Mom, I don’t want to be stuck in the middle anymore by Mark Twain 2
Chapter 2
Ruby didn’t take me far from home.
She dragged me to an abandoned construction site. The building was half gone. The place was deserted.
Everyone had cleared out.
Ruby yanked me upstairs. I picked my way up, skirting broken walls and open gaps.
“Relax. It’s half torn down, but it’s all concrete. It’s not going to collapse on you.” Ruby shoved me forward,
her mouth curling in disgust.
The place was only one block from my house. I memorized every turn. I’d bolt the first chance I got.
Ruby hauled me up to the third floor and shoved me into the only room that was still standing.
“You’re staying here for a few days. I’m leaving you some food. Eat if you’re hungry, pee wherever you want.
I’ll come get you when my poker game’s over.”
She started to say something else, but her phone rang.
“You need a fourth? I’m coming.”
Ruby slammed the door and took off.
The room had a table and a bed. Nothing else. A few stale bread rolls sat on the table. A filthy quilt was
crumpled on the bed.
I wasn’t staying here.
I reached for the doorknob. The door wasn’t locked. Ruby must have been in too much of a hurry to notice.
I waited all afternoon. By the time I made a move, the sky outside was pitch black. In the thin wash of
moonlight, I felt my way to the stairs.
It was too dark. I stepped on something. My foot slid out from under me.
I didn’t even have time to scream. Pain ripped through me. Then nothing.
Then I drifted out of my body.
I saw my neck bent at a horrible angle. Turns out dying was that easy.
I looked around, confused. I had nowhere else to go. So I went home.
It was dinnertime. Mom was humming while she cooked. She was making roast beef for Mason, salmon for Chloe, eggplant parmesan for Dad, and mac and cheese for herself.
Nothing for me.
I stood beside Mom. She seemed to be in a great mood. My being gone didn’t bother her at all.
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“Mom.” I said it quietly. I wanted her to know I’d come back, like a good girl. Maybe she’d hug me. Maybe she’d smile at me. I was in so much pain.
But Mom couldn’t see me. To the living, the dead were invisible.
Dad walked into the kitchen. Mason was sitting at the table, stiff as a board.
“Don’t you think that was… a bit harsh? Mason hasn’t said a word to me all day. He was shaking earlier, and his head was bleeding.”
Mom raised an eyebrow. I shivered.
I knew what was coming. Every time she made that face, I was the one who paid for it.
She threw down the spatula.
“Oh, so I’m the villain now? Being a stepmom is thankless enough as it is. I did everything for my stepson and it was never enough. He’s the one who slammed his head into the pavement. I didn’t lay a hand on him!”
Dad started backpedaling immediately.
But Mom’s voice tightened by the second, as if she were the one being wronged.
“We agreed to treat each other’s kids equally. Have I ever let him starve? Have I ever denied him a single
thing?”
Dad sighed. In our family, keeping things “fair” was impossible.
“You’re good to my son, but haven’t I been good to your daughter too? That summer camp cost five thousand
dollars. I paid it without blinking.”
I crouched close by, listening to them rattle off everything they’d done for Mason and Chloe.
I was so jealous. Why couldn’t I have that? Wasn’t I their kid too? Why were they only kind to each other’s
kids? Mom and Dad had never treated me that way.
“I just feel bad for Lily. Are we being too hard on her? What if she’s miserable at Ruby’s?”
I looked up at Dad.
Dad, I got hurt. It hurt so much. When Mason and Chloe were wronged, Mom and Dad always stood up for
them. Would they stand up for me this time?
Mom let out a harsh laugh.
“Did we starve her? Did we leave her naked in the snow? I just sent her to someone’s house for a few nights
and she cried like I’d thrown her out like trash.”
But Mom, you really did throw me away. And now I was dead.
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Mom pulled out her phone and called Ruby. It just kept ringing before someone picked up.
“Hello, Ruby? Why is it so loud there? Oh, you took her out to dinner? You’re spoiling that girl rotten.”
“You’re taking her upstate for a few days? Okay, Ruby, sorry to trouble you with her. I’ll thank you properly
when I pick her up in a few days!”
I paced in frantic little circles.
“Mom, that lady is lying! She went to play poker and isn’t looking after me at all. How could I be eating out
with anyone?”
Mom bought it without a second thought.
She hung up and started waving the spatula, smacking it against the counter.
“None of you give me a moment’s peace. At least she’s our biological kid, so I can discipline her however I
want. If she were like her brother or sister, she’d give me a heart attack dealing with her!”
Dad was quiet for a moment. “She’s… safe there, right? Ruby won’t be too rough on her?”
Mom shot back. “Rough? Please. That’s my old friend…. She’ll take good care of her. I bet she’s having the
time of her life!”
But Mom, your so-called old friend wasn’t reliable at all.
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.
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