Because her precious Jeremy needed a lab rat, Harper shipped me off to Bendora Mental Health Institute after my surgery.

I got electroshocked until I was drooling and twitching, and she? She just slapped her hand over Jeremy's eyes like, "Ew, babe, don't look."

Jeremy scored a Research Award nomination off that mess. Harper celebrated with fireworks so loud they could've woken the dead.

Meanwhile, I was lying there in the dark, staring up at the sky while they took my leg.

To keep it quiet, Jeremy slapped on a prosthetic and threatened me if I ever opened my mouth.

He told Harper I just got "a little banged up" in the trial.

Numb, I boxed up my leg in a freezer box.

Seven days later, at Jeremy's big gala night, guess who would unwrap it like a party favor?

Yeah. Harper.

I begged the caretaker—Kenny—eyes red, voice cracking. Only guy in that place who didn't treat me like trash. Said I reminded him of his big brother.

But going up against Jeremy? Not an option. Getting me out? Dream on.

Then he saw me clutching my fake leg, breaking down like my chest was about to cave in. That cracked him.

He grabbed the freezer box and headed for the door—

Boom. Harper.

The metallic stink made her wrinkle her nose. She watched Kenny walk off, and only bothered to frown once he was long gone.

Still, she was beaming—like she just claimed victory in some game.

"Jeremy's experiment was a huge success," she murmured, dreamy-eyed. "His dream finally came true."

Since stepping in, she hadn't looked at me once—just stared out the window at the fireworks.

When I stayed quiet, she finally looked over, brows knitting. "Zach Zimmer, Jeremy just asked you for a tiny favor.

"You've been home doing nothing since surgery. Meeting some new friends and helping him out a little isn't that big of a deal. You don't have to look so miserable."

'Friends?'

Let's see.

The old lady who stormed into my room screaming her lungs out.

The old man who choked me out over money I'd never seen.

And the guy who knocked me flat accusing me of stealing his girl.

Yeah. Real wholesome bunch.

Jeremy had me swallowing pills like candy and zapping me until my leg started to rot off.

Doctor said if I'd gotten to a real hospital sooner, they could've saved it.

But how? I wasn't even allowed to leave the building.

Harper saw my red eyes, my head down, and looked ready to scold me.

"Za—"

She cut off mid-sentence. Her phone lit up. Moonlight hit her face, and just like that, she was glowing.

She stayed twenty whole minutes. Never noticed my right leg was fake.

I was dozing off when Jeremy's junior rolled in with the day's pills.

Thinking about my missing leg, I slapped the tray away.

Harper jumped at the noise, then stomped over, scooped up the pills, and pressed them to my mouth.

"This is for Jeremy's experiment," she said, dead cold. "If you won't take them, how's he supposed to write his report?"

My throat burned, but I turned my face. She grabbed my chin and shoved the pills down anyway.

She started to say something else, then froze. Phone buzzed. She bolted without even grabbing her coat.

Didn't need to guess.

Opened my feed—

Jeremy's selfie: tissues in his nose, dumb grin on his face.

Caption: [Watched fireworks all night, came back with a cold. Took an extra cold pill by accident. That won't kill me, right?]

And right below it? Harper, all hearts and panic:

[You caught a cold? Why didn't you tell me sooner, dummy? Go get checked, okay? I'm coming with you—don't go without me.]

That night, Harper never came back.

Right after midnight, I mumbled a "happy birthday" to myself.

Before I got dumped at Bendora, she'd gone with me for a checkup. Doctor said my stomach was healing fine, and Harper lit up.

"You'll be all better by your birthday," she'd said. "We'll celebrate big."

Yeah. She did celebrate—just not with me. She blasted fireworks across the city... for Jeremy's fake little science trophy.

At dawn, Kenny showed up with this tiny palm-sized cake.

"I remember you said today's your birthday, but your leg..." He trailed off, awkward, then lit the candle anyway.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have made it through those hellish days.

I closed my eyes, ready to make a wish—then the door creaked open.

Harper.

Her brows twitched like she just realized what day it was. "Oh. It's your birthday."

She started digging through her coat, clearly scrambling for a fake gift.

Too bad karma has a sense of humor—she yanked out a half-used box of condoms.

Red-faced, she shoved it back. "Someone must've put that there as a joke. I'll get you something later."

I blew out the candle hard. "Don't bother."

Her face darkened fast, hands shoved deep in her pockets.

"All this over a gift? I paid for your dad's treatment when he was dying. Now you're giving me attitude over a birthday? Seriously?"

I clenched my jaw and let her go off.

Because yeah—she wasn't wrong. She did save my family.

That kind of debt? Can't exactly be erased.

Kenny, still next to me, finally stood. As he walked out, his shoulder clipped hers—on purpose.

She stumbled, face icing over.

Shot me a look like I was the villain, then turned—only to almost smack into Jeremy, rolling in with his lab coat.

Faint red marks peeked out under his collar.

Harper's rage? Poof. She floated to him, all soft-voiced concern. "I told you to rest at home. Why'd you come back?"

Jeremy sneezed, shrugged. "You stripped to keep me warm last night. I'm good now."

Then he noticed me, dialed back the puppy eyes, and gave me a smile.

"I'm here for an important experiment. Need Zach's cooperation."

My heart tanked. I looked right at Harper, shaking my head, silently begging her—don't.

She just smiled at Jeremy like I wasn't even there. "It's fine. He's not doing anything anyway."

I was about to go through that nightmare again. All because of her.

Jeremy's smirk kicked in. "This might sting a little, Zach, but hang tight. You've handled worse."

Dread crawled up my spine like ice water.

Harper blew a fortune getting Jeremy's lab off the ground.

She let him test his DIY drugs on actual people. Even backed his creepy electric shock "therapy."

Every time it blew up in his face, she swooped in and fixed it. Like she was proud of it.

What I didn't see coming? Her letting him do all that to me.

I didn't fight. I owed her. Or thought I did.

Maybe once this freak show ended, my tab would finally be cleared.

Jeremy broke the silence with a few loud slaps. Doctors stormed in with their gear.

Once everything was set, Jeremy slid his arm around Harper's.

"Harper, what if this flops?" he whined.

Harper's eyes wavered. She squeezed his hand, voice barely a whisper. "It won't. Let's go. They'll send the results later."

Inside, I was flat on a cold metal bed, staring at the ceiling while they strapped me down.

The lights smeared together. My thoughts started slipping away.

As the current cranked up, my body went dead, but my brain flickered back on in flashes.

Through the fog came the sound of chaos—metal clanging, people yelling.

"Shoot, you can't even control the voltage?"

Then the convulsions hit—sharp, brutal, unstoppable. Someone shouted, "Get him to emergency! We might still save him!"

I didn't fight. It felt like getting smashed over the head before everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was somewhere new. Sterile, quiet—totally unfamiliar.

Before I could say a word, Jeremy's voice cut in from the side.

"You really made it, Zach. Here's your bonus for the effort."

He smirked, pulled out a crumpled bill, and dropped it next to my pillow.

Then he turned—and smacked right into Harper walking in. His smirk vanished. Head down, all fake remorse.

"It was my fault. I messed up. Zach blacked out. I already apologized."

Harper barely glanced at me before brushing her fingers along his cheek. "You didn't mean to. No need to say sorry."

Then she turned to me, a little too sweet. "The doctor said there's something wrong with your leg. Why didn't you tell me?"

I stayed silent.

While she was out watching fireworks with Jeremy, I'd blown up her phone with messages. Not a single reply.

Kenny tried to speak up, but Jeremy threw him a look and jumped in.

"My fault. Something went sideways during the experiment. I got swamped and forgot to mention Zach's leg."

Harper just smiled.

"How could I blame you? He's fine now, anyway."

I hadn't said a word, and she was already brushing it off like it didn't matter.

To shut Kenny up, Jeremy shoved him out the door.

Harper turned back with this fake-guilty smile.

"You've been stuck inside forever. Let's go out tonight. Celebrate a little."

Didn't ask if I wanted to. Just hauled me to some boutique and slapped a suit on the counter.

When she caught sight of the bruises on my back, her hand stopped midair.

She didn't say a word—just mumbled something and waited outside.

'What, feeling guilty now? Please. Everything I am now is because of her.'

At dinner, she barely looked up from her phone.

Halfway through, she hit the restroom—and vanished for over twenty minutes.

When she finally returned, she flagged down the waiter and jabbed a finger at the menu without even looking.

The guy froze. She'd pointed at the restaurant's address.

I grabbed the menu and quietly ordered for myself.

Right after the food hit the table, she shot up, grabbing her coat.

"Jeremy's getting harassed at a party. I've gotta go."