The Exposé: My Ungrateful Ward

Mom and Dad never imagined that Hilda, who'd always seemed gentle, calm, and harmless, could harbor such venom beneath her quiet exterior.

The uneasy silence was shattered when Alex strode in from outside.

The instant his eyes landed on Hilda's swollen cheek, a blaze of fury lit his face. Without a word, he came at me and drove his foot forward with brutal force.

"Hilda is your sister! How could you treat her like this?"

Had that kick struck true, it might have torn me apart inside. I slipped aside swiftly and swept my leg out, sending Alex crashing to the floor in a graceless sprawl.

Scarlet with rage, he scrambled back to his feet. He was ready to lunge again until Mom and Dad's sharp command froze him in place.

In the end, we barely touched our food before scattering from the table.

I thought back to the way Alex had always treated me, and a knot of suspicion tightened in my chest.

He'd kept me at arm's length since childhood. I once thought it was nothing more than his cold nature. However, with Hilda, he was unfailingly tender and patient.

It was as if she were his real family, and I was nothing more than an intruder. He was the one who'd urged us to bring Hilda into our home and to adopt her.

The thought gnawed at me, burrowing deeper, until I found myself dialing a number.

I was just about to step outside when I caught sight of Hilda at the bend of the staircase. She glared at me, her eyes burning with malice. The swelling in her cheek was already fading.

"Val, did you bewitch Mom and Dad somehow?"

She stepped back until her heel caught the edge of the staircase, teetering as if a breath might send her tumbling.

In my last life, that was exactly how it had happened. Hilda went crashing down the stairs, and in my panic, I reached out to grab her, only for Mom and Dad to walk in that very instant. They thought I'd pushed her.

From that moment on, the whole family despised and ignored me.

When I still didn't move closer, Hilda's patience snapped. Venom laced her words as she hissed, "Once I'm a Cooper, I'll have Mom and Dad throw you out of this house. How about moving back into the school restroom? You managed well enough there before, didn't you?"

I stood perfectly still, watching her in silence.

A flicker of confusion passed through Hilda's eyes.

In the past, my bipolar episodes had flared at the slightest spark. A few cruel words from her were enough to set me off, to drive me into a shouting match. She hadn't expected this silence.

Then came the sound of Mom's and Dad's footsteps.

Jaw clenched, Hilda hurled herself down the stairs. Her scream tore through the house.

Mom and Dad dropped everything and rushed over, scrambling to lift her, blood already glistening at the corner of her mouth.

"Hilda, are you alright? Call the ambulance!"

Hilda gave a bitter laugh, then whispered carefully, "I don't blame Val. It was my own carelessness—"

Mom stabbed a finger toward me, her voice raw with fury. "Valerie! You pushed Hilda, didn't you?"

I kept my face impassive and laid bare Hilda's true thoughts to Mom and Dad.

'So, my little trick paid off. Now these two must be utterly disgusted with Valerie, aren't they?'

Mom's shout died in her throat. She looked down at Hilda, and her face set like iron.

'Keep your hands off me, you old geezer. You're nothing but a pile of rotting flesh. Disgusting! If it weren't for the show, who'd ever stomach your touch?'

Dad shot to his feet.

Hilda's head hit the floor with a sickening thud.

'You old thing! When you're nothing but a cripple in a bed, I'll torture you to death. And why did Valerie suddenly stop flipping out? Maybe the dose wasn't enough. Has she built up a tolerance?'

Mom and Dad froze, their faces draining of color.