Now I let out a cold laugh.

"Benjamin, your family was the one going bankrupt. You begged for this marriage to save your company, and now you look down on me? Biting the hand that feeds you. What an ugly way to behave."

Benjamin's face twisted, ugly and cornered. He glared at me, resentful, but not a single word of protest came out.

Half an hour later, Fern came downstairs dragging a suitcase behind her.

Just then my brother, Lionel, walked in. The moment he saw the suitcase in Fern's hand, his brow furrowed.

"Fern, what are you doing?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she forced out a small smile, the kind that made your chest ache just to look at.

"Lionel, I've imposed on you all these days. Pamela doesn't like me, so I'm going to move out."

His expression darkened. He snatched the suitcase from her hand.

"You're a girl who just turned eighteen, and your family isn't even here. Where would you move to?"

Fern pressed her lips together.

"It's fine. I can stay overnight at one of those twenty-four-hour stores by the road. It'll be okay once I find a job."

His heart clearly broke for her.

"Fern, you'll stay right here. There's no need to move out."

Then Lionel walked over to me, his voice rising in fury.

"Pamela, when did you turn into such a spoiled, willful brat? You know full well Fern has no one to lean on here, and you still force her out, leaving her to wander the streets. How can your heart be so vicious?"

I was shaking all over with anger. No wonder Fern had agreed to leave earlier. She'd been counting on Lionel coming home.

I fixed a cold stare on her.

"Fern was the one who offered to leave. And I pay her five thousand a month. How could she possibly end up on the streets? If it really comes to that, I'll buy her a plane ticket home myself."

Panic flashed plainly across Fern's face. Then, all at once, she dropped to her knees in front of me.

"Pamela, please, I'm begging you, don't force me to go home. Once I go back, my parents will never let me leave again. They'll make me marry some old bachelor so they can get the dowry to buy my brother a bride. My whole life would be ruined."

I hurried back a few steps. I'd barely opened my mouth to speak when Lionel raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

For an instant, my cheek burned, raw and stinging.

He roared at me.

"Pamela, Mom and Dad really did spoil you rotten. That's why you've turned so vicious you'd force someone to their knees. Have you got any conscience left at all?"

I was livid. I shoved him back.

"I never forced Fern to kneel."

A flicker of provocation crossed her eyes as she looked at me.

"Lionel, don't blame Pamela. Any wrong here is all my fault."

He helped her up, his face full of tenderness.

"Fern, you're just too kind. That's why people trample on you."

Then he turned that cold stare back on me.

"Pamela, starting today, you'll spend two weeks up in the attic reflecting on what you've done. Learn to rein in that arrogant, overbearing streak of yours."

I refused to back down and glared at him.

"I did nothing wrong. Why should I be punished?"

He looked at me, cold.

"Pamela, so you really won't see reason."

Then he waved Benjamin forward.

"Lock her in the attic. Let her sit with her mistakes."

I fought them with everything I had, but I couldn't match the strength of two grown men. In the end they dumped me on the attic floor.

Fern stood there holding my laptop, and her voice dripped with smug delight.

"Don't you worry, Pamela. I'll be sure to file your college applications for you, nice and proper. You just stay up here, reflect, and rest your body and soul."

Frantic, I lunged to snatch the laptop back, but Lionel kicked me to the ground. My head cracked against the floor, and everything spun.

“Pamela, you actually raised a hand against Fern. No dinner for you today. You'll stay right here and think hard about what you did. The moment you admit you were wrong is the moment you eat again.”

With that, he pulled Fern up and turned to leave. The attic door swung shut, and everything went black.

I'd been afraid of the dark my whole life. The fear raised goosebumps across my skin. I crawled to the door and pounded on it over and over, begging them to let me out.

But no one answered. I don't know how long it went on before the strength drained out of me and my head started to swim.

I stared down at myself, unwilling to accept it. Was I really going to repeat the tragedy of my past life?

I lost track of how long it lasted. Then the door flew open, harsh light flooding in, and I saw my parents standing there. Just as I thought it was a hallucination and tried to speak, my vision went dark and I passed out.

When I woke again, I was in the hospital.

My mom held me close, her face full of pain.

“Pam, I'm so sorry. We let you suffer. Your dad and I pulled the security footage from the house. I never imagined Benjamin and your brother would dare treat you like that. And Fern, I've already thrown her out.”

Tears slid down my face before I could stop them.

“Mom, Dad, I almost thought I'd never see you again.”

My mom held me and murmured comfort. Lionel walked in and glanced at me.

“Pamela's fine, isn't she? So I'll go bring Fern back home.”

My dad kicked him hard, his foot landing square on Lionel's body.

“You ungrateful dog. You'd side with an outsider and treat your own sister like that?”

Lionel scrambled up and stumbled out of my hospital room.

Only then did I remember the college applications. I checked the time. Three hours left before the deadline.

I quickly had my parents bring me the laptop. First I changed my password, and when I opened the file, I saw that the top choice on my application was a lowly trade school.

My heart clenched. I immediately changed it back to the Ivy League university, then saved and resubmitted.

I couldn't help letting out a breath. This time Fern would have no chance to tamper with my application.

Soon there were only ten minutes left before the deadline.

Benjamin suddenly walked in.

“Pamela, what happened earlier was me acting on impulse. I misunderstood you. I hope you won't stay angry with me.”

I looked at Benjamin's strange behavior and felt something was very wrong.

Then Benjamin abruptly took hold of me.

“Pamela, I prepared a gift to make it up to you. It's downstairs. Come get it with me.”

I let out a cold laugh.

“I don't want it, and I don't want to forgive you. Now please leave. I don't want to see you.”

Benjamin frowned slightly.

“Pamela, this gift is from my parents. I know you're angry with me, but if you refuse even their gift, they'll be hurt.”

My eyes narrowed a fraction. Benjamin's parents were old friends of my family. I could refuse to give Benjamin any face, but I couldn't do the same to his parents.

Reluctantly, I nodded and followed Benjamin out.

At the entrance, a delivery courier handed me a box. Inside was nothing but a bottle of cheap perfume.

It was obvious. There was no way this came from Benjamin's parents. Benjamin had simply wanted to lure me away.

I thought of the laptop in the room and hurried back, Benjamin close on my heels.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Fern with my laptop, working on it. When I saw that the top line of my application had been changed to the trade school, I shouted in fury.

“Fern, who told you to change my application? Give it back right now.”

But Fern only smiled.

“Pam, I only wanted to help you. I've spent the last couple of days studying so much about how to fill out applications.”

I lunged for the laptop, but Benjamin yanked me back.

"Pamela, Fern's trying to help you out of the goodness of her heart. Don't be so ungrateful."

I spoke fast, frantic.

"She entered a trade school for me. That's helping?"

Benjamin answered like it was nothing.

"If Fern filled it out this way for you, then a trade school is the best choice you've got."

The last minute ticked away, and the application window closed.

Fern's eyes were bright with laughter.

"Pamela, you can only go to one Ivy League school, but with a trade school you can get into several. You're coming out way ahead, aren't you?"

Benjamin chimed in, smiling too.

"You're lucky to have a friend as helpful as Fern."

I gave a small smile. "Why don't you take a good look at exactly who got that luck?"