Chapter 3

When they actually saw the gold locket glinting on the shelf, the way everyone looked at Zachery changed.

"That Katie was telling the truth. She really did know where the locket was, so doesn't that mean she was right about the thief too?"

"A father stealing his own son's locket and sneaking it into the storage room to hide it. That's beyond shameless."

"He can really act. He sounded so sincere a minute ago, I actually believed he was being wronged."

His wife's face went dark.

She looked at Zachery.

"Zachery, do you have anything to say about this?"

Zachery burst into tears.

"I'm innocent, I'm being framed. Honey, so Katherine found the locket, that doesn't prove anything. Maybe she planted it there herself. Otherwise how would she know exactly where it was?"

My mother jumped in to back him up.

"That's right, dear. My son has always been such a good, obedient boy. How could he ever steal the locket?"

She shot me a hateful glare.

"It's Katie here who's always been full of schemes. Even as a child she'd slack off whenever we asked her to do chores. Who's to say she just doesn't want to earn her own living, and meant to steal the locket and sell it!"

My father raised his voice even louder, snapping at me.

"Katherine, you ungrateful girl. You did it yourself, and now that you're afraid of getting caught, you're pinning it on your brother? Apologize and admit what you've done, right now."

I looked at each of their faces, one by one, and couldn't help thinking back over these years.

They loved my eldest sister because she was the first child, and they loved Zachery because he was the first son.

For me alone, there was no love.

Because I was an accident, conceived right when the family was worst off for money.

So I became the debt collector come to ruin them.

When my sister and Zachery ate candy and I said I wanted some too,

my mother called me the debt collector.

All my life, when my sister and Zachery wanted something, it was only natural.

But the moment I opened my mouth, all I got was a scolding.

It was the same with school.

I scored better than either of them, yet I had to earn my own money to cover my tuition and living costs.

Now they wanted to run the same trick again, dumping the theft on me.

Why should they?

"Figuring out who took it, isn't that simple?"

I raised my phone and typed in 911.

"I'll call the police. Once the officers get here, they can check the security footage and run the fingerprints. Won't that make it clear as day?"

As I said it, my thumb moved to hit the call button.

"No, you can't call the police!"

My mother lost all reason.

"If you dare call the police, I'll disown you!"

My eldest sister clamped down on my hand, her eyes full of disgust.

"Enough, Katherine. How long are you going to keep this up? The locket's been found. There's no need to blow it up into a whole police thing."

My father was the angriest of all. He raised his hand and slapped me.

This time, with my hand pinned, I took it full on.

My face snapped to the side, stinging like fire.

Zachery clicked his tongue.

"Serves you right. It's karma!"

"A troublemaker like you, who never thinks about this family, deserves to be beaten. Even if they beat you to death, it'd be your good fortune!"

I said nothing and shoved them all off with force.

Then I pressed the call button again.

This time, the call went through.

My mother hadn't expected me to be this stubborn, and screamed in a panic.

She even stooped to threatening her own life.

"Katherine, if you insist on tearing this household apart, then your mother won't go on living."

She made a show of going to slam her head into the wall.

My father, Zachery, and my sister made a phony rush to stop her.

And even while stopping her, they kept cursing me for being unfilial.

But I didn't move a muscle.