Chapter 2Bleeding To Save My Mothers Soul

Liar, I thought as I walked away. You aren't dying. Not if I have anything to say about it.

Mom, I think I’ve figured out how the game works. Just don't give up yet. Okay?

For the next two weeks, I hid from Frank in a cramped, moldy studio apartment I rented with cash. I spent the time nursing my ribs and analyzing the "System" Frank had shackled to Valerie.

The rule was simple: If Valerie wasn't "good" to Justin, I got hit with a lethal dose of electricity. I checked Justin’s Instagram. It was a highlight reel of excess—luxury watches, designer sneakers, expensive cars.

I used to hate her for that. I didn't realize that every time she spoiled him, she was buying my safety.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. But what if I flipped the script?

[Oh my god! What is she doing with those electrodes? Is she going to shock herself?]

[Stop! This is insane! She's trying to force a system backlash!]

I didn't hesitate. I pressed the electrodes against my own skin and flipped the switch.

White-hot agony ripped through my nervous system. It felt like my very soul was being shredded.

A new post popped up on Justin’s feed: "Wanted the limited edition Nikes. The old lady actually said no for once? What the hell is her problem..."

I collapsed on the floor, gasping for air, a weak, triumphant smile on my pale face.

It worked. If I shocked myself, the system registered the "damage" as having already happened, or perhaps the feedback loop was glitching. Either way, Justin lost his influence. Valerie was getting her free will back, bit by bit.

Hang on, Mom. I’m coming for you.

A few nights later, I was in a dimly lit, velvet-draped VIP lounge at an upscale club. I was curled into the lap of a powerful man named Victor—a pharmaceutical bigwig who supposedly held the patent for a new, experimental cancer drug.

The room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses and predatory laughter.

"V, this little kitten is pretty cute," one of his associates teased. "Why don't you let her try your new 'blue candy'?"

My heart hammered against my broken ribs. Victor pulled a small blue pill from his pocket.

"Swallow," he commanded. He pinched my jaw so hard I thought the bone would snap. I couldn't fight back. I swallowed, and within seconds, my eyelids felt like lead.

Rough hands began to wander over me. I felt myself slipping, my vision blurring into shadows. Just as I was about to give up, the door burst open.

Valerie stood there. She looked at me with a perfect imitation of disgust, though I saw the flicker of raw agony in her eyes.

"Victor," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "I’m sorry my club didn't provide enough entertainment. This girl is trouble. Let me swap her out for someone more... compliant."

She waved a hand, and several scantily clad girls stepped forward. I pushed them away and stood up, swaying on my feet.

"Victor is my client," I spat, staring at my mother with faux-malice. "Since when does the madam steal business from her own girls? That’s pretty low, don't you think?"

Valerie’s breath hitched. She looked like she wanted to scream, to grab me and run. Instead, she raised her hand to slap me.

Before she could, Justin appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a smirk.

"Well, if it isn't my pathetic sister. I didn't realize you’d sunk this low just to get a meal..."

Valerie barked at him to shut up, her voice sharp as a whip. Justin looked stunned. While he was distracted, I reached into my sleeve and touched the electrodes hidden there.

Steady, Mom, I thought. Don't let them see you crack. The rules are changing.