Chapter 3

I put down my fork and stood up.

Soren grabbed my wrist so hard I felt my bones grind together.“Quinn, she’s your sister, and she’s pregnant. We didn’t have any other choice.”

I yanked my hand free.“So I deserved to be tricked?”

I was the one who’d been lied to and had everything taken from me, but Eve started crying and snatched the steak knife off the table. She held it to her neck.

“Quinn, this is all my fault. Blame me if you have to. Would you be happy if I died?”

Everyone panicked.

My parents shouted that I was trying to kill my sister. Chloe screamed. Soren lunged for Eve’s hand. Neither of them managed to control the knife. It turned and sliced across my face.

Two cuts opened. Warm blood ran down my chin.

Soren froze. The knife slipped from his hand and hit the table. He took a step toward me.

Then Eve fainted against him.

Soren scooped her up. My parents and Chloe crowded around them and followed him as he carried Eve to her room. No one looked back at me.

I stood beside the table for a few seconds, then pressed my hand to my face.

I went to the bathroom and found the first-aid kit myself.After I bandaged my face, I passed Eve’s room. The door was slightly open.

Everyone was gathered around her bed.

Chloe was guessing the baby’s sex on her phone. My mom stroked Eve’s hair.

Soren held her close. “Boy or girl, I’ll love them both.”

He’d said the same thing to me countless times when we were in bed together.

I gave a bitter smile and went back to my room.

Not long after, someone knocked.

Soren came in holding a piece of Dad’s homemade peanut brittle on a paper napkin.“You barely ate dinner. Have something.”

When I was little and Mom punished me by making me skip meals, Soren would sneak food to me through the back stairs. He always brought it the same way.

I took the candy and bit into it.

Then Eve and Chloe pushed open the door and burst out laughing. My parents came in behind them.

“Oh my God, Quinn! You can eat peanuts after all. The experiment worked. Your allergy was just a ridiculous psychological thing!”

Less than ten seconds later, I started struggling to breathe. I couldn’t get a word out.

Soren glanced at me and explained it like it was no big deal.“The doctor said Eve needed to let off some steam for the baby’s sake. She saw an experiment to test allergies and really wanted to try it.”

“You—You know this could kill me—”

He frowned and took a step toward me.

Mom put out an arm to stop him.“She’s pretending. She was fine when she didn’t know there were peanuts in the candy. Now she knows, so she’s putting on a show.”

Soren stared at me for a few seconds, then held out a pill bottle.

“Stop faking an illness for attention. If you really feel sick, take some allergy medicine.”

I was in so much pain that I swallowed two pills.A moment later, my stomach cramped violently. I curled up on the floor, clutching it.

“It hurts…”

My mom looked annoyed. “You took the medicine. What could still be wrong? You’ve been competing with your sister for attention since you could talk. Now you’re lying to us right to our faces.”

The concern disappeared from Soren’s eyes.

“Grow up, Quinn. We don’t have time for this.”

They left with Eve. They didn’t see the blood spreading down my legs.

I curled up on the floor as the pain in my stomach got worse. I reached for my phone, but missed it several times. After what felt like forever, I managed to stand. I made my way downstairs and drove myself to the hospital.

After examining me, the doctor said I was about seven weeks pregnant. I’d miscarried.

I’d taken the wrong medication, and the delay in treating my severe allergic reaction had been too much for my body.

They were all celebrating Eve’s baby.

No one knew I’d lost mine because of them.