Chapter 4

I lay there for what felt like hours, the pain in my arm a throbbing fire.

The delinquents had scattered after taking everything of value.

A comment flickered, surprisingly helpful for once.

HiddenCamPro: Her phone! If it's still in her pocket, she might have recorded something. Always be recording!

My phone. They' d missed it.

With my good hand, I fumbled for it. My fingers were clumsy, shaking.

The screen was cracked, but it turned on. And yes, in my panic, I must have hit record.

The audio was clear: their voices, Jessica' s name, their taunts.

Tears streamed down my face, mixing with dirt and blood.

Eventually, the distant wail of a siren grew closer. A dog walker had found me, their flashlight beam a small beacon in the dark.

The paramedics were gentle. The hospital was bright, sterile, overwhelming.

My arm was broken, a clean snap. They set it in a cast.

As I drifted in and out of a painkiller-induced haze, the police arrived.

I told them everything, my voice hoarse. I played the recording from my phone.

The officer, a woman with tired eyes, listened intently. "We'll look into this, Ms. Miller. Your sister, Jessica, you said?"

I nodded.

Not long after, David and Karen burst into my hospital room, their faces masks of theatrical concern.

"Oh, Sarah, my poor baby!" Karen wailed, rushing to my bedside, trying to hug me. I flinched away.

David looked grave. "We just heard. This is terrible. Those thugs! Who would do such a thing?"

HypocrisyAlert101: And the award for Best Fake Concern goes to...

DamageControlCrew: They're here to shut her up about Jessica.

They cooed and fussed, then Karen got to the point.

"Sarah, darling, about Jessica... she's just a child. She makes mistakes. These boys, they must have misunderstood her. She wouldn't want you hurt."

David chimed in, "If you press charges, it'll ruin her life. Her college applications... Think about her future."

He then dangled the bait. "Look, we know things have been... hard for you. We want to make it right. Come live with us. In the big house. We'll pay for your college, any college you want. Just... be understanding about Jessica. Sign a statement saying it was a misunderstanding."

The viewer comments were scrolling furiously, mocking their transparent lies.

BargainBinParents: 'Come live in luxury IF you protect our golden child!'

I looked at their eager, anxious faces. They thought I was still the manageable, broken girl.

A cold resolve settled in me.

"Okay," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'll sign a leniency statement for Jessica."

Their faces lit up with relief.

"But," I continued, "only if you sign something for me first."

David frowned. "What is it?"

"A legally binding agreement. Severing all parental rights. Full emancipation. No financial ties, no control over me, ever again. You give me my freedom, and I'll give you your precious Jessica's clean record."

They exchanged a look. Karen's eyes were greedy. David's, calculating.

The comments were incredulous.

BoldMoveCotton: She's actually playing them!

FreedomFighter: GET IT, GIRL!

"That's... drastic, Sarah," Karen said, but there was no real objection in her voice.

"It's my only condition," I stated.

They huddled, whispering. It didn't take long.

"Alright," David said, a little too eagerly. "We'll have our lawyer draw it up."

Their lawyer arrived within the hour, a sleek man with a briefcase. The documents were signed quickly. I was officially, legally, on my own.

I then wrote a brief statement for Jessica, carefully worded, saying the attack was by persons unknown to me and I wished for leniency if they were caught. It was technically true. I didn't name her.

They took it, beaming, and practically ran from the room.

Suckers: They think they won. LMAO.

The moment the door closed behind them, I called the detective.

"I have the full recording of my parents trying to coerce me into dropping charges and admitting Jessica's involvement," I said. "And I'm ready to make a full statement naming my sister as the one who orchestrated the attack."

The detective's voice was grim. "Thank you, Ms. Miller. That will be very helpful."

I hung up, a strange sense of lightness filling me despite the pain in my arm.

The first move was mine.