Chapter 2

Maya's POV

Three days and nights later, they let me out of the basement.

When I stumbled into the dining room, I saw the perfect family scene. Mom was serving Fiona food, Dad gently asking what soup she wanted.

A happy family of three.

No one noticed my arrival.

"Well, Maya's back." Mom didn't even look up.

Fiona lifted her head, doing her caring routine. "Maya, you look terrible. Come sit down and eat something."

I dragged my weak body to the table. Three days without food had left my hands shaking.

"You should be grateful Brian didn't make a bigger deal about your tantrum at the engagement party," Dad said coldly. "He's classy—won't stoop to your level."

My level? I'm twenty-four years old.

Mom finally graced me with a glance. "Maya, come eat. But remember to be grateful."

I trembled as I picked up the knife and fork, trying to cut the steak on my plate. But my hands shook so badly the knife scraped across the plate with a horrible screech.

"Christ!" Dad threw down his fork. "Maya, what's wrong with you? Can't even cut a damn steak? You're embarrassing!"

Fiona immediately stood up, playing the saint. "Maya must be starving. Let me help her cut it."

She gently took the knife and fork from my hands, elegantly cut the steak into small pieces, then pushed the plate toward me.

"There you go, Maya. Now you can eat it. Take your time."

Mom made approving sounds. "Fiona is so thoughtful. Maya, you should learn from her."

I stared at the cut steak but couldn't bring myself to eat.

"Eat up," Dad said impatiently. "Fiona went out of her way to cut it for you. Quit daydreaming."

"I..." My voice was barely a whisper. "I'm severely allergic to beef."

The table fell silent.

Mom and Dad exchanged an awkward look.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Mom snapped. "How the hell were we supposed to know?"

"I've told you many times," I said quietly. "Since elementary school. Every time you gave me beef, I'd break out in hives."

"Well, why didn't you remind us?" Dad frowned irritably. "What's the point of bringing it up now?"

No apology. No concern.

They just thought I was being difficult.

Mom quickly changed the subject. "Whatever, eat something else. Now let's talk about Fiona's wedding. Brian wants to have it in Hawaii—how romantic!"

"Absolutely," Dad nodded approvingly. "Sending Fiona to study in England was brilliant. How else would she have met someone as accomplished as Brian?"

My heart sank.

Study in England?

I remembered that summer four years ago. I'd gotten into Harvard's computer science program—my dream school.

But Dad told me, "Maya, with our financial situation, we can't afford the tuition. You'll have to take that full scholarship at state school."

I remembered crying all night, then tearing up my Harvard acceptance letter and throwing it in the trash.

A few months later, Fiona was sent to England because she "needed a change of environment to treat her depression."

Tuition, living expenses, housing—the money I earned working couldn't have covered a fraction of studying abroad in England. But I never questioned it.

I thought my parents had sold everything to scrape together the money.

What an idiot I was.

"Maya could study abroad too," Fiona suddenly said with fake concern. "She got that job at NeoTech, right? That's like, a top tech company! Save up some money, maybe get a master's degree. It would help her marriage prospects too."

Mom and Dad nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Maya, you should upgrade your credentials."

"Right, that's how you land a good family."

I looked at them, bitter laughter rising in my chest.

"Since you care so much about my education," I couldn't hold back anymore, "why didn't you let me go to Harvard four years ago?"

The table went quiet again.

Mom and Dad looked uncomfortable.

"The family situation was different then..." Dad said vaguely.

"How was it different?" I stared him down. "Because your 'poverty experiment' wasn't over yet?"

Mom's face changed. "Maya, what are you talking about?"

"If I'd gone to Harvard back then, your little show would've fallen apart," I said, my voice going flat. "Jake hadn't broken up with Fiona yet. She still needed to watch my 'miserable life' to see the light. So my dreams had to be sacrificed."

Dad stared at me coldly. "You're absolutely right. Your sacrifice was for the family's future, for Fiona's happiness. What's wrong with that?"

No guilt. No remorse.

They thought this was all perfectly normal.

"That's how families work, Maya," Mom said matter-of-factly. "Some kids are born to be stepping stones. Be grateful you could help Fiona."

I looked at them quietly, my heart full of bitterness.