Chapter 3

But right now, there was no one who could answer that question for me.

They were putting on a hypocritical show of being my loving family, piling food onto my plate, fussing over whether I was warm enough, and even Dorothy, who was usually all sweetness and knives, had turned into the picture of good breeding.

Norman looked at Dorothy with a satisfied smile. "In a couple of days, when the acceptance results come out, I'm planning to throw a party and invite all the New York elite."

"Wonderful. Let all my old friends come and see my good daughter." Wanda gazed at Dorothy, well pleased, then caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye and quickly added, "See my good daughters."

"Dad, isn't that too extravagant? You don't need to go to all that trouble for me."

Norman waved a hand. "Our family's about to produce a talent bound for an Ivy League university! A thing like that has to be shouted from the rooftops. The whole world should know!"

I stared coldly at the three of them, then said,

"If that's what you want, Dad, then go ahead."

It just so happened I wanted to see what game they were really playing too.

Dorothy, on the other hand, seemed genuinely surprised that I hadn't pushed back, then quickly slipped into her performance again.

"All right… if Dad and my sister insist, then let's do it."

Watching Dorothy simper like that made me sick enough to gag.

I had no stomach left for their happy-family act, so I set down my bowl early and went back to my room.

I opened my laptop, my heart in my throat, and only when the confirmation page loaded again did I let myself breathe a little.

But… if it wasn't because of this, then why had they suddenly started being so good to me?

I lay in bed, and for days on end I couldn't puzzle it out.

Then came the day the acceptance results would be posted. I stepped out of my room to find the three of them dressed to the nines.

Wanda took in my rumpled pajamas and let out a soft sigh.

"Dorothy has a few gowns she's never worn. Go grab one and change, quickly, so you don't hold up the party later."

"What? You won't spring for a few new outfits for me?" I said with a cold sneer.

Wanda's face went awkward, and she gave my hair a fake, doting stroke.

"Just make do for today. Once the results are in, I'll go buy you some new clothes right away. After that, you can have as many as you want."

Wanda was so eager it frightened me.

Even in those first few days after I came back, the most she'd bothered with was playing the gentle, virtuous mother, and she wouldn't have deigned to write me these empty checks.

Now suddenly it was one promise after another.

Dorothy, for her part, hurried me into her walk-in closet and picked out a soft, understated gown for me.

I held the gown and looked Dorothy up and down.

"What are the three of you really up to?"

Dorothy's hand paused for a beat. Her face stiffened, and she gave me an awkward smile.

"What are you talking about, sis? Mom and Dad and I have just thought it through. We're family. There's no need to keep going at each other like enemies."

I looked at the sincerity in Dorothy's eyes, and inside I felt cold as ice.

That kind of talk you use to placate a child wasn't going to fool me.

But I still couldn't work it out… what on earth had them treating me with such deference right up to now.

Once I'd changed, I frowned and slipped back into my room, and opened the laptop again to check my application.

Nothing wrong… everything was exactly right.

So where exactly had it gone wrong?

"Crystal, once you're dressed we'll head out. There's a big surprise waiting for you today too."