Chapter 3

When my adoptive father, Mr. Davis, finally arrived to pick me up, his face was a thundercloud. He didn't ask how I was feeling. He just grabbed my small bag and grumbled, "Let's go. We're late."

The car ride home was silent and tense. I stared out the window, the familiar streets of our neighborhood looking foreign and hostile. The ache in my side was a dull, constant throb.

When we pulled into the driveway, the house was ablaze with lights. Laughter and music spilled out from the open windows. My heart sank. I knew instantly what this was.

I walked through the front door and into a scene of manufactured joy. The living room was filled with balloons and streamers. A large banner hanging over the fireplace read, "Welcome Home, Chloe!"

In the center of the room stood Chloe herself, radiant and smiling, holding a glass of champagne. Alex was right beside her, his arm possessively around her waist. He was beaming, looking healthier and happier than I had ever seen him. He hadn't bothered to show up for my discharge, but he was here, hosting a party for her.

And then it hit me. A cold, hard punch to the gut. Today was my birthday. They had forgotten. Or, more likely, they just hadn't cared. In the excitement of Chloe's return, my existence, my sacrifice, my birthday, had been completely erased.

The music stuttered to a halt as people noticed me standing in the doorway, pale and unsteady in my simple clothes, a ghost at their feast. Chloe' s perfect smile faltered for a second before she recovered, gliding towards me with a practiced grace.

"Sarah! You're home!" she gushed, reaching out to hug me. "We were all so worried about you."

I flinched away from her touch, my body recoiling as if from a snake. "Don't touch me," I said, my voice low and shaking with a rage that was just beginning to surface.

The room went silent. Chloe's eyes widened in fake hurt. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Mr. Davis boomed, stepping forward. "What's wrong is your attitude! Chloe comes home, and this is how you greet her? After everything we do for you?"

"Everything you do for me?" I laughed, a harsh, broken sound. "You mean like forgetting my birthday? Or letting me give up my kidney for a man who was lying to me, to all of us?"

The color drained from Alex's face. He looked at me, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

"What are you talking about, Sarah?" Mr. Davis demanded. "You're not making any sense. You're probably just tired from the surgery."

"No, I'm making perfect sense for the first time in my life," I said, my voice getting stronger. I looked directly at Alex. "Tell them, Alex. Tell them how you never loved me. Tell them it was all for Chloe."

A collective gasp went through the room.

"She's delirious," Alex said quickly, forcing a laugh. "The anesthesia must still be affecting her."

"Stop it!" I screamed, the last of my control snapping. "Stop lying!"

Mr. Davis's face turned purple with rage. He strode towards me, his hand raised. "How dare you cause a scene! You will apologize to Chloe and Alex right now!"

"No," I whispered.

That one word was all it took. His hand came down, not to strike my face, but to grab my arm, his fingers digging into the sensitive skin near my IV bruise. He dragged me towards the center of the room.

"You ungrateful little brat," he seethed. "You will show some respect." He looked around wildly, his eyes landing on a leather belt draped over a chair. He gestured towards it. "Alex, give me that."

My blood ran cold. I looked at Alex, a desperate, silent plea in my eyes. Don't do this. Please. For a moment, he hesitated. But then he looked at Chloe, at her wide, fearful eyes, and his expression hardened. He walked over, picked up the belt, and handed it to my adoptive father.

That single action broke me more than any lie. He was not just a bystander. He was an active participant in my torment.

Mr. Davis doubled the belt in his hand. The first blow landed across my back, the sound of leather hitting flesh sickeningly loud in the silent room. A cry of pain was torn from my throat. I stumbled, but he held me fast. The second blow landed on my legs. I collapsed to the floor, curling into a ball as the blows rained down on me, each one a fresh wave of agony. I could hear Chloe's soft crying, my mother's weak protests, but no one moved to stop him.

When it was finally over, I was left sobbing on the floor, my body a map of searing pain. Mr. Davis threw the belt aside, breathing heavily. "Let that be a lesson to you," he spat, before turning to his guests and trying to salvage the party.

Later, after everyone had left, Alex found me in my room. I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, every muscle screaming in protest. He came in holding a small, brightly wrapped gift.

"Sarah," he said softly. "I'm so sorry. He went too far." He placed the gift on my nightstand. "Happy birthday. I didn't forget."

I looked at the gift, then at his face, the carefully constructed mask of remorse. I saw right through it. This was just another act, another manipulation. He was trying to smooth things over, to keep his perfect little revenge plot on track.

I didn't say a word. I just turned my face to the wall, a silent dismissal. I was done with his lies. I was done with his games. He stayed for a few more minutes, trying to get a response, before giving up and leaving the room. The silence he left behind was a relief. My body ached, my heart was shattered, but in the quiet darkness, I felt a flicker of something new. I had survived. And I would never let them hurt me like that again.