My parents froze, and my brother looked like he’d been sucker–punched.
He lunged for my phone, the one with the shattered screen, desperate to hit play. But the screen was totally black.
“What recording? What are you talking about, tell me!”
Aaron grabbed the yacht manager’s shirt, his teeth clenched.
Anya, who was just playing the damsel in distress, went pale, like a lightbulb went off in
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her head.
She wobbled off the bed and threw herself at
my brother, all gasps and tears.
“She must have recorded when those so-
called fans were attacking me.”
“I know she hates me for those trolls hurting
her so badly, but nobody can prove they were
my fans. What if this gives me PTSD?”
My brother fell for it hook, line, and sinker, his
eyes filled with pity again.
He stroked Anya’s back, all soothing and
protective.
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“Don’t worry. If that’s the case, the recording
doesn’t matter!”
Anya looked relieved. She was about to say
something, but my brother had already
shoved my broken phone in his pocket.
My parents were freaking out, grilling the yacht manager, wanting to know if he was
sure, if maybe I was just hiding, trying to
scare them.
The manager was turning red.
“I swear! There’s just the one window in the
room, and the door was locked. We turned
the whole place upside down, and she’s gone.
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<
Just that window was open!”
Anya rolled her eyes and muttered, “Chloe
probably bribed whoever was guarding the
door. There’s no way she could jump through
the window with her broken legs and hands.”
“Or maybe those thugs came back and
rescued her, and they ran off together. She’s
so clueless, she’s joining them to escape the
blame.”
For ten years, she had been doing this to get
my parents and brother to misunderstand me.
My parents started to wonder about her, after
believing everything she said over the years.
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After all, Chloe Lancaster was their blood,
they shouldn’t let Anya blame her in front of
others!
“Enough! Chloe isn’t that kind of person. I’ll
find out who those thugs are, and then the
truth will be out!”
My dad frowned, cutting her off.
My brother glared at Anya, all suspicion.
“And the recording, I’ll find someone who can
fix the phone and get it back. Anya, she’s
your sister, you can’t just trash her without
any proof!”
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Mom wiped away tears. “Stop it! Find Chloe!”
They dumped Anya and rushed to my room.
All they found were two bloody handprints on
the windowsill.
