Chapter 1

I was born a chronic liar.

At least, that was the label my mother, Lydia, had given me.

Lydia believed in science-based parenting.

From the day my twin sister Jessica and I were born, she made us wear honesty bracelets.

Whenever we lied, the bracelet would flash red, and Lydia would press a remote to send an electric shock through it as punishment.

Jessica's bracelet was always green.

Even when she cut up Lydia's dress and claimed the cat had done it, her bracelet only glowed a gentle green.

But me?

Even if I only said, "I'm hungry," my bracelet would instantly flash red.

Then came the unbearable electric shock.

At first, I tried to defend myself.

But Lydia always said, "Machines don't lie. Pain is what makes you a better person. Mommy's doing this for your own good."

After thousands upon thousands of shocks, I started to believe I really had been born a bad kid.

On Christmas Eve, Lydia was getting ready to take Jessica to the mall.

Suddenly, a violent pain tore through my stomach.

I curled up on the floor and looked at them desperately.

"Lydia, my stomach hurts so bad. Please help me."

But my bracelet started flashing red like crazy.

Lydia looked down at me, my entire body drenched in cold sweat from the pain.

Then she turned the current all the way up.

"You're pretending to be sick just because you want to come with us?"

She turned around, took Jessica with her, and slammed the door behind them.

I couldn't help thinking Lydia had to be right.

The bracelet was red, so I couldn't really be in pain.

I had to be lying again.

I'm sorry, Lydia.

In my next life, I'll learn how to be an honest child.

...

"It hurts..."

My whole body spasmed from the pain, my fingernails scraping white streaks into the floor.

Then the doorknob turned.

A spark of hope lit inside me.

Lydia was back.

She was a doctor.

She must have realized how much pain I was in and come back to save me.

"You're still not done? Jessica's getting impatient."

"Mom..."

I called out weakly and stretched one hand toward the doorway.

"It really hurts. It feels like my intestines are ripping apart."

She glanced at the red light flashing wildly on my wrist.

Lydia crouched down, grabbed my chin, and snapped angrily, "Evelyn, how long are you going to keep this act up?"

"You'll fake being sick this badly just to get my attention? You need to stay home and think about what you've done!"

My father, Ethan, called from the doorway.

"Lydia, hurry up. If Evelyn doesn't want to go, forget it. Should we at least leave her some food?"

Lydia stood and brushed off her hands as if touching me had made them dirty.

"She's got a whole stash of snacks in her bedroom cabinet. She bought them with the money she stole last time."

"Lock the door. She can come out when her bracelet turns green."

"But..." Ethan hesitated.

"Listen to me! Look at Jessica. She's so honest that her bracelet is always green."

"Evelyn's lying habit needs to be corrected! Would you rather she suffer a little now or get arrested someday?"

But my cabinet was empty.

Jessica had taken the money that time.

Jessica had eaten the snacks too.

All she'd done was stand there and say, "It wasn't me."

Her bracelet stayed green, so Lydia believed her.

When I said I hadn't taken the money either, my bracelet turned red.

I watched Lydia turn away.

Jessica poked her head through the gap in the door and made a face at me.

"Bye, Evelyn! We're going out to have fun!"

Her bracelet glowed such a beautiful, gentle green.

The door slammed shut.

Then came the click of the lock.

The house fell silent.

There was only me and the pain in my stomach.

It hurt so much.

But Lydia was right.

Machines didn't lie.

My bracelet was red, so I had to be lying.

I wasn't in pain.

I really wasn't.

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to convince myself.

I didn't know how much time passed.

Eventually, it almost felt like it didn't hurt as much anymore.

Using the last of my strength, I crawled toward my desk.

I had to write my punishment essay.

That was the rule.

Every time the red light came on, I had to fill a thousand words with the sentence:

*I'm a bad kid.*

Once I finished, Lydia would forgive me, right?

Then she'd take me to the hospital, wouldn't she?

My hand trembled as I opened the wrinkled old journal.

It was filled with all the punishment essays I'd written before.

Back then, all I ever wrote was:

*I'm sorry. I was wrong. I won't lie again.*

But this time, I wanted to write something true.

My vision grew blurrier and blurrier.

Through my tears, I used the last of my strength to write:

*Lydia, I really love you.*

*It really hurts. Why won't you believe me?*

*Lydia, please believe me just once.*

The moment I finished the last word, the terrible pain in my stomach suddenly disappeared.

In its place came a strange lightness I'd never felt before.

My body became weightless.

I floated upward.

When I looked down, I saw myself slumped over the desk, one arm hanging limply in the air.

I wasn't moving.

The bracelet on my wrist was still flashing red like crazy.

So...

I was dead.

And I still hadn't learned how to become an honest child.

I'm sorry.