<
guess I’m old enough to be on my own now.”
She coughed dramatically, her body swaying
as if about to faint. Nathan rushed to her
side, yelling at me. “Lizzie Knowles, do you
have to make everyone miserable?! You just
got here and you’re already picking on Olivia!
You’re such a jinx!” “Nobody’s happy when
you’re around. Olivia’s always saying nice
things about you, and this is how you repay
her? The second you walk in the door you
want her to leave. You’re unbelievable!”
Faced with their accusations, I suddenly felt
utterly defeated. In both lifetimes, their loyalty
always lay with Olivia, their niece, not me,
s
their daughter. Nathan’s shrill voice filled my
ears as he berated me, his spit practically
flying. I couldn’t take it anymore. I stepped
forward, raised my hand, and slapped him
hard across the face. His head snapped to
the side, his eyes wide with disbelief. My
parents froze, Olivia’s cries snapping them
back to reality. Mom rushed to Nathan,
clutching him and turning on me with a
heartbroken expression. “Lizzie! I am so
disappointed in you! You’ve become awful,
hitting your own brother!” Dad was furious,
pointing a finger at me. “Your brother’s right!
You just want to cause trouble! Six months at
school and you’ve lost your mind!
Disrespecting your elders, hitting your
brother… You need to learn a lesson! No
more allowance for you. It’s all going to your
brother.” Nathan, clutching his cheek, spat
out, “Give it all to Olivia! Don’t give her a
cent!” I laughed coldly. “You do realize you
haven’t given me an allowance since I started
high school, right? I pay for my own room and
board with the money I’ve saved. When have
you ever cared if I had enough?” My parents
faltered, speechless for a moment. As Mom
<
reached out to me, a flicker of guilt in her
eyes, Olivia started coughing dramatically,
tears welling up. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. It’s all my
fault. I just wanted Mom and Dad’s attention.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll… I’ll leave. I’m grateful for the
time I’ve spent with you all.” She made a
weak attempt to stand, and my parents and
Nathan immediately fussed over her,
reassuring her that she was a part of the
family. Catching Olivia’s smug, triumphant
look, I grabbed my suitcase and headed to
the guest room downstairs.
