My Family, My Monsters: The Stanford Betrayal

he cold of the cabin, a cold

ory was sea

e. Father' s brutal g

was always

cheek, then m

al. The snow,

wasn't there yet. Of course. Th

I had won. And I kn

d my chest. I

sed, my ha

n, sipping tea, reading a literary j

would scream "

ooking up. "Big day today, isn't

smooth, casu

wn voice steady. "But I don't think

arrowing slightly. "Oh? Not feeling

ng realis

the cheek. "Morning, Ev. Mornin

ho would help drag m

s, Dad. Or not g

t be like that. Y

oing a crossword puzzle. She smiled fain

olding the syringe

lt s

o school early," I m

other said. "Don't

rn felt l

sually came by mail too, a

de that letter. If

maybe it wou

. Liam Chen, my classmate, my fr

warm. He was also a high-achiever,

I admitte

t to think

nking about i

mid-morning. I had to g

ird period. The school nurse,

ically

s just pulling aw

art p

box latch. Bills, junk

of the National Innovato

hook as I

e it. Burn i

ack just as Mother' s car

mall, knowing sm

r, Ava? You' r

light headache.

have a feeling today is goi

ok right through me,

was there. C

't going