Chapter 2

The next day was Saturday.

I dressed by myself early and went downstairs.

Nora Mercer was already awake in the living room.

She was wiping dust from the coffee table with a cloth.

Mom carried breakfast from the kitchen, saw her, and quickly took the cloth away. "Nora, you're our guest. You don't need to do chores. Wash your hands and get ready to eat."

"Mrs. Johnston, I'm used to helping at home. Children should help adults." Nora bowed properly and spoke in a soft voice.

Mom turned toward me as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

I stood there, curling my toes inside my slippers.

I wanted to help too, but I did not even know where the cleaning cloths were kept.

"Lily, come eat." Dad walked out of the study and pulled out a chair.

Breakfast was fried eggs and toast.

Nora sat perfectly straight and took tiny bites of toast without dropping a single crumb.

The edge of my fried egg was slightly burned. Before, I would have shouted until Dad made another one.

I picked up my fork, cut off the blackened edge, and put it in my mouth.

It tasted bitter.

"Lily," Dad said suddenly.

My hand shook, and the fork struck the ceramic plate with a sharp clink.

"Daddy, I'm not being picky," I explained quickly.

Dad looked at me with a complicated expression and pushed a cup of warm water toward me.

Nora immediately stood, lifted the cup in both hands, and handed it to him. "Mr. Johnston, you flew for so many hours yesterday. Warm water is good for your stomach."

Dad paused and accepted it. "Thank you, Nora."

I stared at the cup as tears gathered quickly in my eyes.

A system panel flashed in the lower corner of my vision.

[Replacement affection increased. Host's living space is being compressed.]

After breakfast, Mom needed to rehearse at the dance studio.

Nora ran over and packed Mom's scattered ballet shoes into their bag, pulling the zipper closed carefully.

"Mrs. Johnston, your shoes are beautiful. I want to learn ballet one day too."

Mom smiled and stroked her hair. "You're such a good girl, Nora."

The words good girl rang painfully in my ears.

Mom used to call only me good.

I ran back to my bedroom and locked the door.

I opened the closet, crawled inside, and curled myself into the smallest shape possible.

Nora's voice drifted in from outside. "Mr. Johnston, does Lily dislike me? I could give her my cloth doll."

Dad answered immediately. "That's not it. Lily is stubborn. Don't worry about her."

Stubborn.

That was how Dad described me now.

I covered my ears because I did not want to hear more.

Grandma returned that afternoon.

She sat on the couch, smiling as Nora massaged Dad's shoulders.

"Adrian, look how thoughtful Nora is. She's nothing like your little tyrant, who only knows how to demand things and never thinks about anyone else."

"Mom, Lily is still young," Dad tried to interrupt.

"Young? Nora is only a year older. You should make her your goddaughter. Both of you are always working, and having an easy child in the house would make your lives simpler."

I hid behind the upstairs railing and gripped the wooden banister until my fingers hurt.

Make her their goddaughter.

They would build a new family and welcome an obedient new child. Every word of the system's prediction was coming true.

Nora looked up and met my eyes.

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

My hands and feet turned cold, and I ran back to my room.

I opened the storage chest and found a pair of child-safe scissors.

Standing before the mirror, I grabbed the long hair Mom had always cared for so carefully.

Nora's hair was short and neat.

I closed my eyes and cut.

Large clumps of hair fell to the floor.

I stared at the ugly child in the mirror with uneven hair while tears rolled down my face.

If I changed, if I stopped causing trouble, maybe they would not make me leave.