Chapter 1

My parents were a toxic couple. They were deeply codependent, but they’d rather die than admit they loved each other.

Instead, they weaponized their cruelty toward me to hurt one another.

Later, they finally cleared up their misunderstandings and realized their true feelings.

But then, they turned around and poured every ounce of their love onto my prematurely born little sister, Lily.

The day it happened, I was beaten up by some neighborhood kids. That very night, I developed a burning fever.

I dragged myself out of my room and saw Mom feeding Lily scrambled eggs.

"Mom, it hurts... I feel so sick..."

Mom didn't even look up. "Stop acting out, Daisy."

"I really have a fever..."

"Cut the act," Dad said, his tone absolute. "I've seen this trick of yours a thousand times."

As I struggled back to my room, I heard Mom's tender voice calling out to Lily:

"Good girl, eat up. You really are Mommy and Daddy’s little angel."

Lily was their little angel.

And I was probably just the kid who was always in the way.

When I woke up again, I felt completely weightless.

All the pain and sickness were gone.

Curious, I looked down. I was still lying on the bed, my cheeks flushed a sickly red, my lips dry and cracked. Even in my sleep, my brows were knitted tight.

Wait, did I float out of my body?

I tried to move, and sure enough, I drifted right through the blanket, hovering just beneath the ceiling.

The door pushed open. Mom walked in, her face wearing her usual mask of impatience.

"Daisy! What time do you think it is? How long are you going to sleep? Get up, eat, and take Lily downstairs to play!"

I waved at her from the ceiling, shouting, "Mom! I'm awake! I'm up here!"

But she couldn't hear me. She couldn't see me.

Her gaze passed right through my floating body and landed on the *me* on the bed.

Dad appeared at the doorway. He didn't come in, just frowned and took a quick look.

"Let her sleep a bit more. She didn't look right yesterday."

Mom instantly snapped around.

"What do you mean, 'not right'? She's just lazy! She's addicted to playing sick! Look at Lily. She got dressed all by herself this morning and is waiting for breakfast!"

Lily came bouncing to the door. Mimicking Mom, she pointed at the bed. "Daisy is a lazybones!"

I wanted so badly to tell Lily that I wasn't lazy. I just couldn't wake up anymore.

But they couldn't see or hear me.

Angrily, Mom walked to the bed. I quickly floated down, trying to grab her hand.

But my hand passed right through her arm. I felt nothing.

She didn't gently feel my forehead with the back of her hand the way she did when Lily had a fever. She didn't check on me with concern.

She just violently ripped a corner of the blanket away, grumbling, "Terrible sleeping posture. Wrapping yourself up so tight, aren't you afraid of suffocating?"

She picked up the empty water glass on my nightstand and scoffed. "She drank all the water. Looks like she's perfectly fine."

She didn't notice at all that the water was poured yesterday morning. I hadn't had a single drop of water for a whole day and night.

I drifted through the wall into the living room.

Mom and Dad were sitting with Lily, watching an educational cartoon on the TV.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching them.

Dad glanced toward my room, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

"Daisy hasn't eaten all day. I should go wake her up."

Mom cut him off instantly, her tone sharp and final.

"Skipping one meal won't kill her! She's just playing on your soft heart. She's doing this on purpose to manipulate you! So young, yet so full of schemes! Leave her be. Let's see how long she can sleep. If she's so tough, let her sleep forever!"

Lily waved her little hands, parroting Mom in her sweet, baby voice. "Daisy is bad!"

Nobody came to check on me.

Mom, I wasn't being bad.

I really am awake.

Look, I've been floating right here for so long.

It's just that the girl lying on the bed... she doesn't have the strength to wake up anymore.