Chapter 2

Cornelius stuck close to my sister the whole time.

She washed the fruit while he stood beside her handing her the basket.

I marched over and snatched it away, deliberately stomping on his big foot with my little one.

He kept pestering her to watch cartoons with him, so I just yanked the TV's plug out of the wall.

He asked her to pour him some warm water, so I took a bottle of frozen water from the fridge and threw it at him.

Melody's face darkened.

"Bella, why do you keep going after Cornelius on purpose today?"

"If you keep this up, go play in your room by yourself!"

Cornelius shrank behind my sister and waved his hands over and over.

"Melody, don't scold Bella. She's only five. Grandma said she's the little one, so I have to give in to her."

He played it so convincingly that my sister looked at him with even more pity.

To make up for what I'd done, my sister actually asked him to stay for dinner.

I was dead set against it.

"No. He has a home. Why should he eat here?"

Cornelius hunched his shoulders pitifully.

"I... I guess I'll just go home."

He opened the door and left.

I slammed the door shut and breathed a sigh of relief.

He was finally gone. As long as he wasn't here tonight, the tragedy from my last life wouldn't happen.

Dinner had just been set on the table when there was a knock at the door.

As my sister got up to answer it, she muttered under her breath.

"Who'd be coming at this hour?"

A sudden, sharp wave of unease surged up in me. I jumped down off the chair and ran to the door.

"Don't open it, Melody."

But the door was already open.

Cornelius stood outside, head down, looking all timid.

"Melody, my grandma isn't back yet. I'm hungry."

I planted myself in the doorway.

"You're lying!"

His grandmother was home. She was always home.

In my last life, we only found out during the interrogation.

His grandmother knew everything.

"Your grandma is home. I'll go get her."

I started to head outside.

Cornelius's expression shifted slightly, and he began to sniffle and wipe at his tears.

"I'm not lying. Grandma went to the hospital..."

"If you won't let me eat, then I'll make some instant ramen. Melody, I don't know how to boil water. Could you..."

"No! Get out of here!"

He still wanted to trick my sister into going over to his place? Dream on!

"Bella Dickerson!"

My sister's voice carried an edge of anger.

"Are you done making a scene?"

She pulled me behind her and cleared the doorway.

"Forget the ramen. Come in and eat with us."

He shuffled in meekly and sat down at the dinner table.

The whole meal was tense and heavy.

After he finished eating, he was in no hurry to leave. He sat on the couch and said he was waiting for his grandmother to come back.

But his eyes kept drifting toward the kitchen.

I knew he wasn't waiting for his grandmother.

He was waiting for an excuse—an excuse to stay the night.

Eight o'clock.

It was already pitch dark outside.

Sure enough.

He spoke up.

"Melody, my grandma still isn't back. Can I stay at your place tonight?"

My head roared.

The exact same excuse, word for word, as in my last life.

My sister believed it.

She let him sleep in the living room.

In the middle of the night, he slipped into my sister's room.

I practically leaped up and shoved him.

"No!"

"You can't stay in our house—you'll hurt my sister!"

My sister froze.

"Bella, what nonsense are you spouting?"

I clung to her leg.

"Sis, I'm not making it up. He sneaks into your room in the middle of the night. He's not a good person at all!"

Cornelius's face twisted for a second, then quickly slid back into its wounded look.

"Melody, don't be angry with Bella. I won't stay. I'll go home."

He edged toward the door.

This time, my sister didn't stop him.

After the door closed, I let out a long breath of relief.

This time, I'd really stopped it.

My sister didn't say a word while she bathed me.

I knew she was truly angry.

But I didn't regret it.

As long as she was safe, she could hit me all she wanted.

Nine o'clock at night.

The ceiling light flickered once and went out.

My sister flipped the switch, but nothing happened.

"Power's out?"

But looking over at the other buildings in the complex, they were all lit up.

"Maybe a breaker tripped. Never mind, let's just sleep. I'll get an electrician to look at it in the morning."

My sister led me to bed, tucked the blanket over me, and closed the door.

I lay there, but unease stirred inside me.

Why would a breaker suddenly trip?

Just as I was thinking it, there came another knock at the door.