Chapter 3Five Years Of Playing Dead For A Lesson I Never Needed

“Good,” Graham replied, his voice flat, completely devoid of the struggling-debtor persona. “Only when Elle suffers on the outside will she realize how difficult it is to earn money.”

“I’ll make sure your family’s businesses get some extra attention, as promised. We can’t let Elle know the truth just yet. I’ll tell Mom and Dad everything when they get back after the New Year.”

My breath caught in my throat. My heart threatened to stop. A waiter approached, asking for my order, and I couldn’t speak. My hand trembled as I pointed vaguely at the menu, shaking my head to signal him to leave immediately before Graham saw me.

Vivi’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “Graham, you told Elle you were testing haunted houses, but you have to drive all the way back to your little studio apartment every night. Aren’t you exhausted?”

“Why didn’t you just go overseas with your parents?”

A fresh wave of shock hit me. The haunted house lie was a cover. He came home every single night.

The suffering of the last five years—was it all mine alone?

Graham sighed. “Elle is my sister. I couldn’t leave her completely alone in the country. Besides, the company might have moved overseas for a while, but it’s eventually coming back.” He sounded vaguely wistful. “The five-year punishment we set seems to have flown by, doesn’t it?”

Flown by?

A bitter laugh caught in my throat. Every single day of those five years had been a grinding torture.

Playing dead wasn’t easy, especially when Vivi—at Graham’s subtle instruction, I now realized—made sure I was always scheduled for the dirtiest, most grueling scenes. I was often lying still for hours in the cold, developing chronic chills and a relentless cycle of illness and exhaustion.

And to them, it was just a punishment. A cruel, calculated game.

“Vivi, I know you’ve been through a lot, too. This is for you.”

Their conversation continued. Graham slid a delicate gift box across the table. Vivi opened it and gasped.

“A diamond necklace! It’s gorgeous!”

My heart plunged into a cold, dark abyss.

That necklace. It was the exact one I had begged my parents for five years ago. They had refused, claiming it was too extravagant. I eventually forgot about it.

Now I knew. That small, trivial request had been the catalyst for five years of hell.

Why?

We had billions. Why did asking for one necklace warrant five years of deliberate emotional and physical cruelty? Why was Vivi, whose family wasn’t nearly as wealthy as ours, getting the item I was denied?

Was I really that spoiled? That disobedient? I had always been the quiet, compliant child. Why did I have to endure this?

My emotions burst. I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

BANG!

I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. The entire restaurant turned to stare.

Graham swiveled around, and his face went instantly, sickeningly white.

“Elle? What are you doing here?”