Chapter 1
Lily's POV
I died. At Claire's eighteenth birthday party, the moment the champagne tower came crashing down.
While Claire stands under the crystal chandelier in her gown, soaking up congratulations from three hundred guests, I'm tied up in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The wound in my stomach is still bleeding.
I call my family. Only my brother Nathan picks up, sounding pissed off and disgusted. "Lily, what's your problem now? This is Claire's big day. You better not ruin it."
I try to explain. He hangs up.
That's the ninety-ninth time they've hung up on me.
Also the last.
They think I'm throwing a tantrum, deliberately skipping my sister's special moment. Call me ungrateful, say they regret bringing me back from that backwater town two years ago.
Well, now they're off the hook.
Problem solved.
"Last chance," the tattooed guy crouches in front of me. "Get your family to come get you. Make the call."
He tosses the phone at my feet.
My fingers are so stiff I can barely grip it. I press the name at the top of my contacts—"Nathan."
Ring... ring...
The ringing echoes through this warehouse that reeks of mold and blood.
He picks up.
I hear violin music in the background, glasses clinking. I open my mouth, but only ragged breaths come out.
"Hello?" Nathan's voice is obviously drunk. "Lily?"
"Nathan... help me... I'm... outside town..."
"Help you?" He snorts. "Perfect timing as always. Claire's birthday party, Mom and Dad just finished their toast, and you call begging for attention?"
"No... there's really someone..."
"Enough!" Nathan cuts me off. "That small-town drama queen act doesn't work here. Kidnapped? What's next, you're dying? Lily, can you act like you have some class for once?"
"If you show up and cause a scene," his voice goes ice cold, "I'm done with you. I mean it. Stay wherever you are tonight and don't embarrass us."
The line goes dead.
The phone slips from my hand, hits the concrete, and the screen dies completely.
The ninety-ninth time they hang up on me.
Looks like it's the last time, too.
The door slams open.
The tattooed guy walks in and spits on the floor. "Useless. Even your own family doesn't give a shit."
"Told you that chick was a waste of time," another guy complains. "Said we'd just scare her, take some pictures. Money's not even good, and nobody cares anyway."
"Whatever," the tattooed guy picks up a metal pipe from the corner. "She's dead either way."
When the pipe comes down, it doesn't hurt as much as I expected.
Maybe because my heart went numb a long time ago.
My consciousness starts to fade, my body feeling weightless. I see a girl in thrift store clothes, covered in blood, lying in a pile of straw. Her eyes are still open, staring at that dead phone screen.
She's dead.
Lily Hayes is dead.
I float upward, looking down at that body growing cold.
In that moment, I actually feel relieved.
No more walking on eggshells. No more worrying which word will disappoint them. No more trying to prove I deserve the Hayes name.
So long, Hayes family.
My spirit drifts to the hotel ballroom. Claire wears her designer gown, posing for photos with the guests.
Nathan stands by the floor-to-ceiling windows, phone in hand, frowning.
He glances at his phone, hesitates, then calls my number again.
No answer.
"Damn it." He shoves the phone back in his pocket.
"What's wrong, honey?" Mom walks over, her pearl necklace gleaming under the lights. "Is it Lily?"
"She's being dramatic again. Called me all crying, saying she needs help. I told her to cut it out, now she won't pick up."
Dad comes over with his whiskey, frowning. "So immature. It's Claire's birthday, can't she behave for one day?"
"I told you we shouldn't have brought her back," Mom sighs. "Two years and she's still so... rough around the edges."
Claire walks over, concern written all over her face. "Lily's still not here? What if something really happened? Should we call the police?"
Her eyes are downcast.
No one notices the slight smile on her lips.
"Forget her," Nathan waves it off. "She just wants everyone's attention. Classic sympathy play."
He pulls out his phone, types fast.
[Only reason you're even invited is bc Claire begged me. Last warning - show up in an hour or we're done. And don't you DARE ruin her party or you're out of this family for good.]
I float in midair, watching them laugh and chat.
Don't wait up, Nathan.
You don't have to be angry anymore, don't have to worry about anyone ruining Claire's party, don't have to feel ashamed of your embarrassing hick sister.
Claire can have all your love now.
