A Five-Year Deception, A Lifetime of Payback

d. As I was packing a small suitc

going?" she asked, a fli

next city," I lied smoothly. "Just for a

h my father, who was standing in the doorway. M

brought me a cup of "special calmi

ter almond scent of the sleeping pills mixed in. The

up the cup. I looked at her, then at

took a sip of the tea. Then another. I drank half the cup, my stomach

ead. "I'm feeling a little... dizzy. I think the

, her concern a masterpiece of fic

ged me to

arents. The people who were sup

lipping out before I could stop it. "For what

ere was a flicker of something in their eyes-

y father said, his voice a litt

I didn't press. I ju

nelt before the toilet, and forced myself to throw up, my body convulsing until the tea a

s an act, but th

ving room, where a single, elegantly wrapped delivery box

ons were precise: deliver the package to the Starlight Restaurant inside the

road, I saw them. Ivan, Kiera, Leo, and my parents, laughing as they walked through th

age from Debi. "Wheels

their perfect, fake happiness. I felt nothing. N

and dropped it into a storm drain, the

the glittering park and walked toward the air