Chapter 2
I stared at the gray lines, my heart pounding with anxiety, and whispered:
"Do you... do you really believe me?"
No one answered.
They were busy tending to Chloe's injuries, their faces etched with concern, utterly focused.
Seeing this, I clenched my fists and asked again, louder this time.
Ethan finally turned his head, his voice laced with exasperation.
"We already said we believe you, Mia. Can you please just stop making a scene?"
His eyes held a frustration I didn't recognize.
I stood there, stunned, a mix of hurt and bewilderment.
Watching the lines fade even more, I didn't dare speak again.
I picked up a bottle of antiseptic and, trying to be helpful, stepped forward.
But I tripped over something, losing my balance, and the entire bottle splashed onto Chloe's face.
She shrieked, closing her eyes and shrinking into Eleanor's arms.
"Mia, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told on you. Please, don't bully me anymore."
"Richard, Eleanor, maybe you should just send me back. My life there might be just as bad as it is here, but at least you won't have to deal with me."
Eleanor's eyes instantly welled up.
Despite her usual aversion to messes, she disregarded her sleeve staining and wiped Chloe's tears.
"Don't be silly, Chloe. We'd never send you back to those horrible people!"
"Mia wouldn't bully you. I promise you, she's not that kind of malicious person."
As she spoke, the red line between us thinned by an inch.
So, in her heart, she truly thought I was malicious.
Richard gently nudged my back, pushing me forward.
"What are you standing there for? Apologize to Chloe. Your mom is defending you, aren't you going to show some remorse?"
At his words, I clutched Richard's sleeve, pinning my hopes on him.
"Richard, please believe me. Someone tripped me just now. It wasn't on purpose."
"No one said it was on purpose. But you splashed Chloe, so you should apologize."
He looked down at me, his voice still patient, but his eyes were utterly devoid of warmth.
"Maybe she tripped me! Maybe she did it on purpose to frame me!"
The pride cultivated in me over many years made me unwilling to apologize, so I pointed at Chloe, accusing her.
"Richard, please believe me this one time!"
"You always taught me not to lie, and I've always remembered it. If you lie, you get punished!"
Richard pursed his lips, looking at me.
I tried to meet his gaze with the most sincere look I could manage, hoping he would side with me.
But in the next second, the line connecting me to him became even thinner.
And with it came his chilling words:
"Then you will be punished."
"Liars have to kneel outside. I believe in fairness, so I won't play favorites with you."
Kneeling outside was the severest punishment in our household, and I only remembered it happening once.
When Ethan was little, he didn't watch me, and I scraped my knee.
For such a small injury, Richard and Eleanor made Ethan kneel for an entire day.
Back then, they punished Ethan because they couldn't bear to see me hurt.
Now, they were punishing me because they couldn't bear to see Chloe hurt.
My heart turned to ice. My face pale, I walked towards the door.
With every step, I hoped someone would call out to me.
No one did.
Until I stood at the doorway and knelt heavily before them.
Even then, the lines connecting us didn't change at all.
The outcome, it seemed, had already been decided.
No matter what, they would distance themselves from me for Chloe's sake.
I don't know how long I knelt. I was dizzy with hunger.
Back then, when Ethan was punished, I secretly snuck him food.
Now, the house was brightly lit.
The aroma of dinner, their happy chatter, the cozy atmosphere—it all braided into a cruel rope,
Lashing at my heart, reminding me that there was no one in this world who would care for me anymore.
I hung my head, my spirits sinking, my mind starting to drift.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps.
My heart skipped a beat. I looked up hopefully,
Expecting to see a glimmer of hope that I wasn't abandoned.
But when I clearly saw who it was, I froze.