Chapter 2

At six in the evening, I pushed open the front door.

Before I could even take off my shoes, I heard a bloodcurdling scream from the living room.

"Oh, my face!

It hurts so much!

Help me!"

I slipped on my slippers and slowly walked into the living room.

The scene before me was ten times more spectacular than I'd imagined.

Brenda was rolling on the floor, clutching her face with both hands, letting out heart-wrenching wails.

Her already sparse hair was falling out in clumps, scattered across the wool rug like weeds.

More horrifying was her face; the areas where she'd applied the white cream were now swollen and almost distorted.

Her entire face looked terrifying, glowing with an eerie redness, and yellowish tissue fluid was even starting to seep out.

"Brenda!

What happened, Brenda!"

Mark and Ashley rushed out of the kitchen, gasping in shock at the sight of Brenda on the floor.

"Mark!

Brenda's hair is all gone!

Her face is ruined!"

Ashley shrieked, her voice trembling.

Mark suddenly turned, his eyes bloodshot, glaring at me like a furious beast.

"Sophia!

You witch!

What poison did you use on my mom!"

He stomped towards me, raising his palm to slap my face.

I stood my ground, not even blinking, staring at him coldly.

"Try to touch me."

My voice was quiet, but it carried immense pressure.

"If that slap lands, I guarantee you'll receive a court summons tomorrow, along with a divorce agreement that leaves you with nothing."

Mark's hand froze mid-air, the muscles in his face twitching.

He was clearly intimidated by my presence.

"You dare threaten my brother?!"

Ashley shrieked, hopping next to him.

"It's obvious you're twisted, deliberately leaving poison on the table to harm my mom!

I'm calling the police!"

I sneered, walked over to the sofa, and sat down, crossing my legs.

"Call the police?

Go ahead.

I'd love for the police to see who ignored a warning and secretly stole and used someone else's property."

I took out my phone, pulled up the SnapChat family group chat history, and waved it in front of them.

"It's all here, in black and white, voice messages included.

I clearly told you it was industrial depilatory cream, but you insisted on thinking it was high-end skincare and smeared it on your faces.

So now your face is ruined, and your hair is gone – and that's my fault?"

Brenda was rolling her eyes in pain on the floor, almost passing out.

"Stop talking!

Call an ambulance!"

Mark panicked, yelling at Ashley.

The ambulance wailed as it arrived.

The paramedics frowned at Brenda's horrific state.

"The burns are too severe.

She needs to be taken to the emergency room for debridement immediately!"

As Brenda was being carried away on a stretcher, Mark pointed at my nose, gritting his teeth as he delivered his ultimatum.

"Sophia, you just wait!

If anything happens to my mom, I'm not done with you!

When I get back from the hospital, you're getting out of this house!"

The front door slammed shut.

I looked at the empty living room, my cold smirk deepening.

Make me leave this house?

Mark, you must still be dreaming.