Chapter 3

I said nothing since he hadn’t given me a command to speak.

"Can you act normal for once?" Bailey’s voice suddenly rose in frustration. "Stop copying Maddie all the time! We wanted an obedient sister, not a damn robot!"

I looked at his face calmly. There was anger, agitation, and confusion.

I answered softly, "Please define 'normal.'"

The color drained from Bailey’s face. Dad and Mom didn’t look any better.

Dad immediately called the academy.

The person on the other end explained that this was a completely normal response to "deep behavioral correction" and that I would gradually recover in a few days.

"Unit 1314 is currently our academy’s top-performing student. Her obedience levels surpass even advanced AI models. There’s no need for concern. Everything is functioning normally."

Dad repeated the explanation after hanging up. Mom visibly relaxed.

Just like that, I became the most useful thing in the house.

When Mom told me to wash dishes, I cleaned them more thoroughly than Maddison ever could.

When Dad told me to move flower pots, I carried every single one across the yard by myself.

When Bailey asked me to pick up his packages, I ran faster than a trained dog.

Mom even laughed once and said, "Lola’s become more useful than Maddie now."

Everyone agreed, until the night Bailey forgot to power me down.

The entire house fell asleep. I remained sitting on the living room couch. From sunset to sunrise, I never moved once.

The next morning, Mom came downstairs and found me sitting in the exact same position as the night before. Her face turned pale. The mug in her hand slipped to the floor and shattered.

Later that afternoon, a woman in a white coat arrived at the house. She introduced herself as Dr. Claire Kirby. Her voice was gentle as she said, "Hello, Lola."

I didn’t respond.

Mom stood nearby, anxiously wringing her hands. "You have to give her commands first. Otherwise, she won’t answer you."

Dr. Kirby glanced at Mom, a faint crease forming between her brows.

"Tell me your name." This time, she used a directive sentence.

"Unit 1314."

The tip of Dr. Kirby’s pen paused against the paper. "What about your real name?"

"Lola Matthews. However, that is a former designation. Academy regulations require graduates to use their assigned unit numbers as official identification."

The room went deathly silent, and Dr. Kirby froze completely. My family’s expressions turned uglier by the second.

Soon after, they all went into the study to talk. I could only catch fragments through the closed door.

"Post-traumatic stress..."

"Dissociation..."

"Long-term treatment..."

After that day, the atmosphere inside the house changed. Everyone started treating me carefully, almost cautiously.

Then came Maddison’s birthday, or rather, the day the family made a difficult decision. They were sending Maddison away. This would be her final birthday in the Matthews household.

The living room was filled with balloons, and a two-tier cake sat in the center of the table.

Maddison walked toward me slowly, still wearing that same soft smile. "Happy birthday, Lola."

I blinked once. Something inside my mind shifted slightly.

Today was my birthday too, but nobody remembered.

Three years ago, on this exact day, they shoved me into a car and sent me away to the academy. Before leaving, I had cried and asked Mom if I could at least stay long enough to eat my birthday cake. She told me I could have cake after I learned how to behave and came home again.

I learned how to behave, but I never got the cake.

Then Maddison suddenly smiled at me and said, "Lola, the definition of normal... is pushing away the people you dislike. You should push me. Just like you did three years ago."

I stared into her eyes.

Something flickered there beneath her usual sweetness. For the first time, her face no longer looked gentle, but she had given me a definition of "normal".

Slowly, I placed my hand on her shoulder. I still didn’t push her yet.