Chapter 4

The inevitable happened when the twins started their senior year of high school. The fated encounters, the ones that were supposed to set their tragic story in motion, began.

It started with Ethan. He told Nicole he was going on a solo hike in the Malibu canyons, something he did when he needed to clear his head. But I knew the real story. He was going to have a "chance" encounter with Jennifer Chavez.

In the original script, Jennifer, a pretty, aspiring actress with a talent for playing the victim, would pretend to be lost and sprain her ankle. Ethan, with his buried hero complex, would "rescue" her. It was the perfect setup.

A few days later, it was Nicole's turn. She was walking to her car after a late drama club practice at her exclusive private school. Andrew Morris, a charismatic, handsome musician from a working-class background, was supposed to "save" her from a staged confrontation with a couple of guys he'd paid off. He would play the charming protector, and Nicole, starved for affection and validation, would fall for it completely.

The day Ethan went on his hike, I made sure to be extra fussy. I cried when he tried to leave, clinging to his leg.

"I'll be back in a few hours, Maddy," he said, prying my fingers off his jeans. "Nicole's here."

But my fussing had planted a seed. He was thinking about me.

When he came home that evening, Jennifer was with him. She was exactly as the script described: sweet, doe-eyed, and leaning on Ethan for support, her ankle "badly sprained."

"This is Jennifer," Ethan announced. "She got lost on the trail. I helped her out."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Nicole said, all sympathy.

Jennifer smiled, a perfect, practiced expression of gratitude. "Ethan was my hero."

She then turned her attention to me. I was in my playpen in the living room. "Oh, and who is this little angel?" she cooed, hobbling over. "Can I hold her?"

This was my moment.

The second Jennifer's hands came near me, I erupted. I didn't just cry; I screamed. I arched my back, my face turned purple, and I let out a shriek so piercing that everyone in the room flinched. I looked at her with pure, unadulterated terror.

Jennifer pulled her hands back as if she'd been burned. "Oh! I... I guess she doesn't like me." She tried to laugh it off, but a flicker of annoyance crossed her face.

"She's just tired," Ethan said quickly, but he looked confused. I was usually so friendly with strangers.

A few days later, Andrew Morris made his move. He dropped Nicole off at home, looking every bit the charming hero.

"There were these guys hassling her," Andrew explained to Ethan, his arm casually draped over the back of the sofa where Nicole was sitting. "I just made sure she was okay."

"He was so brave," Nicole gushed, looking at Andrew with wide, adoring eyes.

Andrew smiled, the picture of humble confidence. He then noticed me, playing on the floor. "Hey there, little one. You must be Madisyn."

He knelt down, his smile warm and inviting. "Can I say hi?"

I looked at him, at his perfectly crafted charm, and I knew it was all a lie. I turned my head away, grabbed my favorite stuffed elephant, and pointedly ignored him. When he tried to gently touch my arm, I pulled it back and crawled away, putting a solid ten feet of carpet between us.

The room went quiet.

"Wow, tough crowd," Andrew joked, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"She's... shy sometimes," Nicole said, sounding disappointed.

The seeds of doubt were planted. I wasn't just a baby; I was their baby. My reactions mattered. My instincts were a barometer for truth in their world, and I had just told them, in the clearest way I could, that these two people were poison. They didn't understand it yet, but the first cracks in the antagonists' plan had appeared.