Part 2Hidden Bully Truth

The sky was barely gray when I woke up.

I dragged my dusty suitcase from under the bed and unzipped it.

My closet was stuffed with designer labels. Prada, Gucci, Chanel. All bought by my mother to make me look like a proper DA's kid.

I didn't touch a single piece.

I packed a few faded vintage tees and two pairs of worn-out denim jeans.

I smashed my porcelain piggy bank with a heavy book. It held about three hundred dollars in crumpled bills and coins.

When I lugged the suitcase downstairs, the smell of fresh coffee and bacon filled the air.

Mom was untying her apron. She frowned the second she saw me.

"What are you doing dragging that thing around at six in the morning? The noise is unbearable."

Dad was reading the morning paper at the island counter. He didn't look up.

"Put the bag away and eat your breakfast. Riley is coming over this afternoon. Don't ruin the mood with that miserable look on your face."

Riley. He practically said her name with affection.

I left my suitcase by the front door and stood in the entryway.

"I'm not eating. And I am never looking at her face again."

Mom slammed a plate onto the granite counter.

"Audrey! What kind of tantrum is this? We settled this last night."

"Riley apologized. You signed the paper. We are turning the page."

"Why are you being so vindictive?"

"Vindictive?"

I tapped my temple with my index finger.

"Mom. I have a mild concussion."

"She has pictures of me stripped down on her phone, and you two bought her lobster."

"Is this your idea of the bigger picture?"

Dad slammed his newspaper down. His face turned an ugly shade of red.

"You're stalking our social media now?"

"She posted it on a public feed. That's the whole point."

"Enough!"

Dad stood up, pointing a thick finger at the front door.

"You want to walk out? Fine! Let's see how far you get!"

"If you walk through that door, you stay gone. I will act like I never had a daughter."

"Leave the credit cards, the keys, and whatever cash you have on you."

I reached into my pocket, pulled out the heavy brass house key, and tossed it onto the shoe cabinet.

It made a sharp, metallic clink.

"You took my phone last night."

"I don't have your plastic. It's in my desk."

"As for this house..."

I took one last look at the crystal chandeliers and the imported rugs.

"Give my room to Riley. She's clearly cut from the same rotten cloth as you two."

"You ungrateful little bitch!"

Mom snatched her hot coffee mug and hurled it at my head.

It shattered against the doorframe. Boiling coffee splashed my jacket, and a sharp shard of ceramic sliced across my cheek.

A warm line of blood trickled down my jaw.

"And one more thing. Stop pretending you do anything for my sake."

"The only things you love are yourselves and your fake public image."

I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, pushed the heavy oak door open, and stepped into the cold morning air.

Dad's roar echoed behind me.

"Get out! Let her freeze! Give her three days, and she'll be crawling back on her knees!"

I didn't look back.

Three days? I wouldn't beg them for a drop of water if I were dying of thirst.

I found a cramped, illegal basement apartment in the rundown east side of the city.

I had just dropped my bag onto the concrete floor when my iPad buzzed.

An incoming FaceTime call from an unknown email.

I hesitated, then swiped to accept.

Riley's smug face filled the screen.

The background was my living room. She was lounging on my custom velvet beanbag chair, the one nobody else was allowed to sit on.

She was spinning my limited-edition anime figure in her hands.

"Hey there, big sis. Heard you ran away from home?"

Her voice was dripping with fake sweetness.

"Mom says you threw a massive fit. Told me to just ignore your drama."

"This little toy is pretty cute though. Mom said I could keep it. You don't mind, do you?"

Snap.

She twisted her hands, violently snapping the figure's head off.

She covered her mouth in mock horror.

"Oops. My hand slipped. You're not mad, are you?"

My mother's voice drifted in from the background.

"Riley, honey, leave that garbage alone. Throw it in the trash. I'll buy you a better one."

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edges of the iPad.

I saved up my allowance for six months to buy that figure. It was the only thing in that suffocating house that brought me any joy.

I took a deep breath and forced a dead, chilling smile.

"I don't mind at all."

"Trash belongs with trash. It suits you."

"Oh, and by the way. I used to let a stray dog sleep on that beanbag. It pissed all over the filling."

Riley's face warped into disgust. She vaulted off the chair like it was on fire.

"You're lying! They don't even own a dog!"

"Believe what you want."

I cut the call.

Staring at my black reflection on the screen, I slid down the dirty wall until I hit the floor.

My stomach growled fiercely.

The real nightmare was just beginning.