A Missing Key 218 Missed Calls One Family Secret novel Chapter 41

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rebecca and Jake moved in quickly.

All traces of Mom in the house were gradually erased, replaced by Rebecca’s cozy decorating style.

Mom’s military portrait that hung in the entryway was put away, replaced by a photo of the three of them at an amusement park, grinning widely.

I was like a ghost in this house.

Dad tried to make me fit into this new family. He’d organize family activities, buy Jake expensive remote-control cars, then casually get me a Barbie doll too.

I never accepted anything, just tossed the dolls in a corner without touching them.

Jake hated me. He’d always act sweet and obedient in front of Dad and Rebecca, but behind their backs, he’d find every way possible to mess with me.

He’d throw my books in the trash. I’d silently pick them up and clean them off.

He’d draw turtles on my homework. I’d erase them and rewrite everything.

He even spit in my water cup when I wasn’t around. I’d dump it out expressionlessly and scrub the cup ten times

over.

I never tattled.

Because it was pointless.

One time, he tried to grab the dog tags around my neck-the ones Mom had given me before she left.

Back then, she’d pressed the cold metal into my hand and said seriously, “Nora, this is our signal device. If you’re ever in real danger, just hold onto it, and Mom will feel it.”

So I protected them fiercely. When he couldn’t snatch them, he ran crying to Rebecca, claiming I’d pushed him.

Jake only had a faint red mark on his arm, but he cried like his arm was broken.

Rebecca hugged Jake, tears streaming down her face as she looked at me with cold disgust.

“Nora, how could you push your little brother? Apologize to Jake right now!”

11:26

A Missing Key, 218 Missed Calls, One Family Secret

30.1

Chapter 2

When Dad came home from work, Rebecca immediately rushed over, holding Jake with tears in her eyes, totally exaggerating the story.

“Honey, look at Jake’s poor arm-she nearly broke it! How could Nora be so… so vicious?”

Dad looked at me, his eyes instantly filled with disappointment and anger.

“Nora, what’s gotten into you? Jake is your little brother-don’t you know you should be nice to him?”

I looked right at him and said slowly, “He tried to take something Mom gave me.”

Dad’s patience was completely gone.

“Your mother is dead! That’s just a piece of scrap metal! How long are you going to keep this up?”.

The fury in his voice hit my heart like a sledgehammer.

That night, I was locked in my room with no dinner.

In the living room, their little family of three laughed and chatted, each sound like a knife slicing through my trapped soul.

Jake’s smug, loud bragging was especially grating-I wanted to cover my ears.

I sát by the window, running my fingers over the cold dog tags, looking at the moon outside.

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