Part 2I Stole My Sister's Life for Ten Years, and She Never Woke Up

For as long as I could remember, whenever I was too scared to face something, Hailey took over.

I was afraid of pain, so she was the one who sat through every injection. I was afraid of the dark, so she was the one locked in the dark during punishments.

I'd always believed she was a protector I'd created for myself.

Sitting in Ethan's Maybach, Hailey spoke to me inside our shared mind.

"Sophie, did you see that clearly enough? Brandon is garbage."

I pushed back.

"Brandon saved me once. He's just too kind for his own good. Vivian's like a little sister to him."

Hailey scoffed and went silent.

Ethan parked in front of a luxury apartment building.

"You were reckless tonight. That's not like you."

Hailey stared at him, her gaze unwavering.

"Ethan, I don't have much time left."

Before I could process what she meant, a violent wave of dizziness surged from deep inside my skull.

Ethan's startled face blurred before my eyes, and then everything went dark.

I woke the next morning back in control.

I was lying in a strange bed. I sat bolt upright, panicking, and checked my clothes in a frenzy.

Where was Ethan? What had Hailey done with him last night?

A clean outfit sat on the nightstand, along with a note.

"Get dressed and come eat. —Ethan"

I clutched the note, my mind racing.

Brandon's call came through right then.

I answered immediately, careful and meek.

"Brandon..."

"Sophie! What the hell was that last night? Get to the gym right now and apologize to Vivian!"

His voice was nothing but command and contempt.

I tried to explain.

"Last night, I..."

"I don't want to hear your excuses. If you're not here in thirty minutes, we're done."

The line went dead. I bit my lip, blinking back tears.

I couldn't lose Brandon. He was the only light in my life.

I threw on the clothes and ran out of the apartment without so much as a word to Ethan.

At the gym, Brandon was playing basketball. Vivian sat in the lounge area, holding a towel and a water bottle for him.

I walked over, head bowed.

"Brandon, I'm here."

Brandon tossed the ball to a teammate and walked up to me.

"Apologize to Vivian."

Everyone around us stopped to stare, whispering and pointing.

I gripped the hem of my shirt until my knuckles turned white.

"I'm not apologizing. Last night, you were the ones who..."

Splash!

Vivian jumped to her feet and threw a cup of ice water in my face.

"Sophie, don't play innocent! That slap you gave me last night? My face is still swollen!"

Brandon made no move to stop her. He just stared at me, cold and distant.

"You're disgusting right now."

My last wall crumbled.

I loved him so much, and he just stood there while someone trampled my dignity.

"Sophie, you really are pathetic."

Hailey's voice cut in again.

The next second, I was shoved into the dark.