"Oh, it''s you, sis. Honestly, only someone as nostalgic as you would still bother with this game."


    Effie didn''t even need to turn around to know who it was.


    Not that she wanted to respond.


    But Suzan wasn''t about to let her off so easily.


    Suzan stepped right in front of Effie, blocking her view. "Why are you always so childish?"


    Effie looked up, fixing Suzan with a cold stare. "Get lost."


    Suzan leaned in close to Effie''s ear, whispering so only the two of them could hear, "You know, it''s because you''re so immature and lousy at making people like you-that''s why Mitchell left you."


    "Are you quite finished?" Effie''s gaze never wavered, her face unmoved, as if Suzan''s words hadn''t touched her at all. "Seriously, what have you been eating? Your breath is absolutely rancid."


    Suzan red at her, looking like she was ready to tear Effie apart. "Shut your mouth!"


    Effie just sneered. "Oh, so you get to insult everyone else, but no one''s allowed to talk back to you? That''s rich."


    Just then, her grandmother came out of the bathroom.


    Seeing Suzan cornering Effie, she spun on her heel and ducked back inside.


    When she reappeared, she was wielding an old mop, dark and grimy, reeking of something foul.


    She brandished it at Suzan. "Move aside. Good dogs don''t block the hallway." "You old bat-!"


    Suzan''s angry retort died in her throat as she recognized Effie''s grandmother. Her eyes darted, and a new idea shed across her face.


    Clutching her stomach, she crouched down with a dramatic groan, her face


    twisted in pain. "Ow, ow! Someone''s picking on a pregnant woman!"


    They were in a blind spot for the security cameras—no matter what Effie or Mrs. Spencer said, there''d be no proof!


    That realization made Suzan smirk with satisfaction.


    "Grandma, hand me the mop," Effie said firmly.


    Suzan was after her. Even if Suzan tried to drag her grandmother into this, Effie was determined to protect her.


    But her grandmother understood and clung tightly to the mop. "No. I''m not giving you this."


    Effie looked at her helplessly.


    Grandma was too old-there was no way she could wrestle the mop from her without risking her falling. One wrong move and her grandmother could get hurt, and the doctor had warned them about her brittle bones. Another fall could be disastrous.


    Suzan watched them, a smug little smile curling her lips. So much for Effie pretending not to care-look at her now, panicking. Just like Mom said, you have to go straight for the weakness.


    If you''ve got Effie by her soft spot, what''s she going to do? Suzan thought, certain she''d finally won this time.


    Footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Suzan''s anticipation grew.


    When she saw that it was Mitchell approaching, her confidence soared.


    Clutching her stomach, Suzan put on her most pitiful expression and whimpered, "Mitchell, they''re bullying me. My stomach hurts so much..."


    Mitchell''s attention snapped instantly to Suzan. Her baby bump was impossible to miss, and thest thing he wanted was for anything to happen to her.


    He didn''t even nce at Effie or her grandmother as he snapped, voice tense, "Who? Who dared to hurt you?!"


    Suzan nearly gloated aloud at his reaction. This was going better than she''d hoped.


    She pointed directly at Effie and her grandmother. "It was them! Look, they''re still holding the mop!"