration.

"If she makes a scene at the interview site and it comes up in the background check, Rachel could lose the job!"

Understanding dawned on Grandma's face. She whipped around and glared at Megan.

"Look at the ungrateful daughter you raised! This is what happens when they don't even carry our family name. Outsiders will always be outsiders!"

Mom's face flushed with humiliation.

Then she stormed over and kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Yale already told you he didn't mean to do it! Why won't you let this go?

"Rachel worked so hard to come in second. Why are you so determined to ruin this for her? Would it kill you to let her get the job? Sophie is your sister, and Rachel is your cousin. They're both family, so why are you treating them so differently?"

Her expression twisted with anger.

"If I'd known you'd grow up this vicious, I should've strangled you the day you were born!"

She put everything she had into that kick.

I staggered back several steps, my stomach twisting with pain, and let out a bitter laugh.

Strangled me at birth?

Maybe she should have.

When I was little and our families ate together, Rachel would throw a tantrum whenever she didn't like the food and dump everything she refused to eat into my bowl.

The first time I tried to say no, one of the adults slapped me.

"You're already becoming a picky eater at your age? If Rachel gives it to you, you eat it!"

Then, in high school, Sophie once came home thrilled because she'd ranked first in her entire grade.

We rushed to tell Mom the good news.

Her response was immediate.

"Get on your knees! Who told you to score that high? Rachel's at home crying because of you. From now on, you're not allowed to rank above her!"

And now, apparently, making way for the Morgans wasn't enough.

We were expected to give them our lives too.

Maybe Mom was right. If that was all we were born for, she might as well have strangled us at birth.

I closed my eyes for a moment and made up my mind.

Then I turned toward the wrecked car.

I was going to find out exactly who they had killed.