Chapter 2

The door was ajar, and I could hear laughter spilling out from inside.

"Welcome home to your palace, princess!" That was my brother, Carson Foster.

Every 15th that Melody came home, the house felt like Christmas morning.

I could smell the cooking from the hallway. Meanwhile, I hadn't even had a bite of the leftover cabbage Karen reheated back at the Fowlers.

I pushed the door open, and the room went dead silent. My mom, Karina Bradley, was the first to recover, forcing an awkward smile. "Melanie, what are you doing here? Have you eaten? Let me grab you a plate."

She set a paper plate down next to Melody's porcelain bowl, the one with "Princess" painted across it in gold. Carson quietly started shoving the ribs and chicken wings into the fridge.

I didn't move. "Mom, did you look at my test results?"

She paused, pretending she hadn't heard. "Let's just eat first."

I wasn't letting it go. "I have kidney failure!"

My dad, Craig Foster, exploded. "So, what do you want us to do about it? You think because we owe you, you get to use that to blackmail us?"

I was stunned. "That's not what I meant. Melody and I are a match. If she could just give me one kidney, I would be fine."

Mom recoiled like she'd touched a live wire. "Enough!"

Then, catching herself, she forced a strained smile. "I'll do what I can to help you get treatment, okay? Here's a thousand dollars. Have your adoptive parents take you to the hospital first. I can't get away right now, but I'll look into finding you a donor."

I looked at Melody. Mom couldn't get away because she had a homecoming celebration to finish. And that thousand dollars was pressed into my hand like a handout.

Melody shifted uncomfortably. "Melanie, it's not that I don't want to help, but you know my dream is to be a dancer. How am I supposed to dance with only one kidney?"

I fought back tears, practically begging. "We both have a rare blood type. Finding a donor is so much harder for people like us.

"Mom, Dad, I could actually die."

Mom broke down. "So what? Melody is my daughter too! Am I supposed to throw away her dreams just to save you?"

"I'm begging you, please. Melody is my whole life. Don't take her from me. If it comes down to it, take my life instead."

She dropped to her knees, sobbing, and pitched forward, hitting her forehead against the floor so hard the skin split and started to bleed. Melody rushed over in tears and pulled her up, then turned to me with pure hatred in her eyes.

"Melanie, if I were the one who was sick, I would never put you, or Mom and Dad through this."

Dad was so furious he slapped me across the face. "Look at her and then look at you. I have no idea where you get this selfishness.

"You're someone else's daughter. We agreed to help with your treatment, and that's already more than generous. Don't push your luck."

I stood there frozen, hand pressed to my stinging cheek.

Both sets of parents had practically said the same thing. I was someone else's daughter.

So, where did I actually belong?

I walked out in a daze, and I barely reached the stairs when someone shoved me hard from behind.

My face hit the ground and split open. Bruises bloomed across my body, and the pain was so sharp I could barely breathe.

I looked up, and it was Carson.

"You worthless little mutt!" he screamed down at me. "Go back to wherever you came from and don't ever set foot in my house again! Melody is my only sister!"

Then he slammed the door shut.