Chapter Two

Max came to a stop at the foot of the stairs as she heard that question. A familiar question she'd heard during the year that she lived here in her previous life. Every time she said something about how Karen kept taking her things. It got to the point where they asked, and she handed it over for peace within the family.

She couldn't stop herself as she laughed and pointed to herself. "I'm the troublemaker? Me?" She laughed harder as the family watched, thinking she had lost her mind. "I'm a troublemaker because I fight for what's mine, but it's okay when Karen wants what's mine? Double standards much?"

"It's not unreasonable. You owe her." Logic failed Max because she failed to see how Maxina owed Karen. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Karen stole Maxina's identity, and the family stood by and let it happen, forgetting that they even had a daughter until they heard her name being called on the street.

Bonnie was angry because her precious princess's character was being attacked. Karen was so gentle, obedient, and loyal, unlike Maxina, who was rude and distant. "When you returned to this family, you took away her identity that she has been using for ten years. What's wrong with giving her compensation?"

Max scoffed and walked towards Bonnie, leaning down to look her in the eyes. She wanted to slap her, but violence was never an answer until talking didn't work. "I took her identity? No, I took back my identity, as it was always mine. This family can pretend all you want, but the day will come when everything is returned to the rightful owner."

Max leaned close to Bonnie's right ear, whispering so only she could hear. "Secrets have a way of coming to the surface, no matter how deep they are buried. I hope you are prepared for when yours comes out. Be good, mother." Max stood back up and walked back to her original position as Bonnie's face turned ghostly. She stared at Max with terror-filled eyes, but no one noticed except for Jakob.

Jakob knew his wife, and knew she didn't spook easily, but something Max told her had her shook. He looked at Max and noticed that she didn't really look like the family. No one ever had red hair, and her eyes were the prettiest blue he had ever seen, but they held secrets. He told his wife that they should get a DNA test done before they brought her home, but Bonnie insisted that Max was her daughter. What would be the chances of a random girl about the same age as their daughter having the same name? 5 out of a million.

Gabe piped up, basically repeating the same shit that Theodore had said at the breakfast table. "Theodore already stated that he would give you better resources, but you are still refusing. Personally, I think you can't stand Karen."

At least he was right about something. Max couldn't stand Karen. For some reason, Karen wanted to ruin Max, which she assumed was the real Maxina. To make her a shadow in her own life.

Max looked at Gabe and gave him a thumbs up. "Looks like you aren't stupid after all because you are correct. I dislike Karen. I mean, wouldn't you dislike someone who took your identity and now clings to it, making trouble, and the family that is supposed to be on your side constantly takes the outsider's side? What would you do if that were you? Would you be able to stand by without saying a word?"

Karen couldn't believe what was going on. Max was standing her own against the family. What happened to her? Before, she was quiet. Basically, invisible unless Karen started crying, like she would do just to cause Max to be hated more. Now, Max had grown a sharp tongue and was unafraid to use it.

No one could say anything as they were utterly speechless. AGAIN! This wasn't the same Maxina they were used to dealing with. This one was like a vampire who snapped and now was sinking her fangs into everyone who dared to speak. They glanced at each other, trying to figure out who would be the brave one, but before anyone could speak, Max continued talking.

If this was her previous life, she would've been upset by how biased they were because all she could see was Maxina being treated as she had been. Led to her death by the same people who were supposed to love and care for her. Treat her like the little princess she was. "I've never seen any family more shameless than this one. You reunite with your daughter, and you openly treat her like shit. Let others talk about her, dragging her name through the mud. Is that love to you?!"

"Did I beg you to bring me to your home? To take me back in? To acknowledge me? No, that was all on your accord. I was fine by myself, as I had been for a while." Her master died when she was 16, but Max had a lot of money saved up from the hacking jobs that she would take on. She discovered she had a 'talent' for it when she was around 15. She stepped away from the dark web when the McDonald family took her into their home.

"Did I steal her identity, or did she steal what didn't belong to her? No, you adopted her and brought her into your home and replaced me entirely. She has enjoyed the blessings of that identity for 10 years. So, why should I compensate her? She should be the one who compensates me."

"Did I take her slot on the show? No, because it was already mine. It was a gift of gratitude from the director." Max's words were clear with coldness that was enough to freeze the air in the room. Someone had to stand up for Maxina because she wasn't here to do it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something she didn't believe was possible. A transparent Maxina was standing there with a smile on her face, watching her. Maxina seemed proud of Max and wasn't mad. She made the motion with her fingers, as if telling her to continue. So, she did without hesitation.

"I was three when Fred purposely let go of my hand because he saw a pretty girl, and that caused me to get lost. I was taken by human traffickers and was going to be sold!" She told Maxina's story as though it was her own, but only for the family to hear it. They needed to hear it.

"I never wanted the title of Heiress. All I wanted was to be loved and cared for, but you all weren't capable of loving more than one sister or daughter. I wanted to be with my family. This family failed." She watched as a lone tear slid down Maxina's face, and she hugged herself. No one could see her but Max. Max felt sad for her because she didn't get to know the love of a family or the love of anyone.

It was time to be done with the farce. This next part was for Maxina. Max would've been like her without a family or love, if not for her master. He was the one person who never failed her. With a clear voice, Max stated, "Today is the day I sever my ties with the McDonald family. You no longer have to worry about Karen's identity or me trying to get an ounce of your love. In the future, don't bother me, or I will retaliate."

Karen had a shot of joy run through her because she didn't expect Maxina to sever the bonds. She had to keep up the little princess act. So, she got up from Bonnie's arms with tears in her eyes and walked over to Max, grabbing her arm gently as she spoke with that apologetic voice. "Don't go, sister. I'm the adopted daughter. It's me who should go."

"I don't want that variety show slot anymore. Don't be mad. You'll hurt the family if you sever the bonds." A few tears dripped down her cheek as she looked at Max. Max felt nothing from this performance. Maybe it was heartfelt, but Max knew this was just for a show. Max decided to see if she could keep the show going.

Karen's words were really a threat to the family, as she used this 'retreat to advance' tactic too many times before, and the idiots were always falling for it. Max knew the moment that Karen's words landed because the family's eyes grew darker with contained rage.

Max smirked as she leaned down, whispering in Karen's ear where only she could hear, as Max rubbed the top of her head gently. "How do you think Jakob would react if he found out that you're Bonnie's daughter with another man? And to top that, you have a sickly twin. I would hate to expose that. Can you imagine what people would say?"

Max chuckled as she felt Karen's grip tighten slightly on her arm and her face turned pale. Max gently removed Karen's hand from her arm, brushing the spot clean as if she had been touched by something dirty, and stepped away.

"A question for Karen: why do you need my resources? All you need to do is ask the five ass kissers, and they would break their backs getting it for you. The little games you play, Little Fox, were unnecessary unless you didn't want me to shine like I knew I would've." Her words were harsh, but true. The brothers would've fought to get her the resources. All she had to do was grab their arm, look cute, and express her strong desire, but she just kept targeting Max.

Bonnie finally found her voice and stomped her foot as she got up to pull Karen away from her, pointing at Max. "Why are you so rude? Don't you have any manners?" Max laughed softly and chomped at Bonnie's finger, making her squeak, pulling it back fast.

"I have manners, but my master taught me that you can't talk to rude people like a normal person. They only understand their own language." Max smiled as Bonnie fell speechless again because, in the Max way, she just called them rude.

Jakob spoke up because something weighed on his mind. Looking at Max, he knew he couldn't feel a connection with her, but that's not what he wanted to ask. "Do you still blame us, Maxina? I blame Fred for letting your hand go because he was supposed to look out for you."

"I don't know what you went through, but do you blame us for not finding you in time?" Out of all the family members. Jakob didn't treat her that badly. He just neglected her. He was always working. At least that's what he told the family. Max knew what he was really doing. More like who he was doing.

"No, but I do resent all of you. You brought me back here. I tried to be a sister to Karen. I never wanted you all to treat me like Karen was treated, but I wanted more than what I got, which was contempt, complaints, and disdain for everything I did. Even if I was trying to help you. You never showed me love or kindness, but I showed it to you. Now, I see you weren't worthy of my love."

Max pulled out the bank card Jakob gave her when she stepped into the house for the first time. It was for her monthly allowance, which was $50 because Theodore was in charge of the allowance amount. In a total boss move, she flicked it onto the coffee table as she pulled out a small list, placing it down next to the card.

"Jakob, you gave me this a year ago, and I never touched a single cent on it. I transferred more money onto it to pay back what food and electricity I've used while I've been here. 10,000 dollars should be enough to cover everything. My calculations are on the piece of paper. I believe we are even now."

Jakob leaned forward and looked over everything, surprised by how little she really used, but her calculations were correct. They really did treat her badly. He couldn't believe this. He took the card and slid it into his pocket. He wanted to check something when he was alone.

Max nodded to him and, without hesitation, walked towards the door. Her footsteps were light and quiet against the marble flooring, and her head was held up. She paused only for a second to look at the corner where she saw Maxina's ghost, but it was gone. She smiled slightly as she wrapped her hand on the doorknob until a pair of arms wrapped around her. It was the first time she'd ever been hugged by one of them, but it was too late.

Fred's voice was soft in her ear as he released her and walked around to her side. " I never expected that the resentment was so strong in your heart to the point that, in the end, you can't forgive me or the family." He was right; the resentment in her heart was strong. He lost Maxina, and she died in Max's arms because she tried to escape wanting to get back to her big brother, Freddy Bear as she called him. She also resented them for letting her die in her previous life and treating her like dirt.