Chapter 2 The Perfect Trap

Andrew locked himself in his room.

I dragged over a little stool and sat outside his door. The door was old, so I could hear even the slightest sound coming from inside.

He was crying, trying hard to keep his voice down.

I clutched his phone, my heart aching. I knew why Andrew had such blind faith in Olivia.

My father was always telling him that he couldn't afford to let his grades slip. At the same time, my mother was always reminding him that he was the older brother and needed to know better.

So, he didn't even dare to cry at home when his classmates bullied him at school.

One day, Olivia came along.

She told him, "Andrew, you're good enough. You're not a bad person. You're the kindest person I've ever met. You just haven't met anyone who truly understands you."

He'd been hearing things like that for months. Eventually, he thought he'd found his soulmate. However, I knew it wasn't love. It was all a carefully planned scam, designed to prey on someone like him.

I knocked gently on the door. "Andrew, don't cry. I'll cut you an apple."

His voice came out hoarse. "I don't want one."

"Then, I'll get you some water."

"No."

Silence settled behind the door for a few seconds.

Then, Andrew spoke again. "Give me my phone."

I hugged it tighter. "No."

"I already told her I'm not going."

"You're lying."

Andrew didn't answer.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated. Olivia had sent another message. I opened the voice message and played it.

"Andrew, your little brother is just a kid. He doesn't understand you. He's just afraid he'll have no one to play with if you leave. Don't let a child dictate your life. Let's run away together. That way they won't be able to control our lives anymore."

My cheeks burned with anger. I raised my voice so he could hear me through the door.

"Andrew, she's definitely up to no good! If she really loves you, she should come to our house herself. She should talk to Mom and Dad. She shouldn't tell you to sneak out, and she definitely shouldn't ask you to run away with her!"

The door flew open.

Andrew stood in the doorway, his eyes swollen from crying. "You think I haven't thought about that? Dad would beat me to death. Mom would be ashamed of me. They never listen to me!"

I stamped my foot in frustration. "That doesn't mean you should run off with a stranger! You've never even met her. What if she's a bad woman?"

His expression darkened. "Olivia isn't a bad person. You don't know anything!"

I picked up the landline receiver. "If you leave this house, I'm calling Dad!"

Andrew froze. He'd been terrified of my father ever since he was little.

My father had a short temper and an equally loud voice.

My father had once smacked the table when Andrew got a bad grade, but that action alone had been enough to set Andrew crying under his blanket for the rest of the night.

Truth be told, I was afraid of my father, too.

"I'm calling him right now." I dialed the first number.

Andrew immediately grabbed my hand. "Don't!"

I stared at him solemnly. "Then, you're not going anywhere today."

His breathing grew ragged, and the anger in his eyes slowly faded.

I thought I'd finally stopped him. Alas, his phone vibrated again, and he suddenly lunged for it.

I wasn't prepared, so he managed to snatch the phone out of my hands.

He quickly read the message, and tears spilled down his cheeks once more.

"She says she's waiting for me. She says that I'll never have the courage to break free if I don't go this time. She says I can't spend my whole life being a good boy."

I shook my head. "She's lying. You don't have to be good all the time. You can argue with Mom. You don't have to come in first on every test. Most importantly, you can't get into a stranger's car!"

He clutched his phone against his chest. I reached for it, but he stepped back.

The screen lit up again. He lowered his head to read it. I stole a glance at the message, and my heart sank.

Olivia had written, "Don't be scared, Andrew. I'll have my cousin come pick you up."