Chapter 3

"Oh, here we go," I muttered, rolling my eyes as Brittany sagged against Chad, who dutifully looked concerned.

Eleanor rushed to her side. "Brittany, darling! David, call Dr. Matthews!"

"No need," I said loudly. "This is her classic 'stress-induced arrhythmia' act, isn't it? Funny how it only flares up when she's not the center of attention or when someone calls her out on her nonsense."

Brittany' s eyes, half-closed in supposed agony, flickered open to glare at me.

"How dare you!" Eleanor shrieked. "My daughter has a serious condition!"

"Does she?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Or is it a convenient excuse? Like the time Ava got that scholarship interview and Brittany suddenly had a 'blinding migraine' that required everyone to cater to her all day, making Ava miss it?"

Ava looked up, surprised I knew that. The System was thorough.

"Or the time Ava was supposed to go on that weekend trip with the school art club, and Brittany 'accidentally' spilled paint all over Ava' s portfolio, then had a 'panic attack' from the 'guilt'?"

David looked uncomfortable. "Those were... unfortunate incidents."

"Unfortunate for Ava," I corrected. "Convenient for Brittany. And let's talk about real emergencies, shall we? Ava, your adoptive grandmother, the woman who actually raised you with love, needed surgery a couple of years ago, didn't she? You asked Chad for a loan, a small one, from the trust fund he has access to."

Chad stiffened. "That was... complicated."

"No, it was simple," I said, my voice hard. "You refused. You told her to 'get a better job if she was so desperate.' And what happened, Ava?"

Ava' s voice was barely a whisper. "She... she didn't get the surgery in time. She passed away a few months later."

A heavy silence fell. Even Eleanor looked momentarily chagrined.

"So, Brittany's phantom heart flutters get immediate five-star medical attention, but Ava's actual, dying grandmother gets told to kick rocks by her own stepbrother?" I pressed. "That' s the family value system we' re working with here?"

David cleared his throat. "That's a gross mischaracterization, young woman. Chad had his reasons."

"Oh, I'm sure he did," I said. "Reasons that probably involved not wanting to dip into his fun money. Meanwhile, Ava was working three part-time jobs, barely sleeping, trying to scrape together enough for medication that might have given her grandmother a little more comfort, a little more time."

I saw a tear trace a path down Ava's cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

"You talk about embarrassment," I said, my gaze sweeping over Eleanor, David, and Chad. "Ava working an honest job is embarrassing? Or is it more embarrassing that a girl you claim as family was so neglected she had to? Is it more embarrassing that she was denied help for the only real mother she ever knew?"

[Narrative Correction System: Emotional abuse and systemic neglect exposed. Antagonist deflection tactics noted. Narrative deviation: 15%.]

The buzz felt good. This was almost fun, in a twisted, righteous way.

Brittany, seeing her ailment wasn't getting the desired effect, slowly straightened up, a venomous look on her face. "You know nothing."

"I know enough," I replied coolly. "And I'm learning more every minute."