Chapter 2:a decision that changed my life
Jeff looked down at Lily and grinned.
“If you really want to keep the money your husband left behind,” he said, “send this child to a correctional facility.”
Roselyn stared at him.
“They’ll break her stubbornness,” Jeff continued. “By the time they’re finished with her, she won’t even dare speak against you.”
For one brief moment, Lily thought her mother would refuse. She looked up at Roselyn with desperate hope. Surely her mother would not send her away. Surely she would not let strangers hurt her.
Instead, Roselyn smiled.
“You’re right, Jeff.”
Lily’s heart sank.
“That will teach her to behave.” Roselyn turned toward her daughter. “I’ll take you there today.”
Lily stared at her in disbelief. “Mommy...” Her eyes drifted to Ethan’s still body on the floor. “Please save Ethan.”
Roselyn’s expression hardened. “Shut up.”
Lily flinched.
Jeff pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hello.” He glanced at Lily. “I’ve got a child coming in today. Make sure someone is ready for her.” He listened for a moment. “Yes. That’s right.” His eyes stayed on Lily. “Take good care of her.”
Lily looked at her mother, her eyes pleading for help. Roselyn did nothing. She did not even look at her.
When Jeff ended the call, he turned to Roselyn. “But what are you going to tell everyone?”
Roselyn smiled. “That’s simple.” She folded her arms. “I’ll tell them she started acting out after her father died. I’ll say she became difficult, disobedient, and impossible to control.”
Jeff nodded. “That works.”
He walked toward Lily, and she immediately backed away. “No.”
Jeff grabbed her arm. “Come on, kid.”
Lily struggled against him. “Mommy!”
Roselyn remained where she was.
“Mommy, please!”
Jeff tightened his grip. Lily kicked and twisted, but he was much bigger and stronger than she was, and he lifted her onto his shoulder with little effort. “Let me go!” Her small fists pounded against his back. “Mommy!”
Roselyn watched them leave. She did not follow. She did not stop him. She simply stood there while her daughter was carried out of the room.
The drive seemed endless.
Lily sat silently in the back seat, her face wet with tears, and stared out the window as the familiar streets slipped away one by one. She kept thinking about Ethan. She kept thinking about her father. And she kept wondering why her mother hated her so much.
Eventually, the car slowed and stopped in front of a large, aging building surrounded by high walls. There were no children playing outside, no bright colors, no welcoming signs. There was only a heavy metal gate.
Jeff got out and opened the back door, then grabbed Lily’s arm. She pulled away from him. “Please.”
He ignored her and dragged her toward the entrance.
Before Lily could say anything else, an elderly woman stepped outside. Jeff nodded toward Lily. “This is the child.”
The woman looked her over without expression. “Take good care of her.”
The old woman nodded.
Jeff released Lily’s arm, turned around, and walked back to the car.
Lily stared after him. “Wait!”
He did not turn around.
“Please!”
The car door slammed. A moment later, the vehicle disappeared through the gate.
Lily stood alone.
Without warning, the old woman stepped forward, and a sharp slap struck Lily across the face. She stumbled sideways, and her hand flew to her burning cheek.
The woman stared down at her. “I heard you’ve been causing problems for your family.”
Lily shook her head quickly. “No.”
“Is that so?” the woman said, her expression still cold.
Lily swallowed. “I didn’t do anything.”
The woman seized her wrist. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
Lily tried to pull away. “I want my mommy.”
The woman’s grip tightened. “You won’t be seeing her for a while.”
Tears filled Lily’s eyes. She looked back toward the gate, but it was already closed.
Then the woman dragged her inside, and the heavy door shut behind them.
And for the first time in her life, Lily understood what it meant to be completely alone.
Lily’s first night began with a uniform.
Every child in the facility was required to change before dinner, and Lily stood among the other children, confused and frightened, watching them carefully and trying to understand how everything worked. Nobody spoke. Nobody laughed. Nobody looked directly at the adults. Lily did not understand why, so she simply followed everyone into the dining room.
A plate was placed in front of her. There was beef on it.
Lily stared at the food for a moment before raising her hand.
“Ma’am.”
The entire room went silent.
Lily looked around. The other children immediately lowered their heads, and she did not understand what she had done wrong.
“I don’t eat beef,” she said.
Nobody answered.
“When I eat beef, I get a reaction.”
The woman supervising the dining room slowly turned toward her. A cold smile appeared on her face.
“Oh,” she said. She walked toward Lily. “That’s good to know.”
Before Lily could understand what she meant, the woman gestured toward two others standing nearby. “Bring her.”
The two women approached at once. One grabbed Lily’s left arm, and the other grabbed her right.
Lily panicked. “Wait. What did I do?”
They dragged her away from the table and forced both of her hands flat against it. Lily struggled. “Please!”
The supervising woman walked toward them with a ruler in her hand and looked down at Lily.
“Rule number one.”
The ruler struck Lily’s palms, and she cried out.
“Do not speak unless you are asked to speak.”
Lily’s eyes filled with tears. The first woman tightened her grip on her arm while the second kept Lily’s other hand pressed firmly against the table. The ruler came down again.
“Rule number two.” The woman stared at her. “You do not choose your food.”
Another strike.
“Rule number three.” She leaned closer. “You do exactly what you are told without asking questions.”
The two women finally released her. Lily pulled her hands toward herself and held them against her chest, her palms burning.
The plate of beef was taken away. Lily stared at the place where it had been.
“But I’m hungry,” she whispered.
The supervising woman looked at her without sympathy. “Because of your attitude, you will not receive food today.”
Lily’s lips trembled. She wanted to explain. She wanted to tell them she had only been trying to warn them. But she remembered the ruler, so she lowered her head and said nothing.
The other children remained silent, and not one of them looked at her.
Lily slowly returned to her seat, and this time she understood. They were not quiet because they wanted to be. They were quiet because they were afraid.
And that night, Lily learned something she would never forget.
