A System's Cruel Joke

stared at the door, her mind blank. Daniel's voice was no longer filled with th

ed out, her voice r

n the hall. He didn' t press further. He never did anymore. The dis

ble throb. Feeling a sudden thirst, she slowly got out of bed and made her way dow

at the island, sipping a glass of milk. Clara looked u

e syrupy sweet. "I was just having some warm milk. It h

ely lactose intolerant, a fact everyone in the house, including Clara, was well aware of. Daniel had once

flat. She walked to the cupboard to get

louding her features. "Oh, I' m so sorry, I co

her lower lip trembling. It was a perf

wanted to do something nice, and I messed up again," Clara sniffled, tears welling in her eyes.

glass with water, her back to Clara, tr

ccusation. "Is it because I' m here? I know I don' t belong, but I ha

entered the kitchen, drawn by the noise. They took one look a

?" Daniel' s voice was sharp

comforting arm around her. "Clara, what

. "No, it' s my fault. I just offered her some milk, and I forgot abou

something out of kindness, and you had to make her

ia said, her voice barely a w

it all. You walk around here with that miserable expression, making everyone

el the anger radiating from him.

oulder, not hard, but it was enough to make her stumble back against the co

silence for a second. Olivia stared at the shards glitter

hen Ethan's. There was no sympathy ther

She didn't look back. As she reached the stairs, she thought she saw a flicker of something in Ethan

cry," she heard Ethan mur

s voice softening as he spoke to Clara. "We' ll ta

ng behind her. She had been replaced. It was a simple, bruta