he gap in the heavy curtains, hi

for hours, listening to the faint, muffl

pulled the exact same washed-out denim jacket from the chair, slipped it on, an

oom archway, Harmony's shr

here? My friends are going

was your mother's brilliant idea. Th

epped into

pped toward her. The air grew thick with a toxic mix

floor. "Brooklyn! Come, eat breakfast." She hurriedly pull

d out the chair at the absolute far end of the table, putting maximum

stepped forward, placing a porcelain plate of de

icked up a piece of dry toast and took a slow, deli

e entire room to hear. "Some people chew like anim

tiny sip of her juice, but her lips

ork onto his plate with a

n't look up from her plate. Her voice was

your eyes,

red. She opened her mouth to scream, but Este

commanded, glar

his mouth aggressively. He locked eyes

"From now on, you don't wander around without my permission. You don't

gaze hit him like a physical blow-c

u mean like sitting around a table gossipin

nstantly. The veins in

her hand on the

er voice shaking. "Bryan, please! Sh

f. "She doesn't want to fit in! Look at h

legs scraped harshly against the floor. S

ne," sh

, Harmony muttered the word "bumpkin," and Estelle let o

e corridor when she heard t

as tight, her palms sweaty. "Brooklyn

utching her jacket. A flicker of something dark and complex crossed Broo

e prejudice, ma'a

say Mom. Sh

ent limp, dropping away from Brook

ked away, leaving Diana

droom door, her phone vibrated ag

the MK Auction House just

chest loosened slightly. Received, she typed back.

e dining room

l's eyes are wrong. They're too cold. It

t? She's an uneducated brat. The problem is keeping her aw

tly and looked up, her expres

talk. They'll say we're ashamed of her. Why don't we... send her to school? Th

iant idea. St. Jude's Prep. It's far a

n leaving his shoulders. "Done.

ckles were white. She heard every word of their plan to exile her daughter,