I Played Shy to Dodge Her Traps Then the Impostor Snapped Chapter 03

I Played Shy to Dodge Her Traps Then the Impostor Snapped Chapter 03

Lucas couldn’t quite meet the doctor’s eyes. “I barely said anything to her. How does someone just pass out from that?”

“Is there something else wrong with her? Something worse? Because if she drops dead while I’m here, that’s on me, and I swear she’d do it on purpose just to make me look bad.”

The doctor spent a long time checking me over before finally speaking.

“She has a severe anxiety disorder. The emotional distress triggered heart palpitations and caused her to collapse.”

“Under no circumstances should she be subjected to that kind of stress again.”

“Keep your voices down around her. No yelling, no insults. She can’t handle it. Push her too hard and she’ll have a complete breakdown.”

Lucas looked like he’d bitten into something rotten. When my eyes fluttered open, I could see the urge to yell rising in his throat.

But the doctor’s warning was still hanging in the air, so what came out instead was painfully restrained.

“Whatever happened, Hazel’s the one who had the allergic reaction. She’s the one who was hurt.”

“Could you just apologize to her? No, wait, I mean… would you please apologize to her?”

“I’m asking nicely. Please.”

After that, Lucas handled me like a live grenade.

Which only made Hazel resent me more.

A few days later, she burst through the front door soaking wet and threw herself into my mom’s arms.

My mom’s face went white. “Baby, what happened?”

Hazel sobbed so hard she could barely get the words out, shaking her head every time my mom pressed her.

“Mom, don’t. Just… it’s all my fault. Just leave it alone.”

My mom pushed harder, and only then did Hazel choke the story out.

“Chloe… she pushed me into the pool!”

“Mom, you know I can’t swim. I almost drowned!”

“I was so scared. I thought I’d never see any of you again…”

My mom’s face twisted with rage. She jabbed a finger at me. “You little bi… mmph!”

Lucas clamped his hand over her mouth before she could finish.

He was barely keeping his own voice under control. “Mom, keep your voice down!”

“Did you forget what the doctor said? Do you want to give her a heart attack?”

My mom’s face went purple. She bit down on every word trapped behind her teeth, her chest heaving.

Lucas held up both hands. “Just talk to her calmly. No swearing.”

“If you absolutely have to yell at her, at least say please and phrase it like a question. Be polite about it!”

Hazel panicked as she watched her scheme fall apart. Then her eyes sharpened.

“The doctor said no yelling. He didn’t say we can’t punish her… other ways.”

The words were barely out before she slapped both hands over her mouth.

“I didn’t mean that! Forget I said it! Oh my God, what’s wrong with me?”

But my mom’s eyes had already sparked. “No, you’re onto something. I can think of plenty of ways to deal with her.”

She turned that burning stare on me, her voice dropping into something sharp and deliberate.

“Chloe. You’re moving to the attic. Today.”

“I’ll have everyone in this house watching you. You don’t leave that room, and you get no food.”

A cold smile cut across her face. “You wanted Hazel dead? Fine. Now you get to find out what starving feels like.”

“Funny how hunger makes people rethink their choices. Don’t you think?”

Hazel practically skipped as she escorted me upstairs.

“Chloe, you better use this time to think about what you’ve done.”

“Mom’s only doing this because she cares. I know it’s kind of gross up here, and way worse than your old room.”

“But hey, a little suffering builds character. Right?”

But I was already scanning the attic, and my heart was doing something it hadn’t done in a long time. It was racing with excitement.

Secluded. Quiet. No foot traffic. And if they were locking me in? Even better. No one could bother me.

There was a massive wardrobe shoved into the corner. With a little rearranging, it would make the perfect hideout.

No sunlight, no windows facing the yard. For someone with my kind of anxiety, this wasn’t punishment. It was paradise.

Hazel turned back to gloat, but whatever parting shot she had lined up died on her lips.

They chained the door shut behind me and added a padlock for good measure.

I flopped face-first onto the bed.

Tough? Please. Compared to where I grew up, this attic was a five-star hotel.

When I woke up, my stomach was growling.

So I unzipped my jacket and reached into one of the dozen secret pockets I’d sewn into the lining. I pulled out a stash of snacks.

People like me are always bracing for the worst. Paranoid, maybe. Prepared, definitely.

And rule number one of survival: always have food on you.

Earthquake, flood, psychotic family. Didn’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, a full stomach buys you time until help comes.

I fished out a fully charged power bank, gathered my snacks, and crawled into the wardrobe.

For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt completely safe.

The only downside? No shower. No toothbrush.

By the third day, Lucas cracked.

“Mom, that’s enough. She didn’t mean it. She’s sick. You’re really going to keep punishing someone with her condition?”

“Just let it go. She’s still your daughter.”

My mom smiled, slow and unbothered. “What’s the rush? I looked it up. Three days without food won’t kill her.”

She waved a hand, and the butler stepped forward.

My mom looked at him. “Well? Three days in. Has she learned her lesson?”

The butler took a long breath. “Ma’am… she’s… thriving.”