eek, white fuselage of the Thompson family's Gulfstream gliding onto the private airstrip behind our e

, I would

saw my quiet nature and obsession with code as a defect. They wanted a socialite, not a programmer. When they returned from their year-

she took

ile they praised her every move. I remember them signing away the company secrets to her. I remember them leaving me to rot in a mental i

the exact day they were due to return.

ughing. My father, David, tall and imposing. My mother, Catherine, eleg

, holding their

cent eyes, a sweet smile, and an aura of vuln

f disapproval. "You could have at least come to the door

t, welcoming smile. "It's so nice to finally

loud, but that echoed directly inside my head.

ore pathetic than they described. Spoiled, ungra

time, something was different. In my first life, I only felt the effects of her power-the confusion, the sudden s

va, don't just stand there staring. Say hello to your new siste

houlders. "Don't mind her, Maya. S

would have stammered an apology, desperate for th

t nothing but a

The quarterly server maintenance reports are in from the London office. Dad, you

hrown off. "What? No

got home," I said, my voice flat. "

She's changing the subject? How dare she i

ty toward my parents. I felt the wave of it wash over them

"Can't you see you've hurt Maya's feelings? She was so excited t

he whispered, her voice a fragile little thing. "I'm sure Av

her as the monster, her r

way to go, Ava. You made

so full of misguided concern for a viper. The last embers of love I mig

ma," I said, turning to walk up

ack here!" my f

lecture me based on feelings a stranger is projecting into your head? You're all successful te

them cold. They had no idea what I was talking about, but it sounded clinical, detached. It sounded li

, closed the door, and locked it. The battle ha